What Prague could look like by 2050: New exhibition walks visitors through Prague’s future
Prague is an expanding city. By 2050, projections expect that up to 2 million people could live in Czechia’s capital. To make this transition easier for its residents, the city is investing heavily in its public infrastructure. The latest exhibition at the Center for Architecture and Urban Planning (CAMP) shows the extent to which the city is investing in its future. I spoke with the director at CAMP, Štěpán Bärtl, to find out more.
“So, we're standing in the middle of a new exhibition called ‘Prague Tomorrow: Connected City.’ As the name suggests, it focuses on public transportation, which is already quite strong in Prague, and we are very proud of that. But as rail [transportation] is experiencing a sort of renaissance around the world, particularly in Europe, Prague is responding in a similar way.
“We’re looking at three different levels of how Prague will connect to the rest of Europe, to the surrounding region, and within itself. On the most macro level, it’s high-speed rail. Then, there are various connections to neighboring cities and towns, and perhaps even to the airport, which is currently not very well served by the bus service. On a more local level, we’re talking about a new metro line, Metro D, and a new tram line.
“So, that’s the idea: to show that we can, in fact, reduce car usage for most of our commutes by expanding this incredible transportation network we already have.”
So this is primarily focusing on future projects or projects that are being built right now, rather than establishing what exists in the city already?
“The exhibition is called ‘Prague Tomorrow,’ and it’s part of our exhibition cycle focused on what’s going to happen to the city in the future. But these are by no means utopian projects—these are real initiatives that are becoming a reality. To make this happen, we first need to look at the current state, which shows issues like the railway junction system in Prague and its limits. For example, the lines are at full capacity, and there is no proper connection to neighboring towns, which makes commuting by car still easier for many people. You also have freight trains and long-distance commuters share the same tracks, which causes delays and irregularities.
“So, we look at the shortcomings and limitations of the current system, and then showcase some of the projects that will help alleviate these problems.”
What kind of projects do you usually look out for at CAMP? Guide me through some of the previous exhibitions and how this differs from that one.
“So, I think this exhibition really focuses on discussing the rail system and transportation in general. While we could focus a whole exhibit just to the design of trains, which I’m sure people would enjoy, our main focus is on the connections and the lines. Being an urban planning institute, it’s really about connecting the city to the rest of Europe.
“But there’s also this huge issue of what's called transport-oriented development. When you build a new railway station, that's where you want to focus development, because these areas are often former brownfields, and they offer huge potential for building new neighborhoods. So, that's another type of project we’re showcasing.
“Then, of course, there are things like the new tram and train models that will be coming to the city. We show these as well. It’s really a mix between large-scale infrastructure projects and the smaller-scale design aspects that will shape the city’s future.”
And it's an interactive exhibition. So, for example, you're able to point with a pointer and it shows you the designs of the different stations and the trams.
“Exactly. The idea is that you take the pointer, and for example, if you want to see how the new train station will look when traveling to the airport, or how the reconstruction of the central train station will transform it into a much larger hub. There will be two new tunnels running underneath: one going north-south and the other west-east. You can actually look at all these projects and uncover details using a tracker. It's very interactive.
“We also have this model train, where, if you press a button, you can play the role of a train engineer or conductor. By pressing the button, a pneumatic system activates, showing a metaphor for high-speed rail. It's a fun aspect, especially for children.
“And of course, we don’t just focus on the future; we also explore the historical aspect. Through archival footage, some of which has never been seen before, we show the history of metro, tram, and rail transport in Prague.”
The car lobby is quite strong in Prague. I used to live in Montreal, and there are parts of the city that are closed off in the summer due to higher foot traffic. It would seem reasonable to presume that a city like Prague, with its massive foot traffic—I'd say it’s significantly larger than Montreal—could also close off parts of the city to cars, especially around the Vltava River in Old Town.
So, would you say this exhibition also touches on that? You were talking about it almost optimistically, that the future of transportation in Prague will be more interconnected, with a lot more public transport. Is that something you think people can look forward to?
“I mean, as you said, the car lobby is quite strong, but the reality is that this is the future. It will take some time, and we’re not the quickest at making changes, but more emphasis on public transportation and foot traffic is the way forward for Prague.
“We still have a long way to go, but even now, when you look at how many people use public transport, the so-called ‘modal split’ is almost 50 percent. That means 50 percent of all travel through the city is already by public transport—which is actually more than in Copenhagen, for example. So, Prague already has a strong foundation in that sense, and I think it’ll just take a little longer before we all start leaving the car in the garage.”
The exhibition opened on March 27 and will run until October 26, 2025. CAMP is part of the Prague Institute for Planning and Development. As a result, most of the projects are coordinated with the IPR, but also with other institutions, such as the Ministry of Transportation, the Prague Public Transportation Authority, and various other organizations.
