HAVLICKUV BROD – ACUPUNCTURE OF PUBLIC SPACES

At the core of the author’s design philosophy is a belief that a mid-sized town like Havlickuv Brod would benefit more from numerous, careful, and modest interventions than from a single big gesture. Michal Vojtech knows his place well. It is a place where he was born and grew up. It is then no wonder that he has a personal attachment to many places that form a rich and variable mosaic. Growing up in one place could taint one's ability to be incisive in suggested changes. Fortunately, the work is free of sentimentality that could impede necessary transformations. Problems and remedies are presented in a very straightforward and accessible form, which makes this work a very valuable contribution for future discussions with the public. This is a project that ought not to gather dust somewhere in the archives. A suggested method, which could be described as tactical urbanism, also allows for staging remedial work according to urgency and priorities. This is an important aspect in times of tight municipal budgets. The work contains a strong message for the inhabitants of the town. Its mission is to fight visual and emotional anaesthesia that unfortunately prevails in the minds of many town citizens.