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September 7th, 2008
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Connecting communities

Residents want to feel a sense of belonging
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March 12th, 2008 issue

By David Scougall

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Like other capital cities, Prague is experiencing considerable economic, social and cultural changes.
Obviously, all cities face different challenges, but there is one common underlining theme, namely how to connect people to the places where they live.
Developments of many sorts are springing up in Prague and all across the Czech Republic. Economic progress has been rapid in a dynamically evolving country. We now have high-technology companies, nanotechnology companies, financial services, lifestyle apartments and shopping malls busy with modern, trendy shops. Industrial and logistics halls line the motorways and city fringes. Apartments and villas are being sold off-plan.
The formula is clear for all to see — build and the people will come; profits are good. Investors fight to get a slice of the cake.
This is fantastic, but where are the examples of these projects connecting with local people to improve local communities? We’re not talking just about attracting incoming young professionals, but also keeping a sense of community alive for local people who have been surrounded by a “clamor for glamour.”
Successful development schemes abound in and around the city center, such as in Karlín, the Palladium shopping center, new shopping centers in Smíchov and Vinohrady developments. Zooming in on Karlín, we see award-winning buildings, with ongoing site development. But what is the situation when we look at the nighttime economy in this neighborhood? Where is it? How does it work? How is it connected to the city center? Do people feel safe? Where do people go for information on a Sunday afternoon? Where can they buy milk at 3 a.m. on a Monday morning? Are the new riverside developments looking into or out of the city? Is there a connection across the highways cutting this part of Prague apart from the center — or are they different places?
These and many other issues require analysis.
Other cities worldwide offer some insight into how these challenges can be overcome.
We cannot just leave these things to city planners and other city authorities. The people who live, work or visit these areas must have a say in how developments can be undertaken, to ensure the human dimension is not overlooked.
For this reason we advocate the idea of a “human city,” where scale is all-important.
This is not a radically new concept. It has been around for a considerable time; the Greek philosophers were advocating it 3,000 years ago. The work already done in Karlín and other areas is highly commendable. Other cities such as Barcelona, Lille, Berlin, Lyon and Lisbon have demonstrated how a creative approach, through strong and effective partnerships among all sectors — public, private and voluntary — can add enormous strength to the local economy and to social infrastructure.
Creating these partnerships also brings the added benefit of providing profit for the developer and a better quality of life for local people.
Developing “creative cities” is seen as the way forward for many cities competing in a global economy.
Clever cities have built this into their planning models, as is evident in Kobe, Japan; Toronto, Canada; San Francisco; and many cities in Europe.
The Czech Republic currently has a great opportunity to harness the enormous amount of goodwill the city of Prague enjoys throughout the world. Prague is, without a doubt, a world city. For it to become a world leader, it needs to build on the skills of local talent so as to enrich this offer.
Other elements of a successful city include good and affordable public transport, strong environmental management, high standards of governance and effective local education facilities. The move toward “healthy cities” is to be welcomed, based as it is on providing good sporting amenities and accessible health care.
Specifically, the government’s ambition to host the Olympic Games is a positive step for the country. (It is also good that all four principal football clubs have their stadiums in the heart of the city.)
Regeneration is a term used by many people these days to explain how to revitalize various areas of big cities. But few fully understand the term, and even fewer actually implement good, let alone best, practices, when it comes to making new plans.
Renewing towns and cities is now a global trend, as information technology and low-cost air travel have made it easier for people to see for themselves what makes a successful and revitalized city.
City leaders face many challenges in bringing together all the strands, if they are to satisfy everyone. It takes many years to see success in regeneration, but what is clear is that strong political leadership, with good public and private partnerships, are the basis on which to go forward. Quick wins are however often secured at the expense of long-term thinking. In politics, as in business, cycles are short lived and results need to be achieved rapidly. It is difficult to piece together all parts of the city jigsaw to form a complete picture.
There is always a need for consultation between government, municipalities and people; and this requires the development of a strong and well-informed community sector.
But genuine community-building can only be achieved by acknowledging the needs and aspirations of local people at every level. There is no blueprint for a solution and each city must develop its own. But we can learn from looking at other cities — the good as well as the bad, the beautiful as well as the ugly.
Prague must demonstrate that its regeneration projects are being connected on a citywide basis. This is no easy task for politicians and planners, since developers are anxious to get projects running quickly. Positive steps are being taken to achieve connections and relationships, and to ensure that these partnerships are effective. But it is essential to demonstrate that such initiatives exist — including, for example, the Karlín consortium.
In addition, external communication at international conferences and exhibitions are key to the city highlighting the opportunities that it has available. Prague officials seem willing to bring these elements together, but the city needs to have a greater public awareness and profile. Developers and investors too must share responsibility here, and make the necessary financial investment. As real estate markets mature here, it is evident that developers face much more complex situations in a competitive marketplace; other cities in the region are also now improving their offers.
Having now lived in Prague for some time, I admire what has been achieved here. It is vital that Prague builds on successes so far, but there is still some way to go in connecting the city and its people.
— The author is the managing director of European Renaissance, a company involved in working on regeneration projects.


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