City branding: Prague's strategic plan
- 1. PRAGUE a combination of tradition and innovation
- 2. Prague is the capital and the largest city of Czech Republic and it's the 8th city at the city branding list of 88th capitals all over the world. Prague has been a political, cultural and economic centre of central Europe and it has a population of nearly 2 million people. Present-day Prague is the most dynamic and most successful region in the Czech Republic, generating a quarter of GDP.It has a reputation for being a reliable business partner that has low level unemployment and a good credit record, a city which attracts not only trade and investors but also migrants from around the globe.It provides an attractive address for alla those who want to develop their business activity within a city of exceptional beauty that has an able and well-qualified population and offers new opportunities to all. On the other hand, Prague is still hampered by increasing car use and noise emissions, partly outmoded infrastructure, lack of available housing especially for young families, an increasing crime rate and an administration system that is not always welcoming or effective. The historical core of Prague has found it hard to resist the strong commercial pressure and to deal with the impact of cars and tourism. These and other problems need to be resolved in accordance with the city’s long-term goals and possibilities.
- 3. These new demands have also required changes in how the city’s development is managed. Like other European metropolises, Prague has prepared – and, in May 2000, adopted a comprehensive strategic plan that sets out a complete and realistic vision of future economic, social and spatial development with regard to these new conditions. Prague has set forth an ambitious programme which it is determined to implement. It has subscribed to the principles of partnership, democratic management, market economy and the careful and environmentally friendly use of all resources. Here are some main points(strenghts, weaknesses and opportunities) of this strategic plan, considering factors such as 'Prague in a anew Europe”, “Competitiveness”, “People in Prague”, “Environment”, “Safety & Security”, “City Management & Development”.
- 4. PRAGUE IN A NEW EUROPE: Strengths (current favourable characteristics of Prague) ● Position at the heart of Europe ● Continuing attraction and general prestige of Prague ● Traditional standing as the hub of the Czech nation, state administration, academia and culture ● Unique cultural-historical heritage of international importance ● Improved connection to continental and global communications and information networks ● Contacts with major cities and regions on the continent; connection to activities within EU structures
- 5. Weaknesses (current high-risk and negative characteristics of Prague) ● Integration into the European transport network (apart from air travel) not on par with major competitive ● cities in Western Europe ● Poorly developed co-ordination of activities and co-operation between the public and private sectors for ● the promotion of the city’s interests ● Little mutual awareness between Prague and its boroughs regarding foreign activities
- 6. Opportunities (current and likely future positive external influences) ● Greater support for Prague from the central government and parliament; creation of a structured co-operation programme. ● Development of a common approach to promoting the shared interests of Prague and other major European cities ● Better international co-operation for protecting Prague’s exceptional cultural and historic richness and for integrating multicultural activities. ● Retaining of Prague’s tourist appeal and growth in its role as a venue for major international events ● Promotion of Prague as a suitable candidate to host the Summer Olympic Games ● Optimum use of resources from European Union funds ● More effective use of the city’s representative offi ce in Brussels (Prague House)
- 7. COMPETITIVENESS: Strengths ● Open business environment, great investor confi dence in the investment stability of Prague and a well-developed private sector ● Stable labour market with diverse job opportunities and above- average quality of the workforce ● Low unemployment ● Extensive potential of science, research and education for the city’s innovative role ● Good accessibility for the majority of the regional hinterland and suffi cient space both within and around ● the city for securing its development ● Existence of a strategic document on Prague’s potential for innovation (the Regional Innovation Strategy for Prague)
- 8. ● Good position as an attractive tourist destination; high-quality tourism infrastructure ● Long-term high evaluation by renowned international rating agencies ● Weaknesses ● Problematic use of development opportunities in sites of former manufacturing and business premises ● Insufficient use of research and development resources for Prague’s innovation purposes on a national scale and for resolving the city’s current problems ● Internationally perceived aspects that threaten Prague’s reputation (such as corruption, crime, excessive bureaucracy, diffi cult investor orientation when entering the Prague market) ● J Insuffi cient correlation between education and the labour market, low employment of disadvantaged groups, lack of labour in certain professions
- 9. Opportunities ● Emergence of an extensive and integrated European economic space ● Favourable climate to ensure the attraction of Prague’s business environment ● Utilization of the well-qualifi ed and fl exible workforce and its continuing comparative advantage in terms ● of salaries and expenditure; emergence of strong stimulative competition on the labour market ● Promotion of quality partnership between the public and private sectors ● Full use of the city’s potential for innovation – speeding up the transfer of technology and know-how, greater involvement of Prague-based research in addressing the city’s development issues, increasing social responsibility of the city for research
- 10. PEOPLE IN PRAGUE Strengths ● Continued spiritual and material development and renewal of the spiritual atmosphere attributed to a city that is open to impulses from diverse cultures and persuasions ● Above-average living standards, relatively high social stability and a strong middle class ● Balanced social structure ● Highest concentration of high school and university graduates in the country ● Sufficient capacity of elementary and secondary educational facilities
- 11. Weaknesses ● Unfavourable demographic structure and ageing Prague population ● High proportion of housing estates built to low technical standards ● Insuffi cient job opportunities, civic and recreational facilities on and near housing estates ● Lack of social integration of the disabled and of people facing social exclusion ● Not enough correlation or continuance between the various levels of education; insuffi cient accessibility of the educational system ● Little emphasis on addressing certain aspects of equal opportunities for men and women ● Low involvement of citizens in public affairs decision making and lack of identifi cation with the local community and Prague as a whole
