Zažít město jinak, foto: Petr Lebeda

We experienced the city differently for the 20th time: Where did the power of communities show itself?

For the twentieth time, the Zažít město jinak neighborhood street festivals, organized by the AutoMat association together with local communities, brought hundreds of streets across Czechia to life. The main date of the event—which is unparalleled in Central Europe in terms of its scale—fell this year on September 20. A total of 160 locations were united by the annual theme, The Power of Communities.

“Thank you to all the volunteer organizers who joined us this year. Zažít město jinak is currently undergoing a transformation towards financial sustainability, and for organizers the question of whether and how to hold the festivals is often very complex. But here too, the power of communities proved itself,” says Petr Štádler from AutoMat, head of the Zažít město jinak project. The festival’s motto, referring to solidarity, thus ran like a red thread through locations across the entire country.

For better public space

Together with AutoMat, local organizers used the opportunity to prepare a day full of fun activities for their neighbors and to highlight both what unites them and what troubles them—such as excessive car traffic or the degradation of public space. In Prague’s Hradčanská area, they drew attention to a large parking lot in the middle of the Prague Heritage Reserve and demonstrated its potential to become a cultivated public space serving the local community as well as other users. Karlín Square was also transformed, almost by magic, from a neglected parking lot into a true square full of neighborhood life. In Holešovičky, where one hundred thousand cars pass every day, a large-scale mural was created to highlight illegal noise and air pollution. In Strašnice, a public debate was held about the Railway Promenade. In Nusle, the festival posed a question to the public: whether to preserve a large parking lot in the shade of mature linden trees, or rather transform it into a small square designed for people.

Přístavní Street in Prague 7. Photo: Marcela Zatloukal Juříčková

Doors open to communities

In Karlovy Vary, organizers created a school street for one day and held a guided walk for local residents. In Český Krumlov, a lecture on architecture took place. In Prague 2, the Church of St. Wenceslas at Zderaz opened its doors, offering a unique insight into both its history and present-day life. On Uralská Street in Prague 6, visitors were able—thanks to cooperation with the Open House festival—to access spaces that are usually closed to the public. In Prague’s Břevnov district, children’s workshops titled My Ideal City were held. In Hořice, workshops took place on September 21 under the titles How Communities Keep Us Afloat and How We Can Support Our Mental Health Through Neighborly Relations. Numerous neighborhood swaps, charity bazaars, and flea markets for good causes were also part of the celebrations.

Streets belong to children

In Netolice, children were welcomed by the Little Eyes children’s theatre festival. Morning and afternoon theatre performances and creative workshops for children were also prepared in České Budějovice. In Prague, Anenské Square hosted a Fairytale Cabaret for curious minds aged four and up, while in Poruba’s Castle Park, a variety of children’s competitions took place as early as September 13. All-day creative workshops for children were also held on September 27 in Prague 4, in the Táboritská / Pod Terebkou area. On a closed street leading from the square to the elementary school in Sázava, cardboard car races were organized. In Prachatice, sensory games were prepared, and in Český Krumlov, families enjoyed a mini quiz and a fortune-telling booth.

Children enjoyed a wide range of activities during the festival. Photo: Radka Staňková

Swaps, culture, and bike rides

As part of the neighborhood festivals, a wide range of bands, artists, and DJs performed, community tables were set, stalls with homemade refreshments appeared, and picnics, houseplant swaps, and neighborhood cafés took place. Community bike rides were also organized in Prague’s Řeporyje district and in Hořice. In Petřiny, visitors could get acquainted with a cargo bike and take a ride to the Hvězda Game Reserve and back. In Plzeň, workshops on public space and mobility were held for primary schools and kindergartens. AutoMat’s new educational programs for primary schools were presented in Prague 6, specifically on Velflíkova and Cukrovarnická streets.

We are very happy that the core purpose of the neighborhood festivals continues to be fulfilled—connecting the themes of community and public space. And best of all: Zažít město jinak is not over yet. This year, Litoměřice and Kaplice are still preparing their own celebrations.

Programs in individual locations are fully organized by local volunteer organizers, to whom the AutoMat association provides its long-standing know-how as well as administrative and marketing support. You can support the organization and long-term sustainability of the festivals by purchasing a virtual Souseděnka.

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