In a wide-ranging interview carried by the daily Mlada front Dnes, architect Jakub Cigler takes aim at what he describes as an outdated, inefficient system of urban planning in Prague that’s hurting its ability to grow and to remain a modern city. The biggest problem he sees is an unworkable approach to its urban plan. “In Germany, a master plan is more like a recommendation, it’s not a law or a legally binding document,” says Cigler. “And the fact that its legally binding in the Czech Republic and affects so many parties means that its approval takes so long…In Hamburg, the master plan is more of a guide. This sort of document works better for mature societies than a strict document. Our society still has to grow up to reach this level. I just hope it won’t take too long.” Cigler warns that the risk of allowing the approval of a master plan to drag on for years and years is that it may not be relevant by the time it comes into effect.
