Plzeň approved a change to the zoning plan with 191 proposals, it is interactive and simpler

Plzeň - The representatives of Plzeň approved a change to the zoning plan, a key document for the city's development, which has been developed over three years. It includes 191 proposals. The most changes resulted from new legislation, according to which it was necessary to adjust the valid plan to a standardized form in accordance with the building law. For easier orientation for all, a clear interactive map was created, which allows for easier searching for information about a specific plot or area, said Deputy Mayor Pavel Bosák (Pirates).

"The map clearly displays so-called functional areas, meaning territories designated for specific uses," he stated. This includes areas for housing, production, civic amenities - schools, nurseries, healthcare facilities, sports facilities, cultural facilities, and shops. There are also significant public spaces and green areas - parks, forests, landscape greenery, and agriculture. Buildings for transport and technical infrastructure are defined. A new part of the drawing includes the structure of the built area, which indicates what type of houses can be built in a given part of the city.

"We want the zoning plan to be accessible and understandable for everyone interested in the place where they live. The interactive map allows for a look into the details without complicated flipping through documentation. Thanks to it, urban planning will be much clearer for the public," Bosák said. According to Irena Vostracká, director of the department for concepts and city development, people often inquire about how they can utilize their plot or what can emerge near their residence. "Thanks to the interactive map, they can now find out what the plan allows with just a few clicks," she stated.

Regarding building heights, Plzeň applies the principle of individual project assessment in regard to the urban context, impacts on the surroundings, and the quality of architecture. "The assessment of high buildings takes into account, among other things, a 3D model of the city, distant views, traffic capacity of the area, technical infrastructure, accessibility to schools, sports facilities, and public spaces," Bosák said. A symbol of the so-called recommended height dominance in the map serves, according to him, only as a guideline. The final decision will always be based on the specific intention, he added.

In recent decades, only a few high buildings have been constructed in Plzeň, which have been assessed individually. The city will continue to apply the same approach. Last month, preparations began for the construction of a high-rise building called Sisters with two towers measuring 94 and 83 meters, which will be the third tallest residential building in the Czech Republic. Plzeň's MIRAS Group will build 175 apartments there within three years. There is a discussion about a high-rise building in the triangle at the corner of Slovanská and Malostranská streets in the Slovany district, against which citizens are protesting in a petition. The high-rise building as a dominant feature is marked in the zoning plan, but according to Bosák, this does not automatically grant anyone the possibility to build something there.

According to architect Josef Váni, whose team worked on the change to the zoning plan, a high-rise building could have been included based on the current plan. "By refining the rules, we stated that it can be there, but only as a local dominance up to 40 meters. So we tightened the rules and also said that even for a local dominance, all assessments must be conducted, which previously applied only in the central part," he said. According to him, there should be some urban dominance there, but the triangle marked in the zoning plan is not binding.

"The burden on the locality is enormous. I can't imagine that such a capacity of an apartment building would be built there. We also need to live there," said opposition representative Jiří Lodr (KDU-ČSL). Opposition representative Michal Vozobule (TOP 09) proposed that the symbol and text indicating that the placement of a high dominance is suitable be removed from the zoning plan change. However, the proposal did not pass.