The city is of course quite concerned. Since it didn't own the land it could attach no conditions to the sale, but there is a construction-ban on the site and the city of course wields the power of the permit. It seems as if the city of Prague and Orco will have to work together to get the most out of this piece of land.

Now the location offers a lot of potential. The area is famous for being pretty much destroyed by the communists in their desire to connect the centre by express-way. The result is the busy Argentinska road that cuts through Holesovice like a knife. The area was reputed to sport a lot of beautiful buildings. Those buildings won't be brought back, but what could Orco do to get the most out of this opportunity.

It seems to me (and I'm personally motivated, because I live close by) that what's most important here is to use the opportunity to fix the ridiculous traffic situation that virtually separates Holesovice from Letna with the exception of three narrow passageways. If Orco works together with the city they should be able to come up with a plan that:

a) takes the Argentinska road out of the equation, either by turning it into a tunnel or redirecting it to run parallel with the railway tracks. It should then be connected to Bubenska by means of a tunnel round and about Hermanska.

b) connects Holesovice to Letna. This could be done by connecting Veletrzni with Delnicka with the help of a tunnel under the railway.

If the Argentinska change were made that would open up the door to some other projects. For example revitalizing the shore of the Vltava. With the cars gone the entire stretch along the Vltava starting at the railway bridge to Karlin and past the Prazka Trznice (Prague river town) could be turned into a beautiful promenade.

In this scenario the trams that run past Prague river town would have to be rerouted to follow Za Viaduktem and Jatecni before resuming its old course on U Kommonardu. This route would be a lot more convenient for the inhabitants of Holesovice and also for visitors to the market.

The project also offers the opportunity to give bike traffic in Prague an extra impulse. Since the infrastructure still has to be designed it could be the first area in Prague with bike lanes fully separated from car traffic. Since at present there is not a single bike lane connecting Holesovice to Letna this should have a high priority.

There is also a great opportunity here to remodel the Holesovice and Vltavska metro stations. Vltavska is without a doubt the ugliest and most dilapidated metro station in Prague. With an entire new business, retail and residential area in its backyard its the ideal opportunity for a makeover.

Some serious thought should be given to whether the new area should have an additional tram line. Some might say the area is already well enough connected and maybe the reroute I described with a tram stop on Za Viaduktem is enough. However an extra tram line extending from Za Viaduktem to join the other lines at Nadrazi Holesovice might just be the cherry on the cake.

So much for the infrastructure, what about the actual things to be built? There has been some talk about Holesovice turning into the skyscraper district of Prague and this makes some sense considering the the fact that it is some of the lowest land in Prague making any high buildings having less of an impact than anywhere else. I personally think skyscrapers would fit in well especially since the road-grid in the eastern part of Holesovice is similar to the one in New York.

There has also been talk of using the site for a potential Olympic village. That might not be a bad idea. Olympic Villages are often characterized by a lot of green and special paths for biking, roller-blading and running so the athletes have a secluded place to practice. Since Holesovice, at least the eastern part is virtually without parks any addition of Green would be a welcome relief.

Parks in general should be part of any plan here. At the moment the area has Stromovka and Letna, but both parks are at the moment quite hard to reach. A green way that connects these parks to the eastern part of Holesovice would be much appreciated.

And what about the Bubny Railway station. At the moment it isn't clear to me whether this will remain in operation, but I assume that at least some of the tracks currently in use will remain active especially since it is the shortest route to Hlavni Nadrazi (Prague central train station). Orco and Prague 7should do their best to keep and restore this charming building. Especially since it is one of the few things that remain of the Holesovice from before.

Otherwise I think an opportunity would be missed if a large recreational facility were to be left out. I'm thinking swimming pool. The area at the moment lacks decent swimming facilities and the only aqua park in Prague is quite far away. An aqua park in the centre of Prague would be a great tourist draw and a great boon for the people living in the area.

So let's see what Orco does. The whole Bubny area is probably going to lay fallow for at least two more years and the whole project might not be finished for another fifteen. When it's finished let's hope the area has been converted from an industrial, polluted and congested area into a beautiful oasis of glass and green where cars, trams, bikers and pedestrians live peacefully side by side.