Walk the City 2025 Conference

Programme

Talks | Discussions | Networking

19 / 5 / 2025

On visions of healthy cities turning into reality.

CAMP, Vysehradska 51, Prague 2

Here you can find the programme of the conference day.

8:30 - 9:00 REGISTRATION

9:00 - 9:25 START OF THE CONFERENCE AND OPENING SPEECH

PETRA SYROVÁ  /Chairwoman of Walk the City organization/

MARTIN KUPKA  /Minister of Transport of the Czech Republic/

ZDENĚK HŘIB  /I. Deputy mayor of the capital city Prague for Transport/

LADISLAV MIKO  /Environmental Advisor to the President of the Czech Republic/

BLOCK I - VISIONS AND TRANSFORMATIONS OF EUROPEAN CITIES

9:25 – 10:05  ANNI SINNEMÄKI – Helsinki on its way to carbon neutrality

lecture (Q&A in the panel discussion of BLOCK I)
What is it like to live in the happiest country in the world? Even the city of Helsinki is dealing with issues related to population growth and traffic. After the closure of coal-fired power stations, transport is the biggest source of emissions in Helsinki. However, the city has made significant efforts to calm traffic and has successfully used many tools to do so. All this with the aim of making Helsinki a truly liveable city and thus fulfilling the ambitious Carbon Neutral Helsinki 2030 plan. The impact of these bold steps is now clear, whether in terms of safety, environmental quality or the development of the local economy. Anni Sinnemäki, Deputy Mayor for the Urban Environment and a leading figure in the development of a sustainable Helsinki, will speak about Helsinki’s journey towards sustainability.

10:05 – 10:45  KRISTOF DE MESMAEKER – The GOOD MOVE plan and the transformation of mobility in Brussels

lecture (Q&A in the panel discussion of BLOCK I)
GOOD MOVE is the name of a comprehensive mobility transformation plan for the Brussels Capital Region between 2020 and 2030, which aims to improve road safety and promote sustainable mobility in the region (the city of Brussels and 18 other municipalities). Kristof De Mesmaeker, Director of the Brussels City Planning and Strategy Unit at Brussels Mobility and one of the most responsible for the implementation of the plan, will present the objectives with which the whole plan has been developed, the main pillars on which it is based and, most importantly, how its implementation is progressing. What measures and actions have worked well for the city and what, on the contrary, is good to avoid from experience? How do the people of Brussels today perceive the transport changes that have been implemented for several years? Do positive, measurable results help to shape the majority public opinion?

 

 10:45 – 11:10  – – – COFFEEBREAK – – –

11:10 – 11:45  VALENTINA ORIOLI – Bologna as a pioneer of sustainable mobility in Italy

lecture (Q&A in the panel discussion of BLOCK I)
The city of Bologna has undergone significant changes in recent years in terms of transport and public space. One of the most notable changes was the introduction of the ‘Città 30’, a 30 km/h zone on most of the city’s roads. Bologna thus became the first Italian metropolis to introduce such an extensive speed limit. However, not all measures have been implemented smoothly and without problems. How has the city introduced these changes and has the public attitude evolved in any way? And how is life in Bologna today? This is what Valentina Orioli, former deputy for mobility, architect and university professor, will talk about.

 

11:45 – 12:05  ONDREJ HORVÁTH – From visions to realizations in Trnava: active mobility as a priority for the city

lecture (Q&A in the panel discussion of BLOCK I)
The Slovakian regional city of Trnava is undergoing major transformations of its public space, improving the conditions for pedestrians and cyclists every year and making everyday journeys through the city more enjoyable. The city architect Ondrej Horváth, for whom the sustainable development of the city of Trnava is a top priority, will talk about what can be achieved in a relatively short period of time, if the desire and courage are not lacking.

12:05 – 12:45  PANEL DISCUSSION I – ask about everything that wasn’t covered in the talks!

Anni Sinnemäki, Valentina Orioli, Kristof De Mesmaeker, Ondrej Horváth and Zdeněk Hřib answer your questions under the excellent moderation of Roman Meliška and Světlana Witowská.

