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Description
Prague belongs to the typical examples of a post-socialist city. Radical changes in governance in the 1990s left their significant traces in the urban form, ownership structures, or the decision-making processes and democratical participation in urban issues. In the near time, the city will decide about the future of the essential brownfields in the broader center, which may be the key to both environmental and social sustainability. Furthermore, the preparation of the new zoning plan is going to the final stage and will decide about the binding regulation of new development for further years. Yet, the conflict between private and public interests is growing, and the role of the local municipality in their moderation is failing. That leads to the weakening of the civic sector and protection from the negative impacts of new development areas.
The project focuses on increasing the transparency of urban development in Prague and strengthening the civic capacities in the related decision-making processes. It combines expert outputs and necessary data analyses, legal and expert consultancy, including representation of the citizens in spatial planning and construction permitting, and practical field activities. A complex information campaign is part of the project, including networking and joint actions of Prague civic initiatives. The project will contribute to the sustainability of the metropolis in the context of the environmental and housing crisis and increase the cooperation between the authorities and inhabitants.
The project targets two main groups: the broader public and the local authorities. It also addresses the field experts who work on the crucial regulatory documents and plans of the city.
Summary of project results
The project "Praha – město pro život" (Prague – a City for Life) aimed to address significant urban development challenges in Prague. Key issues included the impacts of climate change on urban environments, housing unaffordability, and increasing urbanization which necessitated sustainable urban planning. The project recognized the need for better citizen participation in the urban planning process, aiming to enhance public engagement and influence in decision-making. Additionally, it sought to address the gap in effective communication and collaboration between citizens, civil society organizations, and local government. By focusing on these areas, the project aimed to foster a more inclusive and sustainable approach to urban development, ensuring that the voices of residents and community groups were heard and considered in the planning processes. This approach intended to create a healthier, more livable urban environment while promoting transparency and accountability in urban governance.
We consider the project unique in its complexity and scope within a topic that - even with respect to the multitude of actors and interests - forms one of the central themes of public debate, and is fundamentally interconnected with environmental and social agendas, in other words, it touches on key contemporary societal challenges, including the impacts of climate change, housing unaffordability, increasing urbanization and related urban planning challenges, and more. In the project, we have focused on areas that we have long identified as key in terms of non-profit and civic sector activities, and that many civic or non-profit entities other than our organization do not address to this extent.
The project allowed us to create a large-scale and long-term campaign that built on the development of expert arguments, commenting on key policies and planning documents, and systematic work with the media and the public. We rate the campaign as extremely successful with a great reach - it directly influenced dozens of cases, significantly contributed to the creation of a civic alliance in the context of the forthcoming Prague Metropolitan Plan, and enabled dozens of meetings and public appearances that made us a relevant and respected partner for the public administration and other stakeholders. We have developed unique analytical materials and clear information resources for the public, local government representatives, and experts, and we have helped hundreds of people through consulting activities. We organized dozens of events attended by hundreds of people. The project has brought together diverse actors and brought them together for discussions that have often led to positive action. We reached half a million people and established concrete arguments in the public debate.
We have produced dozens of audiovisual materials and the project has produced a professional documentary that will be shown at prestigious film festivals. The project significantly strengthened the organization''s base of supporters and donors. Through the project, our team members have become recognized experts on the topic, have joined important working groups, and continue to have the opportunity to influence the sustainable urbanism agenda in public policy.
The "Praha – město pro život" project implemented several key activities to achieve its objectives. It developed a long-term media strategy to raise awareness and advocate for sustainable urban development. This involved creating expert arguments, commenting on key policies, and engaging with the media to shape public discourse. Part of the complex campaign was creation of a documentary movie or podcasts and videos. The project also strengthened the organization’s base of individual donors through targeted fundraising campaigns, resulting in a significant increase in supporters and donations. Additionally, the project played an active role in the urban planning process by submitting objections and comments on various planning documents. This included organizing a "burza připomínek" (market of comments) that enabled 35 community groups to participate in the planning process. The project also engaged in legal actions and advocacy to influence urban development decisions, such as opposing various construction cases and advocating for changes to the building code. These activities aimed to empower citizens and ensure their involvement in shaping the future of Prague. Another significant part was created by expert publications – the first one on housing crisis in Prague which included analysis of recent data and the second one on the topic of ecological certifications. Within the project, dozens of public events were organized, including critical urban walks, discussions, or a festival. Throughout the project, expert advice was given to local civic initiatives.
The "Praha – město pro život" project achieved several significant results, impacting various stakeholders in Prague. The enhanced media strategy successfully raised public awareness and shaped the discourse on sustainable urban development, influencing key policy discussions. The project''s efforts in strengthening the base of individual donors led to a substantial increase in financial support, which is crucial for sustaining advocacy activities. By facilitating citizen participation in urban planning, the project empowered residents and community groups, giving them a platform to voice their concerns and influence decisions. This was evidenced by the successful submission of objections to key planning documents and the active involvement of 35 community organizations. The project''s advocacy work also led to tangible changes in urban development policies, promoting more sustainable and community-oriented planning practices. Overall, the project fostered a collaborative environment where citizens, civil society, and local government could work together towards creating a more liveable and sustainable Prague.
Summary of bilateral results
We entered the project with the ambition to create and implement a communication strategy in collaboration with the partner - this requires mapping the current situation, the actors involved, the target groups and the campaign objectives, etc. Thanks to the partnership, we implemented the necessary internal workshops and drafted an internal communication strategy document. The partnership helped us to implement new methods of mapping our target groups and transcribing them into a communication style. The main result of the partnership is the communication strategy of the campaign. However, the partnership also showed specific limitations - mainly the specific situation in the topic of Prague''s urban development, which is difficult for an external actor to grasp in detail and work with tailored to the needs of the campaign. For this reason we do not plan further cooperation specifically with the project partner, but we do not rule out further bilateral cooperation with the Norwegian partner in the context of the necessary expertise in future projects.