Blesk.cz: Mr. Mayor, with what training do you actually enter your term of office?

Vojtěch Zelenka: I have been in the conference business for over ten years, affecting both the private and public sectors. There I also met people from the management of city districts or cities quite often. Thanks to that, I got to the problems well, the innovative solutions are concrete and I saw certain things, or at least better. A huge advantage that I would recommend to any aspirant for a leading political contribution was four years in opposition. This really forces circumstances to quickly orientate oneself in the issue. “

The previous term was your first political experience. What led you to enter politics at all?

V In 2013, my neighbors and I dealt with the project of the then town hall management (in 1998–2014, Milan Coller was mayor for the ODS – note. editorial staff) concerning the perimeter road around Uhříněves. At that time, the town hall did not deal at all with the citizens affected by the construction, which seemed strange to me to say the least. Alone the project was not prepared correctly, because in the preparation of the EIA (evaluation environmental impacts – note. editorial staff) was based on 10 years old data. It was such a first impulse for me to be interested in exactly what was happening at the town hall. Is Prague 22 really managed the way it should be? ”

And she was?

“I do not think. For example, i land sales. Thanks to that today as a part of the city we do not have any strategic plots of land because the previous town hall management sold them. However, in my opinion, some key plots should have been retained. A few years ago, for example, this was reflected in the fact that we needed a high-quality and large enough plot of land for a new school, we did not have it. “

What do you intend to differentiate yourself from the previous management?

“We definitely want to communicate projects with the public well in advance. It is better to acquaint them with the starting points so that the distrust of the town hall, which has occurred here in recent years, does not deepen. I imagine it in the form of personal meetings of those who are interested, with the representatives of the town hall and, for example, with the designers of individual projects. This can lead to significant comments that will be incorporated into the project to the satisfaction of citizens. “

On the contrary, is there something you would like to build on the previous lead?

“There are projects that make sense. We may be dealing with them in a slightly different way, but they are certainly not things we have on the table just because the former management did them. I mean specifically construction of a new elementary school Romance, where the only flaw in the beauty remains that the design was not solved in the form of an architectural competition, which is a disgrace for an investment exceeding 320 million crowns. Given that this is an investment by the City Hall, the previous town hall should have put pressure on the capital’s management to hold the competition. “

What would you name the main problems that plague Prague 22?

“If we talk about the eastern region of Prague in general, everyone will answer that transport. Unfortunately, this is also the case with us. At the same time, it can be solved very poorly, because the solutions are either of national significance or they are matters addressed by the City Hall. “

Do you mean the Prague Ring Road?

“Not only the Prague ring road, ie the completion of road 511 in the section between Běchovice and Modletice, which is also to be kept in the cadastre of our city district. I will also mention the so-called Hostivař clutch, which would help remove transit traffic from the center of Uhříněves. The implementation of these constructions is crucial for us. “

Your city part consists of several cadastral areas – Uhříněves, Pitkovice, Hájek. They are quite far from each other. Do you think that in the future it would be appropriate to stop the areas between them so that the distance changes and Prague 22 is more integrated?

“We are one of the city districts that have grown the most in the last ten years. However, there is also the problem of infrastructure, which is lagging behind today. I can imagine further development so that the territorial units are more interconnected, but to go hand in hand with the infrastructure, respectively first focus on traffic routes and civic amenities, then only for the construction of new residential houses. “

Are there any current development projects from the past management that you have to deal with?

“It is so and the situation is far from ideal, because the demographic curve that follows the development of our part of the city is steep. Only since 2001 the population has doubled. Development projects for the construction of houses for about 3,500 inhabitants are currently under development, and more are still being worked on. Given the Metropolitan Plan, which has not yet come into force, we have seen increased pressure from developers to get their projects up and running before the Metropolitan Plan enters into force. However, I would like the influx of new residents to be rather slow. Today there is a time when it is necessary to build kindergartens, schools, sidewalks, medical facilities or a library. “

Given the next four years, which flagship project do you think you are able to implement?

“It is impossible to talk about the project, but I promise a lot that we will choose district architect. Many cities and city districts have this function, Prague 22 does not. I think it has been to the detriment for a long time because it is a person who will be helpful in making it projects that will be conceptually and uniformly solved. I would definitely mention the construction of a new kindergarten, which should have eight to ten classes. We have already commissioned a study for six architectural firms. They then liked to leave their projects to local citizens to listen to their opinions. It is a matter that concerns them and their children in particular. It could be built in two years. “

Looking further into the future, how do you imagine Uhříněves and its surroundings in about ten or twenty years?

“Taken in terms of transport, so I would like to see the metro in Uhříněves with transfer station to the train. The further development of the metro will certainly be dealt with by the management of the capital. But we are really talking about the horizon of 30 years. And it doesn’t matter if it is an extension of line A from Hostivař or C from Jižní Město – although from our point of view, line C would make more sense. , which would, however, be connected to road 511, ie the Prague ring road and the railway line of the S9 line. I can also imagine the connection of Uhříněveská obory with the location of Podleské rybníkado in one recreational area. And finally, the transformation of the former Colors and Varnishes complex into a new district with industrial elements, similar to, for example, in Ostrava. “

The new completion of the primary school in Uhříněves is literally new.

Author: David Winter