In Karlovy Vary, the city architect began working

Karlovy Vary - The City Architect's Office (KAM) has started operating in Karlovy Vary. The new organizational unit will serve as an advisory body to the city but aims to engage in dialogue with both professionals and investors as well as the public, said KAM director Petr Kropp to journalists today.

KAM will primarily focus on four key topics. "The first topic is the urban plan and vision for the city. The second topic is public space, urban details, and public buildings. Another topic will be data collection about the city, as thorough analysis of the city's needs is essential for our work. The fourth topic will be communication with the public," said Kropp.

The architect studied in Karlovy Vary in the 1970s, worked in Germany, and recently in the Netherlands. He considers his knowledge of Karlovy Vary an advantage, as well as having an outside perspective. "By experiencing an outside perspective, I realized the values that the city has. I want to refresh them and draw attention to them," Kropp stated.

KAM will also deal with discussed projects, including the Integrated Transport Terminal and the Hot Spring Colonnade. However, according to Kropp, it is necessary to create a comprehensive vision for the further development of the city, which has been marked in recent decades by the construction of shopping centers outside the city center, the relocation of residents to satellite towns, or the isolation of the spa zone. As Kropp said today, when he returned to Vary in the evening, the lights in the spa center were only shining in a few buildings.

The City Architect's Office is now preparing an organizational order, budget outlook, and will be looking for employees. For this year, the city has allocated four million crowns for KAM's activities. It will temporarily be located in a pavilion at Milada Horáková Square, with part of the pavilion accessible to the public.