- 12. Opportunities ● Re-evaluation of Prague’s multicultural traditions and utilization of its cultural importance to improve its attraction 20 ● Creation of stable round-the-year interest in Prague as a tourist attraction by supporting sustainable tourism and offering an attractive programme of events (even in the off season) ● Conservation of the overall character of the city by keeping the aesthetic and cultural in mind when bringing development projects into fruition ● Raising of educational levels by expanding the lifelong learning system ● Use of schools as multifunctional centres of education and culture ● Equalizing of opportunities for men and women on the labour market by balancing family and work life
- 13. ENVIRONMENT: Strengths ● Unique and well-known genius loci ● Attractive and pleasant environment of the city’s historical areas with a large number of heritage buildings and sites ● Diversity of architectural styles and urban structures ● Rich potential of both the city and suburban landscape with the added advantage of the river Vltava ● Large proportion of green areas
- 14. Weaknesses ● Overburdening of Prague’s Heritage Conservation Area (the historical centre of the city) by car transport, unsuitable commercial activities and other negative infl uences ● Heavy air pollution mainly in the central parts of the city, caused by car transport and negative geomorphologic conditions ●Noise pollution from traffi c and other sources 21 ● Incomprehensive, and in some cases, insuffi cient care of historical sites, particularly those outside the conservation area ● Pollution of waterways in the city, reducing their ecological and recreational potential ● Unacceptable state of some green areas in the city and suburbs; partly dysfunctional greenery system ● Frequent cases of vandalism, unsatisfactory level of cleanliness of public areas and local neglect of building maintenance
- 15. Opportunities ● Europe-wide trend towards reducing the negative impacts of car transport on the urban environment ● Suitable use of vacant areas, particularly in the inner city, such as defunct industrial plants and abandoned railway land ● Further reduction in air pollution from industrial emissions and heating systems, for example due to economic stimulus ● Improvement in the system of heritage care, including appropriate legislation and control mechanisms ● Revitalization of urban and suburban greenery in connection with a heightened appreciation of its eco-stabilization function ● Trend towards emphasizing the ecological and recreational functions of waterways
- 16. Opportunities ● Europe-wide trend towards reducing the negative impacts of car transport on the urban environment ● Suitable use of vacant areas, particularly in the inner city, such as defunct industrial plants and abandoned railway land ● Further reduction in air pollution from industrial emissions and heating systems, for example due to economic stimulus ● Improvement in the system of heritage care, including appropriate legislation and control mechanisms ● Revitalization of urban and suburban greenery in connection with a heightened appreciation of its eco-stabilization function ● Trend towards emphasizing the ecological and recreational functions of waterways
- 17. ● Laying down of actual prerequisites for the renewal of housing estates as a whole, in particular by completing the infrastructure and renovating public areas ● Development of a polycentric system for Prague to relieve the city centre ● Greater range of tourist destinations within and outside Prague’s Heritage Conservation Area (the historical centre of the city) ● Effective and environmentally friendly system of waste management (higher level of waste sorting and recycling, etc.)
- 18. SAFETY AND SECURITY: Strengths ● The city’s current safety and security system, which is designed to cope with and minimize the effects of exceptional and unforeseen circumstances and to provide help to those in need ● Implementation of comprehensive fl ood protection measures ● Call centre for residents and visitors in use during major events and in emergency situation
- 19. ●Crime and drug prevention activities in the city ● Beat patrol and community policing activities, which have been received positively by city residents ● Partial provision of replacement public transport services and supplies of drinking water during emergency situations Weaknesses ●High crime rates, including organized crime ● Existence of areas with a long-term concentration of street crime; ineffective measures against vandalism ●Long-term trend showing a decrease in crime detection; increasing proportion of police offi cers involved in crime and overall low numbers of police offi cers in the Czech Police Force on beat patrol ● Continuing public distrust in the security services and little willingness to co-operate with them ●Growth of problematic social groups ● Insuffi ciently effective co-operation between the city and organizations dealing with migrants, refugees, homeless and other socially excluded people
- 20. Opportunities ● Active participation of the public in providing for their own safety, particularly during exceptional and unforeseen circumstances ● Lowering the risks of environmental disasters and other emergency situations by thoroughly enforcing the principles of sustainable development ● Construction and modernization of a central operations centre ● Closer involvement of the city in national and international- level security structures ● Helping people from high-risk groups to become involved in society
- 21. CITY MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION: Strengths ● Prague is traditionally seen as an independent administrative unit and the city’s division into administrative districts is expected to have long-term stability ● The City of Prague Act, which allows for comprehensive problem solving in the areas of city administration and development ● Long-term continuity and strategy in the spatial development planning of the city ● Size and strength of the city economy
- 22. Weaknesses ● Hypertrophied and complicated system of public administration ● Insuffi cient co-operation between Prague, the Central Bohemia Region and neighbouring suburban areas ● Continuing failure on the part of the central government to appreciate the position of Prague and to respect its role and needs ● Absence of mid- or long-term budget planning tied to an investment programme
- 23. Opportunities ● Presence in the city of most of the central bodies of the public administration, as well as higher education and scientifi c-research resources for dealing with the city’s development and administration ● Well-developed and diverse telecommunications networks suitable for multimedia communication between the city administration and the public, state authorities, other regions and other countries ● Rapid development of choice in the provision of information and communication technologies ● Prague’s position as a region within the European Union ● Completion of the process of dividing powers between the local borough authorities and the city *All the information are included on the Pragues goverment's strategic plan http://www.iprpraha.cz/uploads/assets/soubory/data/strategicky_plan/ang
- 24. Editing group: Athens Universalis