Hana Švejdarová (Spring 2004)
Many Europeans arriving in the US for the first time might not understand the structure of a typical American city. A new arrival in the US would ask himself – where does the city actually end? Many Europeans perceive the American city as an inhospitable place with a glut of parking lots, busy streets, and buildings scattered so far apart from each other that one has to drive a car to get from one to the next. However, after office hours, the cities empty out, with the centers becoming oftentimes dangerous at night. Those with money have long moved to the suburbs, a trend helped by the relatively low cost of running a car and by easy and advantageous mortgages in the US.
Czechs are now also beginning to move out to the suburbs in increasing numbers, at the cost of an often grinding daily commute to Prague, with children’s “school runs“ thrown in as well. American‑style satellite cities, nicknamed “Beverly Hills” by the locals, are emerging in the environs of Prague in places such as Průhonice, Nebušice and Šestajovice. Prague, along with other large Czech cities, is beginning the process of suburbanization that began in the US many years ago. The current urban conception of the States is therefore a model prototype for the possible consequences of recklessly importing these American customs to the Czech Republic.
Before 1989, there were far fewer cars in Prague. For the most part, families used cars for recreational purposes on weekends. Today, one’s means of transport is a matter of prestige and an indication of social status. Since 1990, car traffic in some areas of Prague has increased fourfold.
New hypermarket shopping centers are also springing up on the outskirts of Prague, built precisely on the Western model. Yet, many Czechs still reach them via public transport. However, from the metro stations, these centers are in the middle of vast car parks, which new arrivals must navigate before they can start shopping. It is no wonder then that those who want to move with the times arrive by car the next time they come.
One of the few positive legacies of socialism in post-communist countries is the popularity and quality of public transport. This is something that we are rapidly losing, as a result of Western social norms taking over here.
Another harmful development, which has been underestimated, is the construction of new roads that go around the city in a ring. These ring roads are destroying the environment in direct proportion to their capacity. This is because – as experience in other countries has shown – the ability to take greater volumes of traffic will not ease congestion in Prague. Instead, it will simply increase the number of people using cars and the transport system will be back to square one, i.e. rush-hour traffic jams.
We still have a unique opportunity to preserve the organic nature of our cities. We will waste this chance if we don’t stop and be selective instead of recklessly rushing forward to catch up with the West.
Autumn 2004 Issue
