In Bubny in Prague 7, up to 25,000 people could newly reside

Prague - In the territory of Bubny in Prague 7, up to 25,000 people could live in the future. According to a study commissioned by the city, residential and administrative buildings, a park, and a concert hall for the Philharmonic will be built near the Vltavská metro station on Line C, among other things. The area will also include a railway line with several train stops. This was announced to journalists today by representatives of the capital city, the Institute of Planning and Development (IPR), and the authors of the study. Currently, there is a building ban on the 110-hectare area.

"The aim is to create a fully functional urban district," said Deputy Mayor Petr Hlaváček (for TOP 09).

A total of 1.8 million square meters of space will be created on the current brownfield site. The majority will be occupied by housing, which will make up 60 percent of the area. The construction of the new district is expected to take 15 to 20 years. The basic idea of the architects and authors of the study was to connect historical areas that are currently "turning their backs" to each other, according to architect Petr Pelčák. According to him, the development will smoothly link to its surroundings, while preserving the character of individual parts of the city, such as Holešovice, Bubny, and Zátory. "There will be a park in the center that will connect the parts. It will also create a sufficient buffer around the railway lines that pass through the area. It is important that a heterogeneous and new district will not be created, but the character of the surrounding neighborhoods will be maintained," said Pelčák.

Residential buildings will be mainly located near the park in the center of the area. Around Argentinská Street, there will predominantly be administrative buildings. Squares will be built near Bubny and Holešovice train stations, and high-rise buildings are planned near the Nádraží Holešovice metro station on Line C. "This is the only place where they have been spread out over a larger space. There will certainly be a debate about it, but given what has been developed, it is the most realistic plan," said Hlaváček.

The city plans to build a new concert hall near the Nádraží Holešovice metro station. At the same time, traffic from the Hlávkův Bridge will be redirected along the embankment to Argentinská Street. Trams from Strossmayer Square will no longer run along the current depressed road, but at the level of surrounding streets. Trains will largely pass through the area on an elevated viaduct, beneath which buildings will be constructed, thus ensuring the space under the tracks is not left unused. Some historic buildings will be preserved, including the Bubny train station, the waterworks, and the power plant.

In the past, several proposals were made regarding how to utilize the area. According to IPR Director Ondřej Boháč, however, these were primarily engineering proposals, not urban planning. For example, large-capacity roads were proposed that defined the character and structure of the area. This has now changed.

There is a building ban on the site. Since 2009, the city has been working on a change to the zoning plan that will allow for construction. The plan could be changed next year.