Florenc 21: 636 parking spaces more than needed, and a looming heat island

The project by the company Penta proposes exceeding parking minimums by 138%, meaning 2.4 times the required amount. The green space coefficient is only 0.05, whereas for new developments the usual value is 0.3 or higher. This is simple arithmetic behind a project that is supposedly meant to significantly improve the area of Prague’s main bus station.

Regarding the planned Florenc 21 project (western phase), we have now submitted our comments within the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening procedure. Although an urban design competition and consultations with a number of stakeholders have taken place for the redevelopment of the area around the bus terminal, the project still has several significant issues. These include, among others, an excessive number of parking spaces for cars, a lack of blue-green infrastructure, and unclear plans for the current bus station.

Summary of our statement, i.e., comments on the submitted documentation:

• The proposed number of parking spaces and the traffic they generate will have a significant impact on the environment and public health. A traffic study is missing that takes into account the effect of induced traffic and the planned amount of parking spaces on the surrounding area. It is necessary to justify on what data this estimate is based and whether surface parking spaces will be removed.
• The project does not demonstrate whether and how it will help cool its surroundings or whether it will contribute to the urban heat island effect.
• The amount of proposed greenery is very limited. The planned greenery raises doubts about its ability to provide ecosystem services, for example in the case of trees planned on the roofs of underground garages.
• The project affects a number of major transport infrastructures, such as the Florenc Central Bus Station or the North-South arterial road. We are missing coordination of the planned changes within the area.
• The project will have a significant impact on public transport. It will substantially affect the future location and form of the Florenc Central Bus Station (ÚAN). If the bus terminal were moved completely outside the Florenc area, it would result in the loss of an important station and transport hub directly in the city centre.

Based on these comments, we request that the documentation be supplemented and that an environmental impact assessment of the Florenc 21 project be carried out. We will closely monitor further developments.

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