International Landscape and Urban Planning Design Competition Periurban Park Confluence
The Soutok project (Soutok = Confluence) aims at establishing of the Soutok Periurban Park and its viable existence, which will ensure the coordinated development of the territory in economic, ecological, cultural, and social terms.
The subject of the competition is a landscape-urban concept for the revitalization of the landscape of the confluence of the Vltava and Berounka rivers (approx. 1300 ha), including wider links with an emphasis on the landscape along the watercourses. The subject of the competition contains also a more detailed elaboration of four sub-areas.
IPR Prague has received funding from the Norway Grants “Bergen” program for the Periurban Park as a Tool for Adaptation to Climate Change project. This initiative will contribute to the planning of the Soutok (Confluence) Periurban Park, which will be the first of its kind in the Czech Republic.
The area in question is the river floodplain at the confluence of the Berounka and Vltava rivers in Prague. Covering an area of more than 1,300 hectares, it spreads across five districts of the City of Prague and Černošice in Central Bohemia. Many private owners with variable, often conflicting intentions are represented there. The area does not have a clear development concept and the landscape is at risk of gradual degradation. Fortunately, the unifying “Together at the Confluence” platform has been set up there, and local politicians have decided to develop the area through the Confluence Periurban Park management tool. The vision is the gradual creation of a diverse, well-ordered and permeable landscape with a living river that will integrate the economic and recreational activities of stakeholders, visitors and residents.
The Confluence Periurban Park will provide the platform for discussion concerning the use of the territory and will act as a partner in the preparation of planning documentation. The Confluence as a pilot project of the Czech Republic will become one of the largest periurban parks in the countries of the former Eastern Bloc.
The aim of the competition is to find a conceptual approach to the design of the Confluence Periurban Park defined both in general terms, and in selected specific cases. The concept of the Confluence Periurban Park presented in the design competition will serve as the basis for the subsequent drafting of the guide plan, the landscape revitalisation plan and selected sub-projects. The greatest potential benefit of the Berounka valley for local inhabitants as well as for the inhabitants and users of the entire metropolitan area of Prague and the adjacent settlement of the Central Bohemia Region lies in the integral and balanced development of recreational, sporting, and cultural activities, strengthening of the landscape and ecological values, sustainable agriculture, biodiversity, and river landscape services.
The purpose of the competition is to propose an overall urban planning and architectural design of the landscape and to formulate principles for the development of the area with the following objectives:
— Recognize the landscape, agricultural, ecological, cultural, recreational, and sporting potential of the Berounka and Vltava floodplain and proposing steps to support and develop them.
— Define the priority values of the territory and the by which investments can be assessed and directed. Concern the river area as a public and high-value landscape space and determining what conditions need to be met to ensure that the area maintains its values and develops them further.
— Preserve the synergy and integrity of the river floodplain area, taking into account the need for long-term cooperation across the administrative divisions of the City of Prague and across the borders of the Central Bohemia Region.
— Appropriately ensuring that the design integrates the adaptation and mitigation measures of the Capital City of Prague Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and the Prague Climate Plan 2030.
Harmonize proposed measures with sustainable development goals for Prague and the metropolitan area.
— Enhance and revitalise the ecosystem services of the river landscape, promoting biodiversity, and apply blue-green infrastructure development principles. Integrating nature-friendly measures into the design of flood mitigations strategies.
— Propose projects of selected sub-territories and apply the principles of the strategic approach of the guide plan using this specific projects as examples.
— Formulate the story of the landscape of the Confluence and raise awareness of this landscape amongst the inhabitants of Prague.
The aim of the competition is to draft a design for the Confluence Periurban Park. It has to include river floodplain revitalisation, climate change mitigation principles and ecosystem service enhancement. It should be and inspiration for similar areas in the Czech Republic.
More information about the competition available at https://cceamoba.cz/en/competitions/sok
Important note to non-Czech contestants – The Periurban Park Confluence competition administratively works in 3 steps:
- Registration in the electronic tool Tenderarena is needed. It is non-binding and there are no fees. Links to it are on the competition webpage. Part of the documentation is also a step-by-step guide how to do it. This is because the competition organisers have to abide by the Czech law of public procurement.
- By the 19. 9. 2022, 10:00 am Prague time – the „Request for participation“ needs to be sent into Tenderarena. It’s two filled-in forms and two reference projects in one pdf, very light, very easy.
- Then one needs to be selected by the jury, deliver the best proposal and win the competition.
