Prague to declutter streets from confusing and redundant traffic signs

In a bid to declutter its streets and enhance urban aesthetics, Prague is set to significantly change its approach to traffic signage. The city has recently approved plans to develop a new manual for "cultivated" traffic signs in collaboration with various municipal departments, writes Prague's Institute for Planning and Development (IPR Praha).

This initiative aims to streamline the placement and design of traffic signs, addressing concerns about visual clutter and obstructed views in the city environment. Officials emphasized the need for a more thoughtful approach to signage that considers the overall urban landscape and the needs of all users.

"Prague is overwhelmed by signage in many places. Their forms and placements are governed by specific regulations that focus on safety and traffic flow," Zdeněk Hřib, Prague's deputy mayor for transport, explains through a press release.

"However, it is not taken into account that traffic signs form part of the city environment for all its people and in all types of environments, in which they can create confusing visual smog. Thanks to the new manual, this smog will disappear and the environment will become clearer and more pleasant for everyone who moves in it."

Currently, traffic signs are installed uniformly across Prague without consideration for the surrounding environment. This leads to instances where signs obstruct pedestrian pathways or obscure local landmarks. The proposed manual seeks to rectify this by offering guidelines for appropriate sizing, shaping, and placement of signs based on specific contexts.

IPR Praha has been tasked with developing the new manual in cooperation with relevant stakeholders. The manual will examine current practices, explore opportunities for improvement within existing legislation, and define principles for future signage projects. Pilot projects will be conducted in diverse urban settings to test these principles and gather feedback for refinement.

"Creating a pleasant public space in which we move every day consists of a whole series of smaller steps and adjustments," adds Petr Hlaváček, deputy mayor for ​​territorial development.

"I'm glad that we are approaching the modifications methodically, and the manual will serve as another fragment in the mosaic of smaller changes that will create a functional and visually friendly city."

Implementation of the pilot project is slated to begin at the end of next year in selected areas across the city including Old Town, Žižkov, Jižní Město, Zahradní Město, and Ďáblice. These areas will undergo targeted modifications to traffic signage based on the new principles outlined in the manual, with the aim of achieving a more harmonious and efficient urban environment in Prague.