On Wednesday, 31 May, Petr Hlaváček, deputy mayor of Prague for strategic and territorial development, held a meeting with the mayors of Prague’s municipal districts and their councillors responsible for territorial development. The aim of the meeting was to find a joint solution to the housing situation in the capital city.
Prague has been facing a long-term increase in demand for housing, and this trend is likely to escalate in the future due to urbanisation. The current market prices of apartments are already unaffordable for many citizens.
“The only solution is to start building on a much larger scale than in previous years,” said Hlaváček. “We are working on it, which is why, among other things, we are negotiating with representatives of all city districts about the construction of affordable housing on suitable city plots. I am very pleased that we met with a positive response, support and efforts to overcome this challenge together.”
Hlaváček added that private sector construction projects are also a necessary part of the response, but that municipal participation in construction efforts is key.
The meeting was attended by over 30 representatives of Prague’s municipal districts, including Petr Urbánek, director of the Prague Development Company, Ondřej Boháč, director of the Institute of Planning and Development, and Martin Valovič, Mayor of Prague 10.
The Prague Development Company, a contributory organisation of the City of Prague, is primarily dedicated to the preparation of affordable urban housing, especially for key workers (healthcare workers, teachers, police officers, etc.) and for vulnerable groups (single parents or elderly people living alone). This company is to prepare about 60 affordable urban housing projects on allocated city plots.
One such project is the Vršovická apartment building in Prague 10, for which an architectural competition was announced last year. The winning studio Kuba & Pilař architects is already preparing project documentation for zoning and construction management. Based on the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Prague 10 district and the city, the affordable urban rental housing is part of the development of the entire location, which is owned by the city and managed by the district.
