Ostrava has its own building regulations, which will come into effect in January

Ostrava – After Prague and Brno, Ostrava now has its own building regulations. They aim to facilitate the completion of urban gaps, while also addressing demands for greenery in the streets, parking spaces, efficient placement of technical infrastructure, and setting rules for the construction of parcel pickup boxes. The so-called Ostrava building regulations will come into effect from the new year. City representatives and the City Atelier of Spatial Planning and Architecture (MAPPA) announced this to journalists today.

The city utilized the authority granted by the new building law and prepared its own construction rules for its territory. The document builds on the building law and specifies how buildings should look and by what rules construction should take place in Ostrava.

"The Ostrava building regulations are undoubtedly a groundbreaking moment for construction and the development of the entire city. The new building law gave us the privilege to adjust our specifics as one of the three major cities and to reflect the conditions of Ostrava. Thanks to the Ostrava building regulations, we can simplify certain things. For example, this is due to the parking standards that have changed within the city's heritage zone," said Deputy Mayor Lucie Baránková Vilamová (ANO).

The director of MAPPA, Ondřej Vysloužil, noted that the possibility of having local building regulations is inspired by Western Europe, where different construction requirements are common practice. "In creating the regulations, we had a clear goal. We want to strengthen and create a compact city that makes good use of its territory and saves on infrastructure costs," Vysloužil stated.

The new rules concern aspects such as greenery, where in streets wider than 18 meters, a wider planting strip is required to ensure better growth of trees. Another requirement is that underground networks will be placed in combined routes or collectors. The regulations also specify that in small establishments, toilets can be shared for men and women, or that parcel pickup boxes must not be placed in front of the facades of historical, cultural, or church buildings.

The Ostrava building regulations were prepared by the MAPPA studio in collaboration with the Department of Urban Planning and Building Regulations of the municipality. The creators also consulted them with experts who participated in the preparation of such building regulations in Prague and Brno, as well as with lawyers.

"We know that this is just the beginning, and that the building regulations will definitely evolve and be adjusted based on what practice shows. To allow everyone to familiarize themselves with the regulations, we plan to include a transitional provision. All those who are currently designing and submit their project to the building authority by the middle of next year will still not be subject to the Ostrava building regulations," the deputy added.