 

 

12:45 – 13:45  – – – LUNCH – – –

BLOCK II - COURAGEOUS ACTIONS IN THE PRACTICE OF CZECH CITIES

13:45 – 14:05  ŠTĚPÁN PAVLÍK – The square in Tábor as an experimental pedestrian zone

lecture (Q&A in the panel discussion of BLOCK II)
Part of Žižkov Square in Tábor was turned into a temporary pedestrian zone last year under the mayor’s direction. The project was thoroughly evaluated by the city and involved the general public, local businesses and tourists. During the presentation, the mayor Štěpán Pavlík will present why the city decided to do this, how the project was prepared and implemented and, above all, how the city participated with the public and what kind of response the project received. Is it worth trying new arrangements in public space and what is the future of this beautiful square?

14:05 – 14:25  MARTINA NĚMEČKOVÁ – The City of Planá: Transformations with an emphasis on quality

lecture (Q&A in the panel discussion of BLOCK II)
Martina Němečková will present how the smaller town of Planá has been gradually changing recently and describe several reconstructions that started with an architectural competition. She emphasizes thorough public participation in city projects and brings her experience as mayor from many public meetings and from the course of major reconstruction projects in the city.

14:25 – 14:40  DAVID HLOUCH: The permeability of towns and landscapes and the pitfalls of mobility in the metropolis’ backyard

lecture (Q&A in the panel discussion of BLOCK II)
Metropolitan catchment areas of large cities offer a specific and very popular mix of great big city job opportunities while maintaining the possibility to live on the doorstep of nature and countryside. However, living in the suburbs has its pitfalls, and it is mobility that is one of the key issues in areas of dramatically changing countryside that determine the quality of life for all ages, with inevitable overlaps into economic, environmental and social sustainability. What has led an architect and urban planner to become involved in public administration, what can really be changed within 2 electoral terms, and what challenges does countryside, not only in metropolitan areas, face in the fourth decade since the end of totalitarianism? David Hlouch, Mayor of the Municipality of Tehov, will try to share his story and experiences from the world of small municipalities.

14:40 – 15:00  LUKÁŠ ŠTEFL: The transformation of the town of Úvaly and the role of greenery in urban livability

lecture (Q&A in the panel discussion of BLOCK II)
Úvaly has undergone an extensive transformation of its public spaces in recent years. Lukáš Štefl, urban landscape architect, will present in his talk the possibilities of systemic development of green spaces in our cities in relation to their livability and adaptation to climate change on the example of the green transformation of the town of Úvaly.

15:00 – 15:20  MILAN KOSTOHRYZ – Traffic calming in front of schools in Prague 5

lecture (Q&A in the panel discussion of BLOCK II)
The Prague 5 district has seen significant improvements to the surroundings of several schools in recent years. Milan Kostohryz, a representative of the municipality, will present an example of successful improvements in front of the German School „Deutsche Schule Prag“ and will also share the challenges of the current project to transform the area in front of the Grafická Primary School in Smíchov, where the use of asphalt art was proposed for the first time in Prague.

 

15:20 – 15:50  – – – COFFEEBREAK – – –

15:50 – 16:05  PETR HEJL – Quick and successful changes in Prague – Suchdol

lecture (Q&A in the panel discussion of BLOCK II)
The mayor of the Prague Suchdol district will talk about how they managed to introduce relatively quickly and smoothly the improvements that significantly improve the area in front of the local primary school. How did the district manage to do it and what other transformation of the space in front of the school do the children look forward to today?

16:05 – 16:40  PANEL DISCUSSION II – ask about everything that wasn’t covered in the talks!

Martina Němečková, Štěpán Pavlík, Lukáš Štefl, David Hlouch, Milan Kostohryz and Petr Hejl answer your questions under the excellent moderation of Světlana Witowská and Roman Meliška.

16:45 OFFICIAL CLOSING OF THE EVENT /invitation to the conference party/

NEXT PROGRAMME:

  • 17:30 – 18:30 A guided ride on a special tram T3 Coupé for speakers and conference partners (start at 17:30 at the Botanická zahrada stop, next to the venue) followed by a walk through the transformed public spaces in Karlín/ Holešovice municipal districts. The walk will end at the conference party.

  • from 18:00 – CONFERENCE PARTY for all participants

/Adress: Burza #4, Bubenské nábř. 306/13, Prague 7, Holešovice Market Hall area/

Major Partners:

Under the auspices:

The conference is supported by:

Media partners: