What did we work on in the LAB in spring 2026?

Here’s a brief overview of the events and issues we focused on in our Sustainable Urbanism Laboratory in spring 2026. If you support our work, you can help us out by Feeding AutoMat.

The Florenc 21 Project Must Undergo an EIA Assessment

Following our comments, as well as those submitted by Arnika and the City of Prague itself, officials decided that the planned Florenc 21 project (western phase) by Penta must receive a positive environmental impact assessment (EIA).

Among the issues we highlighted in our comments:

• Penta is using a “salami-slicing” approach. The western and eastern phases of the project constitute a single, indivisible development and should not be assessed separately.
• The project exceeds the minimum number of required parking spaces by 138%, meaning it provides 2.4 times as many spaces as required by the Prague Building Regulations for the area.
• The green-space coefficient is only 0.05, whereas the usual value for new development is 0.3 or higher.
• Penta has avoided providing a clear conclusion about what will happen to the Florenc bus station.

We Submitted Comments on the Study for Prague’s Plzeňská Street

In March, we submitted comments on the draft coordination study with regulatory elements for Plzeňská Street. They focused primarily on connectivity, the problematic placement of Park & Ride facilities, public amenities, and pedestrian and cycling connections.

According to information from Prague 5, only a small portion of our comments was incorporated:

• Proposed crossings that had incorrectly been marked as existing were changed to proposed crossings. However, our requests to add crossings at new locations were not accepted.
• Pedestrian permeability was added to the building block near the Poštovka stop, and the symbol for a parking garage was removed from the drawing. However, the regulations table still allows for a P+R facility of up to 2,500 m². Our other requests were not accepted.
• With regard to the remaining comments, the study’s authors state that these issues are already addressed in the study or will be dealt with in more detailed or separate projects.

Discussion on Urban Cycling in Hradec Králové

At the invitation of the Hra-na platform, we gave a presentation and took part in a discussion in Hradec Králové at the beginning of June. Representatives of Critical Mass Prague also joined the discussion on urban cycling.

The spring CYKLO–CYKL consisted of three presentations and three group bike rides through the regional capital. We also discussed cycling in the city with its leadership last year.

Open Letter and Interpellation

Because we care about the safety and development of Prague’s transport system, we approached senior city representatives twice during May and June. We sent an open letter to mayoral candidate and chairman of the SPOLU council group Tomáš Portlík, asking why the group is failing to keep its own promises regarding through traffic in the city center. He has not responded yet.

At the final council meeting before the summer break, we also questioned Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda about the fatal collision involving a cyclist in Krč and the continued underfunding of cycling infrastructure. In addition to responding during the meeting, the mayor promised written answers and a personal meeting about road safety.

We’re Working on a New Version of the Bubny-Zátory Study

At the end of June, we attended a public hearing and a separate meeting concerning the second version of the zoning study for the Bubny-Zátory brownfield. We had already submitted comments on the study several years ago.

The new version represents a positive step forward, but some specific solutions still need refinement, particularly cycling infrastructure on Argentinská and Bubenská streets, safe movement throughout the new neighborhood, and parking.

We are therefore submitting new comments, calling for multiple possible cycling solutions to be assessed, international best practices to be taken into account, and further discussion of specific parts of the area.

The End of Cycling on Patočkova?

A third traffic lane in the direction of the city center is being planned on Patočkova Street in Prague 6, supposedly to improve traffic flow and allow buses to travel through more quickly. However, this modification would eliminate the existing bike lane as well as part of the central green strip. We have therefore developed an alternative design, which we sent to Prague City Hall, Prague 6, the Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR), and the Technical Road Administration (TSK). Our aim is for the city authorities, as the investor, to comply with their own Active Mobility Standards. We are currently arranging a meeting to discuss the possible solutions.

World Bike Ride

Despite heavy rain, thunder, and lightning, we cycled through Prague as part of the World Bike Ride. At the finish at Bike Jesus, we organized a discussion on transport and public space with Vladimír 518, Táňa Zabloudilová, Yvette Vašourková, and Martin Marek.

We Joined Initiative 0 Events

In May, we joined an Initiative 0 event at Staroměstská to launch a map of stories. There, we highlighted the dangers faced by vulnerable road users. On the last day of school, we joined an event in Troja at a pedestrian crossing where, two years earlier, a motorcyclist struck and seriously injured a 15-year-old student. We highlighted in particular that children’s safety must not be sacrificed for the “smooth flow” of motor traffic, which the Prague City Assembly recently identified as a priority.

Opening photo: Hra-na