Front gardens in Prague: A new manual on what they should look like has been created
The manual on how to get rid of visual smog in the streets was introduced by the municipality last year. The aim is to get rid of, for example, various unified signs sticking out into the streets or, for example, photographs of food. Rules on the appearance of shops or the various services operated should be part of newly concluded contracts with operators in buildings owned by the city.
Gardens have no obstacles
Rules for the appearance of front gardens have now been added to the manual, in monument reserves and monument zones. Therefore, in addition to the center, they will also apply to a wider center, for example in Karlín or Dejvice. As a result, the rules should be part of the leases that tenants conclude with the municipality. “Restaurant gardens they should complement and enhance public space, not create obstacles. They must also be proven sensitively as by taste, “said Adam Scheinherr (Prague’s Councilor for Transport), who recently took over the responsibility for monument care.
He pointed out, for example, that on Malé náměstí there is a fountain from the 16th century, which is currently basically drowned between umbrellas and landings gardens occupying almost the entire square in the heart of the metropolis. According to the deputy, the gardens should not look like separate restaurants located in the street or square area, ideally they should consist of a combination of sunglasses, coffee tables and at least other equipment.
More space for pedestrians
The rules also apply to the actual placement of gardens in the space. The minimum space that must remain passable on the street has been extended. “We found out what rules apply in foreign metropolises comparable to Prague’s history and significance. It is almost everywhere at least 2 meters or 1.8 meters, while the law guarantees only 1.5 meters in our country, ” to present the author of the manual Kristýna Drápalová. The space that operators will have to let pass will therefore be extended to 1.8 meters. Gardens also for example you cannot use a visual barrier in significant vistas or prevent entry into an object.
The manual also provides clear rules on where gardens may be restricted to landings. It must be made of wood or a combination of wood and metal. It can have gardens on the street with a slope of more than 5%, which is an elevation of 50 cm by 10 meters. May may therefore be used mainly to compensate for uneven terrain.
No solid structures
Gardens also do not have to be able to have a solid fence, for example made of glass, which is often covered with various advertising materials or logos. The enclosure should be with other materials with a maximum height of one meter. Gardens should also not be shaded by solid structures such as pergolas. According to the manual, single-colored parasols are suitable in muted colors or awnings that are part of buildings. They must also not be covered by the side and front walls of the garden and the parasols must be at least 220 cm high and must not exceed the area of the occupation.
The rules also apply furniture, which must be made of natural material, ideally wood and metal. According to the manual, light portable furniture is especially suitable for the city, and not massive tables and benches, which are no longer than 120 cm in any power. Also, grills, speakers or a TV screen may not be able to be in the gardens. The rules also apply to lighting, which will only be possible in places where electricity can allow it. It will not be possible to run electrical cables to the gardens located under the ground under rubber safety thresholds or in the air.
This year, the municipality also approved a document that says where the gardens can be in the busiest places in the center. It concerns the Royal Route and the Castle Corridor, ie the streets in the place of the former Old Town walls. Thanks to this, according to the municipality, the space should be freed up, for example, in the Small Square or in front of the astronomical clock. It is also expected that after the reconstruction of Wenceslas Square, the gardens will return only to pre-selected places.
City council invoke the manual, as it would seem front gardens in the center of Prague. They should never look like this anymore.
Author: Manual for cultivated Prague