Our research will help Prague 8 plan the modernization of Palmovka

News, 04/08/2021

MČ Prague 8 in cooperation with the University Centre for Energy-Efficient Buildings of Czech Technical University (UCEEB) and the Institute of Planning and Development hl. City of Prague (IPR) organized various types of planning meetings over the Palmovka site throughout 2020. The future of this development area was presented through current projects in the information container of the IPR, located near the transport hub, commented walks took place and several types of questioning of local citizens, entrepreneurs and visitors were carried out, both online and in person, depending on how the extraordinary situation of the past year allowed this.

One of the important planning actions was conducting comprehensive and detailed interviews with representatives of various target groups (residents of Palmovka, workers in the vicinity, representatives of associations, entrepreneurs or nearby institutions and others). The aim of the conducted interviews was to capture the perception and experience of residents with the location of Palmovka and to identify specific places that have been created in the area in recent years. The outcome of these interviews is sociological-anthropological research of the living space in the Palmovka locality, which forms one of the cornerstones for the conscious and sensitive development of the space, which has the ambition to transform from a neglected area, often perceived only as a "mere crossroads", into a full-fledged Prague centre with quality a public space that will reflect the wishes and requirements of local residents.

“On behalf of the UCEEB research team, I would like to thank all the research participants for taking the time to share their experiences with Palmovka with us. It is known that the people who use Palmovka are not indifferent to the future direction of the location, on the contrary. Research has shown that users of Palmovka have different opinions and perspectives on it, which should be kept in mind when planning the development of the site. We hope that the results of the research will help to understand different perspectives and mutual respect not only in discussions about the future development of Palmovka," Michaela Malá, research coordinator.

As part of the interviews, the research participants also created so-called mental maps, through which they depicted their personal views of the entire territory. From these maps, it is then possible to deduce how the resident or participant moves in the locality, but also how he perceives the locality, how specific places affect him and where he sees room for improvement.
 

"We will apply the main conclusions from the research not only in the planning of new construction, but especially in the framework of the thorough revitalization of public space. The interviews showed, among other things, that residents feel frustrated by the non-conceptual development planning of Palmovka in the past, and this is precisely why the Palmovka TEĎ platform was created, which aims to connect local actors - residents, associations, entrepreneurs, investors and representatives of the Municipal Council so that the result of their joint the work was a modern Palmovka, where locals and people from across the country will feel good," describes the benefit of joint planning with citizens, Petr Pelc, representative of the Prague 8 Municipal Council and coordinator of the Palmovka TEĎ platform.

"We use qualitative analysis when planning locations that are awaiting a more fundamental change. Thanks to this method, today we can better understand local values, which in the case of Palmovka is, for example, social and architectural diversity. This analysis should be followed up by long-term work with the public in further involving them and explaining the significance of the development of Palmovka. I believe that it will become a place that will better serve the needs of local residents," says Ondřej Boháč, director of the Institute of Planning and Development in the capital. City of Prague

Kompletní znění výzkumu, včetně závěrů a doporučení pro plánování a budoucí rozvoj Palmovky naleznete ZDE and zkrácenou prezentaci ZDE.

Video o výzkumu na Palmovce zde.

The entire text is taken from the pages of www.palmovkated.cz. Odkaz na článek zde.