Historic Centre of Prague

a) Development of high rise constructions on the Pankrác plain;

b) Lack of effectiveness of existing planning, management and conservation measures for the property;

On 31 January 2012, a report on the state of conservation of the Historic Centre of Prague was submitted by the State Party in response to the World Heritage Committee’s Decision 35 COM 7B.89. This report addresses all items requested by the Committee and contains additional information in response to all recommendations of the 2010 reactive monitoring mission, on current conservation issues identified by the national authorities as well as a description of all major restoration, conservation or construction works that took place since the last report in 2011, including information on works planned in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines. The State Party also submitted a request for a minor modification to the buffer zone, which will be examined by the World Heritage Committee under Item 8 of the Agenda (Document WHC-12/36.COM/8B.Add).

a) Limitations on high-rise developments

The State Party reported that while a new land-use plan is under development, an intermediate amendment to the existing land-use plan had been finalized and is awaiting approval of the Prague City Assembly expected in the first quarter of 2012. The amendment defines buildings of excessive height in three categories: (1) buildings above 40 meters, (2) buildings of significant mass or volume not complying with the standard city proportions, and (3) buildings, which may impact panoramic views. Once the Decree is approved, the area in which buildings of excessive height are banned will have been enlarged and 3D skyline models will determine criteria and benchmarks for exceptional approval of excessive heights outside the prohibition zone.

The Pankrác Plain will be included in the zone in which excessive height buildings are entirely banned. The State Party also reports that the construction permissions of the Epoque skyscrapers, issued before the World Heritage Committee recommendation on height limits in its Decision 32 COM 7B.86, were successfully revoked in August 2011. The World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS consider the land-use plan amendment, once passed, an important achievement in the protection of the historic centre of Prague and welcome the information that the construction permission of the Epoque towers was finally revoked.

b) Physical downgrading of the Eastern Highway

Following the recommendation of the 2010 reactive monitoring mission the State Party is committed to physically downgrade the North-South Trunk Road (Eastern Highway) as soon as the Blanca tunnel provides an alternative route, which is expected for 2014. At present, a new concept for the transformation of the North-South Trunk Road is under preparation and shall be based on principles of converting the road to an urban boulevard by reducing its width to two lanes and introducing pedestrian and bicycle paths.

c) Vyšehrad and Žižkov Stations

The rehabilitation of Vyšehrad Station according to the State Party will involve restoration and repairs to the historic structure and construction of two new buildings in its vicinity, which will not exceed the standard height and proportions of surrounding buildings. The rehabilitation has not yet been approved by the respective building permission authority. For Žižkov Station visualization studies of the different proposals had been prepared. However, since in the meantime the Ministry of Culture requested to declare the group of buildings a cultural monument, all plans will need to be revised, since none of these plans was in accordance with the regulations and restrictions imposed for cultural monuments. The World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS welcome the information on a request for declaration of the Žižkov Station as a cultural monument and would like to be kept informed about emerging new proposals.

d) Regulations applying to infill, rehabilitation and conservation

In 2009, the City Council adopted the “Concept for a more efficient care for the heritage in the City of Prague” prepared by the Culture, Monument Care and Tourism Department. It includes methodological guidelines for urban interior solutions specifically for the area of the property as well as a methodology for assessing new structures and annexes. Following a resolution of the City Council on 30 August 2011, these methods will be further developed and specified on the basis of a comprehensive four-phase architectural and urban analysis of the property.

e) Management Plan

In 2009 the State Party had submitted a draft Management Plan for the property. The World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS encourage the State Party to finalize this Management Plan, taking into account the comments provided by ICOMOS in May 2009 and the recommendations of the World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS reactive monitoring mission in 2010, and submit the finalized Management Plan for review by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies.

The World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS welcome the information received and acknowledge the progress made. They recommend that the World Heritage Committee request the State Party to notify the World Heritage Centre once the amendment to the land-use plan has been officially adopted by the City Assembly, and to pursue the development of proposals for the physical downgrading of the North-South Trunk Road and the finalization of the Management Plan. They further recommend encouraging the State Party to continue informing the World Heritage Centre, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, about any envisaged developments before making decisions that may be difficult