Plzeň wants to have a famous staircase, inviting people to suggest a location

Will Plzeň have its Spanish Steps?

Plzeň - Plzeň wants to have its own famous steps, following the example of numerous foreign and Czech cities. It is therefore inviting the public to propose and find a suitable location for them. This unconventional project is announced by the Plzeň 2015 company, which is preparing the West Bohemian metropolis for the year 2015, when it will be the European Capital of Culture. The steps are intended to be a place for meeting and resting. People can suggest new locations or propose existing structures. Mirka Reifová from the Plzeň 2015 company told ČTK this.
    "Every major cultural city has its famous steps, whether it’s the Spanish Steps in Rome, the Potemkin Stairs in Odessa, the Selarón Steps in Rio de Janeiro, the steps on Montmartre, or the Castle Steps in Prague. Plzeň, although it is a city with several hills and significant elevation, has none such," she stated.
    The Plzeň 2015 company is therefore calling on the public to come up with a location for their city. "Famous steps do not have to be ancient. The aforementioned Selarón Steps only became famous 15 years ago after a local painter decorated them with colorful tiles. This helped attract visitors from other neighborhoods and tourists and changed the reputation of what was then a dangerous part of Rio," Reifová added.
    The Plzeň steps can be straight, spiral, long, wide, amphitheater-style, suspended, in any shape and construction. It is important that they serve not only as pathways but primarily for gathering, resting, conversing, providing access to the river, playing, cycling, or hosting concerts. New places without any stairs yet can be suggested as well as existing stairs that currently function only as pathways.
    According to the director of the urban concept and development department, Irena Vostracká, a great location could be at the English Embankment, where they could connect the street with the waterfront. Real efforts to build stairs to the waterfront have so far failed. "But there are certainly many other places in Plzeň that would suit the Plzeň Steps," said Vostracká. A friend inspired her with the idea that every big city has its "Spanish Steps" during a cafe meeting. "Since then, I see steps on every corner," Vostracká added.
    Suggestions for the placement of the steps can be sent by the people of Plzeň until the end of February 2013 through the portal or to the address Plzeň 2015, Pražská 19, 30100 Plzeň. The call for Steps for Plzeň is part of a new community program Grow the Space, which is aimed at engaging the public in transforming the public space of the city of Plzeň.