Prague 10 approved the revised version of the study for Slatin and Bohdalec

Prague – In the undeveloped areas of Bohdalec and Slatiny in Prague, a neighborhood for 25,000 people should be built in the future. This is indicated by a revised urban planning study that was discussed today by the council of Prague 10. The original document, which was created in the previous electoral term, anticipated 35,000 residents. The study is intended to serve as a basis for the upcoming Prague zoning plan that will be valid starting in 2023.

The study addresses the undeveloped area between Michle, Vršovice, and Zahradní Město, where there was once a workers' colony, among other things. The original version was approved by the council in 2017. The coalition Vlasta, led by the current mayor Renata Chmelová, disagreed with that version, and a petition from residents was created against it. The petitioners demanded, for example, the preservation of greenery and wetlands, incorporation of ownership relations, and the creation of a traffic analysis.

With a similar mandate, the new coalition of Vlasta, Pirates, and ODS began to revise the document after the elections. "One of the main tasks we faced was to reduce the study," said Deputy Mayor Martin Valovič (ODS). He added that the decrease in the population number arises mainly from the lower height of the proposed buildings and from adjustments to the urban planning of the new neighborhood. The revision of the study cost about two million crowns, and the municipality received time from the city until the end of this year for it.

According to the deputy mayor, the new version divides the originally proposed uniform development with a greater number of public spaces and greenery. Changes also involved transportation and the connection of access roads to surrounding roads, such as the Southern Connector, from which a new exit should be created. Major transfer hubs for public transport are planned to be created at the planned railway stops Eden and Zahradní Město.

The study also incorporates a so-called railway promenade that is to lead from Strašnice and Hostivař to Vršovické nádraží and is intended for pedestrians, cyclists, and inline skaters. A park covering over 13 hectares is to be created along the Slatinski Creek. The study also plans for additional parks. The wetland Triangl is to remain preserved against the original proposal.

The new version of the study was criticized by opposition councilor Viktor Lojík (TOP 09). According to him, the proposal assumes an unnecessarily low population density that will not ensure the economic stability of the new neighborhood. He also stated that the study does not reflect the plan of the Railway Infrastructure Administration (SŽDC) to build a siding in the area, which could undermine the entire proposal.

In response, Valovič said that the construction of residential units is a priority for the city council and it is not yet clear whether SŽDC will utilize the land as proposed. "It is a living document, and we are able to respond very flexibly to how the SŽDC project progresses," he stated. Mayor Chmelová added that the municipality intends to engage in negotiations with the railway administration.

Slatiny, whose character was captured by Jan Svěrák in the film Obecná škola, began to develop in 1924. The houses were inhabited by war veterans and workers who built the railway. Many houses were demolished in the 1950s and 1960s. Now, there are about 300 hectares of gardens, various illegal structures, and abandoned railway cars. A building ban has been in place in the area since 2000.