From Concrete to Community: A Green Infrastructure Project in Prague

Green infrastructure must be implemented within an urban context to deliver wider benefits to its surroundings. The project I will present originated from a request by the City of Prague to assess whether a proposed green roof over garages adjacent to a residential building in Prague, aligned with the Prague Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. Upon visiting the site, we discovered a desolate, unused concrete area in the middle of the housing estate, bordered by the ground-floor windows of flats. This area formed a clear barrier to pedestrian movement between the residential buildings and community facilities. Through an assessment that also considered these urbanistic aspects, we successfully convinced the city that the proposed green infrastructure could not only 'fill' the concrete roof of the garages but also offer broader benefits for both residents and the environment. We were given the opportunity to expand the design (both spatially and in terms of proposed measures). The new design enabled pedestrian access to community facilities, including those with disabilities (through the design of footpaths and ramps), provided a meeting place for residents (with proposed seating areas and a community garden), and increased security for residents by making the roof accessible to the public while respecting the privacy of the flats´ front areas. Additionally, we improved the microclimate (by proposing trees in the surrounding area) and maximised the use of rainwater to irrigate the proposed greenery. I will be presenting this proposal at the conference.