Husovice 2030: Proposals from BUT students change the face of Brno's urban district

A greener and more sustainable Brno with a focus on quality public space? That’s the vision architecture students at Brno University of Technology have projected into their designs for the renewal of the Brno-Husovice city district. As part of the Husovice 2030 project, they focused on redeveloping neglected areas, supporting community activities, and increasing the overall appeal of the district. The students’ designs may serve as inspiration for Husovice's leadership and be the first step in its transformation.

Students from the Faculty of Architecture at BUT worked on the strategic regeneration and development of Brno’s Husovice district as part of a semester studio at the Institute of Spatial Design, under the guidance of architects Jiří Palacký, Kateřina Dokoupilová, and landscape architect Denisa Hrubanová. The main goal of the student work was to adapt the space to modern needs while supporting the environment, the local economy, and community life.

"Initially, we entered this locality only with a vision to develop the park, but gradually we identified broader social and ecological contexts. It turned out the area requires a coordinated, multidisciplinary, and conceptual approach. The designs therefore focus on the development of public spaces, retail, and transport,” explained one of the project leaders, Jiří Palacký.

A city for people

The students from Brno University approached the Husovice 2030 project comprehensively and with fresh ideas. In addition to a new park, they proposed more accessible streets, safer environments for children, spaces for community activities, and a new cycle path that could eventually connect Husovice with Lesná. “We tried to ensure Husovice wouldn’t be a closed district, but would open up to surrounding parts of the city,” explained student Šimon Kantor.

The key areas the young architects focused on were náměstí Republiky and Trávníčkova Street, including the surroundings of the elementary school. The aim was to turn both locations into pleasant and safe spaces for children and adults. Therefore, great emphasis was placed on expanding greenery, providing enough benches and resting spots, playful elements for kids, and quality public lighting. According to student Alžběta Nešporová, the square could become a shared zone for public events, while the area behind the church could be a quiet zone with an herb garden cared for by local schoolchildren.

In their proposals, the students also addressed the fact that Husovice functions as a significant urban heat island during the summer. To improve the quality of the urban space, it needs to be cooled down. According to the students, this can be achieved by expanding greenery along the streets and the former railway line connecting Brno and Tišnov. Along the so-called Tišnovka, they propose a new linear park with views of Husovice, gradually linking to the existing park near residential areas. “We only added leisure attractions like a playground or café to the current park connecting to Tišnovka — things we felt were missing,” commented student Eva Gebhardtová, adding that Tišnovka is a very interesting area with huge potential, which could play an important role in Husovice’s future development.

Special attention was also paid to the promenade along the Svitava River, which flows through Husovice. The new promenade design respects the natural conditions and the river’s biocorridor and includes both a pedestrian path and a cycle lane separated by a tree-lined alley. The proposal also considers the need for spaces where people can meet, such as shared planting boxes for community gardening — to be jointly maintained by locals — and an active sports zone acting as a hub between the river, school, and Tišnovka.

From Vision to Reality

The comprehensive urban development strategy for Husovice created by the group of Brno University students is intended to serve as inspiration or a starting point for local officials during reconstruction processes. “All the proposals provide interesting impulses and are fundamentally feasible. Although some of them are rather bold visions, I believe that most of what you see here could become a reality in Husovice sooner or later,” said Martin Maleček, mayor of the Brno-North district, at the exhibition of student designs in the Sibiř Gallery. According to him, the first changes could be expected within the next three years, although larger interventions will require more time.

In early April, representatives of the Husovice 2030 project also presented their proposals to members of the Brno-North city council, who, like the mayor, are supportive of the project.

Architects as Partners

According to architect Jiří Palacký, a city can be understood as a dynamic, self-organizing entity whose development cannot be directly controlled but can be supported through strategic interventions aimed at creating quality public space and strengthening the community. That is exactly what he strives to do in his studio. He focuses on the regeneration of various types of brownfields and actively engages students in developmental projects in Czech cities such as Frýdek-Místek, Hradec Králové, or Opočno. His work has also impacted Brno areas such as Vaňkovka, Veveří, Mosilana, or Zbrojovka.

“We assume that our current role is to be the bearers of ideas and to bring them to the attention of Brno-North district representatives, helping guide further development toward the enhancement of public spaces in Husovice,” stated Palacký.

The Husovice development strategy was created by students Eva Gebhardtová, Šimon Kantor, Lucia Murínová, Alžběta Nešporová, Šárka Schmiedová, Kevin Wrobel and Alona Pedchenko from the Faculty of Architecture at BUT.

Details about the Husovice 2030 project can be found on the project website.

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Author	Mgr. Lenka Hubáčková
Published	2025-04-15 08:19
Link	https://www.vut.cz/en/but/f19528/d287441