Prague has a study of the heritage reserve, additional ones will be created for its parts

Prague – The Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR) has created a zoning study of the heritage reserve, which outlines the risks and potential of its parts. The document was approved today by city councilors. The reserve area is divided into more than thirty zones, for which separate zoning studies or binding regulatory plans will gradually be developed. According to Deputy Mayor Petr Hlaváček (STAN), the Karlov area will be addressed first.

According to Mahulena Svobodová from IPR, the approved study is the first document since the declaration of the reserve in 1971 that comprehensively addresses its entire area. The authors evaluated each zone in terms of risks and potential. Risks include threats to the visual panorama, inappropriate increases in built-up areas, intense tourism, excessive commercial use, a decline in permanent housing, or intense motor vehicle traffic.

Each zone, according to the document, should in the future obtain its own more detailed documentation, either in the form of a zoning study or a regulatory plan that is binding for the decisions of building authorities. According to Hlaváček, the zoning study for the Karlov area, which includes the territory around Karlovo náměstí extending towards Albertov and I. P. Pavlova, will be addressed first.

The Prague Heritage Reserve covers an area of 895 hectares, and according to city information, it is home to 46,000 residents, which is half of the number compared to the 1980s. The reserve accounts for 20 percent of the jobs in the metropolis and 30 percent of all accommodation capacities for visitors. The reserve was declared in 1971 and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1992.