“Visitors have suffered up to now because they have had to weave their way between over a hundred parked cars. This is a pity because the waterfront is beautiful and it could be just as popular among Prague residents as the one opposite on Rašínovo embankment,” said IPR Director, Petr Hlaváček. “Having established a ferry connection to the opposite bank last year, we are taking a further step towards the revitalisation of Smíchov. This is all based on the Prague Waterfront Concept,” added Hlaváček.

The parking lot on the waterfront will give way to a unique space, which will be used for social events or simply as a place to sit or walk along the waterfront. The Prague 5 district council also supports the removal of the parking lot and the end of the semi-legal use of the waterfront by lines of cars. It is also concerned that the planned introduction of parking zones will place increased pressure on parking spaces along the waterfront.

Together with IPR and other bodies, the embankment administrator is preparing to develop the waterfront area as part of a renovation programme, which should result in the installation of additional benches and tables, as well as resurfacing works, to offer visitors a more comfortable environment for leisure activities. Measures are also being proposed to connect the area to basic utility lines.

The City has used the Prague Waterfront Concept, approved in 2014, to prepare and implement these measures. This document provides a conceptual approach to the Vltava for the City and defines the river and its immediate surroundings as important public spaces.