Urban Ecosystems as Foundation of Brownfield Transformation

Facing the challenges of the climate change and ongoing sprawling development around the city of Prague, the aim of the thesis project is to provide an alternative by transforming the existing brownfield area in Prague 7 – Holešovice into a sustainable neighborhood. Due to the site location on the Vltava river and reoccurring threat of urban flooding, one of the main goals of the project is to propose urban development which would have a minimal impact on the environment, especially reducing the consequences of the conventional urban water systems. The project creates a balanced urban ecosystem which is able to cope with the challenges of the changing climate and increased amount of precipitation by using ecosystem services to manage the rainwater within the site boundary. The former industrial area is transformed into mixed use neighborhood connected with its surroundings and integrating both, the diverse urban fabric and open green areas of ecological and environmental values, benefiting from the ecosystem services. The design site uses the potential of the existing train station and subway station and incorporates it in the design of mixed use neighborhood with livable public space, diverse urban typology and active urban landscape. The proposal focuses on a selected area of the former brownfield site and on its area demonstrates the principles of the urban ecosystems’ framework in detail.