Multiple building projects are set to transform Prague's Žižkov neighborhood

Multiple projects in Prague 3’s Žižkov are set to improve the area’s image and enhance transport accessibility, Žižkov Deputy Mayor Ondřej Rut announced at a press conference earlier this month.

The three main future changes are: the reconstruction of the large Seifertova Street, the creation of a tram line through the Žižkov Freight Station, and the renovation of the Flora metro station on the A (green) line. The náměstí Jiřího z Poděbrad (JzP) square is also currently being reconstructed.

This main Žižkov street – through which various tram lines run – will get tram-track repairs and also see public spaces around it remodeled. It is the largest planned development in the Prague 3 area.

Led by the Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR), the project sets out to improve the microclimate and stormwater management in the district, while also making it more accessible for pedestrians. IPR’s goal is to better retain, and use, rainwater in Žižkov so that it does not affect public transport, and to instead use it to better irrigate trees and greenery in the area.

The Viktoria Žižkov tram stop will be moved closer to Winston Churchill Square. This, IPR says, will make tram transfers easier. Additionally, authorities will place the tram stops on Lipanská opposite one another to improve the flow of traffic. They will repair the tracks themselves to quiet tram traffic.

The surroundings of the current Lipanská stops will also change. "We are modifying the space around [the stops], taking into account the fact that they serve as an access point to the Prague 3 municipal office. We are demarcating pedestrian routes using triangular grassy areas,” said the architectural studio in charge of the changes, edit!.

Worth pointing out is that Seifertova’s surrounding streets and squares will also get improvements. “Between Sladkovské náměstí and the intersection of Jičínská and Luxemburgská Streets, we will reconstruct street space, meaning roads, sidewalks, and the planting of a new row of trees," explained Prague Public Transport Company (DPP) technical director Jan Šurovský.

The Seifertova area repairs were originally due to begin in 2025, though Deputy Mayor for Transport Zdeněk Hřib warned that, in reality, they may not begin till the year after. Despite efforts to coordinate and minimize disturbances, Hřib also acknowledged that the reconstruction of Seifertova will inevitably cause traffic issues in the busy Žižkov district. "It is simply not possible to repair streets without closures,” he conceded.

A brand new tram route connecting Žižkov freight station – located on Olšanská Street, just north of the Olšanská cemetery – will connect this part of Žižkov with the rest of the district. 

The tram line will have five stops and connect at the Jan Želivského – Olšanská intersection. From there, it will head north of the freight station and then east to an underpass under K Červenu dvor Street. The line will continue along the existing railway line until it reaches a loop at Malešická Street.

A new housing project underpins this new tram line’s development. Žižkov wants to develop a new city quarter in the J. Želivského – Olšanská area and to the north and east, which will house up to 15,000 people in 4,500 apartments.

The district also wants to create a new street – Jarovská – which the new tram line will also serve and which aims to ease car traffic on Jan Želivského Street. Construction of this tram project is due to start next year; works again will disrupt motor and tram traffic.

Prague's iconic JzP square, lying near the Žižkov-Vinohrady border, is currently undergoing work that will see 150 new trees, the renovation of the square’s current fountain, new paths, improvements to the children's playground.

The square will also undergo modifications to improve pedestrian access and parking, with a small increase in the number of parking spaces.

DPP and the City of Prague have also announced tentative plans to upgrade the Flora metro station in Žižkov. “In addition to [the station’s] complete revitalization – the replacement of escalators and construction of lifts – we also plan to reconstruct the traction power substation (a dock that supplies electricity to railway systems.) 

This will be the second station in the Žižkov area and on the metro A line that will be totally redeveloped – the JzP station reopened in late 2023 after a nine-month closure. Exact dates for when work will start have not yet been announced, though this should come at the end of this year. 

To better manage transport constructions and reconstructions, the district council is currently working on a digital map of ongoing projects that affect traffic in the city. This map is expected to be completed by the end of the year and will be utilized in planning closures and detours for these projects.

In Žižkov this week, workers eventually completed the final part of a several-year reconstruction of Hartigova Street, which was formerly known as Koněvova Street.