Take Back Your Street! AutoMat to Celebrate 20th Anniversary of Neighborhood Festivities Zažít město jinak on the Smíchov Embankment

On Wednesday, December 10, 2025, the civic association AutoMat invites all supporters of better cities to the opening of the exhibition “Take Back Your Street! – 20 Years of Returning the City to the People.” The exhibition will then be on view for a week at Kobka 17 on the Smíchov Embankment in Prague 5. It will showcase thematic illustrations from recent years alongside a photographic series of locations transformed by the festivities.

The first Zažít město jinak events were held in 2006 as part of the European Mobility Week. They built on earlier activities of the then informal Auto*Mat group, which aimed to promote a more sustainable and welcoming city for all residents. The exhibition includes not only photographs documenting 20 years of neighborhood celebrations but also illustrated infographics created in collaboration with the initiative Městem na kole and illustrator Filip Zatloukal.

We first transformed Prague’s Smetana Embankment in 2006.
 
 
The infographics and visuals from Zažít město jinak depict the city through the eyes of pedestrians and cyclists, emphasizing both written and unwritten rules that shape everyday life in public spaces.

“The festival shows people that they don’t just have to get used to public spaces that don’t belong to them. It hints at how we can use and cultivate these spaces. Change often comes when people in the neighborhood desire it. Being part of it as the creator of the visual identity is both an honor and a challenge for me,” says Zatloukal.

As part of the exhibition’s opening, AutoMat will also ceremonially launch the newly released Zažij město quartet, featuring original illustrations by Filip Zatloukal and unique texts. This deck was created this year as part of the preparation for the new educational program Zachraň město, aimed at primary school students.

The exhibition will be open in the community spaces of Kobka 17 every weekday from 1:00 PM to 6:30 PM, running until December 16, 2025.

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