The City of Prague has announced that it is changing the original project proposal for the Petřín Tower area’s new park look after pressure from residents. The Petřín Park Revitalization Project aims to solve the problem of uncontrolled seepage of water into the groundwater from a damaged pipeline system that is about two hundred years old.
The project’s goals also include cultivating the space, ensuring proper and sufficient watering, restoring several historic small ponds and pools, and building new ones. According to Dan Frantík, head of the Greenery Care Department at the City of Prague, the project’s completion is expected by mid-June next year.
The City of Prague has involved residents in the Petřín Park Revitalization Project preparation phase. The city council conveyed the current information on the project’s development during a meeting with locals in the park area. About 40 citizens and representatives from the city council and the first district attended the meeting.
The Petřín Park Revitalization Project should not restrict park visitors. The city council will only work on a tiny area at a time, and most of the ponds will be off the main paths. Heavy equipment cannot be used so it will be mostly manual labor.
The Rose Garden Revitalization Project was also launched on Petřín in November last year, and the entire project should be completed by the end of August this year. The project includes replacing the existing impermeable concrete and asphalt surfaces with permeable cobblestone surfaces and granite paving, installing a new sewage system for the Štefánik Observatory, and replacing the existing water supply pipeline.
Visitors can also look forward to new drinking fountains and a misting system. The project will involve planting 27 deciduous trees and about 350 shrubs and expanding the rose beds with another 330 collection roses.
The Petřín Park Revitalization Project and the Rose Garden Revitalization Project are part of the City of Prague’s efforts to take care of Petřínské sady, which the mayor of Prague 1, Terezie Radoměřská, says are the lungs and showcase of the metropolis. The mayor also stressed that although taking care of Petřínské sady only marginally affects Prague 1 because it falls under the capital, the city council tries to involve residents in debates about their presence and future and pass on the results to the city council.
The City of Prague is an active moderator of public debate and advocates for the legitimate interests of citizens. Martin Motl, Chairman of the Committee on Participation, Participatory Budgeting, Public Space, and Grant Programs for Prague 1, adds that the city council is advocating for the legitimate interests of citizens.