Ostrava Will Have an Architectural Studio

Development of high-quality architecture and urbanism in Ostrava – this is the goal of the City Spatial Planning and Architecture Studio (MAPPA), whose establishment was approved by the City Assembly on 6 March. Modelled on IPR Prague or KAM Brno, the new publicly co-funded organization will start its activities this summer.

MAPPA will build on the existing activities of some departments of the City Hall, especially the Departments of Chief Architect and Strategic Development.

“The establishment of such a city institution has been the subject of expert discussions for many years, including in the creation of the FajnOVA strategic plan. Its absence was a significant shortcoming in terms of urban development strategy.  We want Ostrava to become a modern metropolis, a city with good architecture, urbanism and public space. This, together with the emphasis on the coherence of strategic and spatial planning, as well as the continuity of the strategic approach, are the main goals of the new organization”, said Mayor of Ostrava Tomáš Macura.

The publicly co-funded organization will be established on 1 July 2019 and will be fully operational by 2020.

“The creation of MAPPA was inspired by similar organizations in Vienna, Bilbao, Helsinki, as well as in some Czech cities – Brno, Prague or Karlovy Vary. MAPPA will require a professional team, independence, but partnership and cooperation with the City and City Districts, active communication and participation with the public, and progressive and goal-oriented approach”, said Deputy Mayor Zuzana Bajgarová.

The new organization will be headed by the director – Ostrava City Architect, with a team of experts on architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, traffic engineering, data analysis, etc. By 2020, MAPPA is expected to have a 15-member team. The organization will work on the cultivation of public space and greenery in Ostrava, prepare expert documents in the field of architecture, urbanism and urban development, organize architectural and urbanistic competitions, strengthen partnerships and cooperation with universities, professionals and the public, communicate projects in Ostrava and also involve the public in planning and making decisions in the city.

MAPPA will be a platform for the application of a strategic approach in the field of modern urbanism, enhancing the quality of public space and architecture in relation to spatial development, and the Strategic Development Plan of Ostrava for the period 2017–2023 under the brand name “fajnOVA”. It will be the result of the flagship project “Creation of a platform for strategic urban planning and modern architectural and urban development of the city”.