Husovice 2030: Proposals from VUT Students Transform the Face of Brno's District

Greener and more sustainable Brno with emphasis on quality public space? This is the vision that architecture students at Brno University of Technology (VUT) incorporated into their proposals for the renewal of the Brno-Husovice district. As part of the Husovice 2030 project, they focused on rebuilding neglected areas, supporting community activities, and increasing the attractiveness of the entire district. The student proposals may serve as inspiration for Husovice's leadership in the future and be the first step in their transformation.

Students of the Faculty of Architecture at VUT dedicated themselves to 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 students' work was to adapt the space to modern needs while supporting the environment, local economy, and community life.

"Originally, we entered this location only with a vision of park development, but gradually we identified broader social and ecological connections. It became apparent that the area requires a coordinated multidisciplinary and conceptual approach. The proposals therefore focus on the development of public spaces, retail, and transportation," described one of the project leaders, Jiří Palacký.

City for People

Students from Brno University of Technology approached the Husovice 2030 project comprehensively and with fresh ideas. In addition to a new park, they proposed, for example, more permeable streets, safer environments for children, spaces for community activities, or a new bicycle path that could connect Husovice with Lesná in the future. "We tried to ensure that Husovice wouldn't be a closed district but would open up to surrounding parts of the city," explained student Šimon Kantor.

The key areas that the young architects addressed are Republic Square (náměstí Republiky) and Trávníčkova Street, including the surroundings of the elementary school. The aim of the students' work was to create a pleasant and safe space for children and adults in both places. Therefore, they placed great emphasis on expanding greenery, providing enough benches and other places for rest, playful elements for children, and quality public lighting. According to student Alžběta Nešporová, the square could become a shared zone for hosting public events, while the space behind the church could become a quiet zone with an herb garden that would be maintained by pupils from Husovice elementary schools.

In their proposals, the architecture students also addressed the fact that Husovice functions as a significant heat island in summer, and to truly improve the urban space, it needs to be cooled down. According to the students, this can be achieved by expanding greenery in the streets and around the former railway line connecting Brno and Tišnov. According to their proposals, a new linear park with views of Husovice would stretch along the so-called Tišnovka, which would gradually connect to the existing park located near residential areas. "We merely supplemented the current park connected to Tišnovka with leisure attractions such as playgrounds or a café, which we felt were missing in the space," commented student Eva Gebhardtová, adding that Tišnovka is a very interesting area with enormous potential that could play a significant role in the future development of Husovice.

The young architects also paid special attention to the promenade along the Svitava River, which flows through Husovice. The new design of the promenade respects natural conditions and the river biocorridor and consists of both a pedestrian section and a cycle street separated by a tree alley. The proposal also takes into account the need to create places for people to meet, for example, through shared growing containers for community gardening, which locals will take care of together, or an active sports zone that will become a junction between the river, school, and Tišnovka.

From Proposal to Implementation

The comprehensive urban development strategy for Husovice created by the group of students from Brno University of Technology is intended to serve as inspiration or a starting point for district leaders during reconstruction processes in the future. "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 be realized in Husovice sooner or later," said Martin Maleček, mayor of the Brno-sever district, at the exhibition opening of student proposals in Gallery Siberia. According to him, residents of Husovice can expect the first changes in the next three years, but larger interventions will require more time.

At the beginning of April, representatives of the Husovice 2030 project also presented their proposals to members of the Brno-sever district council, who, like the mayor, are inclined toward the project and expressed their support.

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 focused on creating quality public space and strengthening the community environment. And this is exactly what he tries to do in his studio. He focuses on the regeneration of brownfields of various characters and actively engages students in cooperation on development projects for Czech cities, such as Frýdek-Místek, Hradec Králové, or Opočno. His work has also been reflected in Brno locations such as Vaňkovka, Veveří, Mosilana, or Zbrojovka.

"We assume that our role now lies in being the bearer of ideas and in transferring them to the awareness of representatives of the Brno-sever district and directing further development toward the development of public spaces in Husovice," stated Palacký.

Eva Gebhardtová, Šimon Kantor, Lucia Murínová, Alžběta Nešporová, Šárka Schmiedová, and Kevin Wrobel from the Faculty of Architecture at VUT participated in the development strategy proposal for Husovice.

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