The first phase of the revitalization of the housing estate is in the finish line and I would allow myself a little thought from the position of technical supervision for greenery. Like any change in public space, this one was accompanied by a lot of controversy, struggles for every bit of greenery, confrontation of the opinions of the citizens who live here, with the opinions of architects, builders, gardeners and arborists. Today, the Internet and social networks allow everyone to express their opinion not only on the overall concept of the project, but also on literally every tree, bench or trash can.
In addition to the project documentation, I have written many justifications and expert opinions that the changes in the greenery implemented within Lentilek are changes for the better, and although this may not be the case today, in time people from the housing estate will certainly give the decision of their representatives.
I met many of you in person, with some we came to a compromise solution, according to some of your wishes and requirements, the project has been completely modified. In a few places, however, it was not possible to satisfy individual opinions from a professional point of view in order to maintain the overall concept. Thanks to this great interest from the Letňany public, I got the impression that the people in this district are really interested in their narrowest living space and that they really care about it.
The time that the experts had to create a functioning compositionally fully valuable space is slowly coming to an end, and now is the time when it only depends on us what kind of space in which we will live will really be. If we are willing to sacrifice a little of our comfort and park our car so that it does not interfere with newly established flowerbeds, if we cannot throw cigarette butts in newly established perennial plantings, if we can follow the basic hygiene habits of the average twenty-first century European and leave dog excrement anywhere in public space.
If our interest in everything that happens outside the door of our apartment ends with a computer keyboard, on which we can formulate our opinions and requirements, but we are no longer willing or able to do anything ourselves, the public space will never work. We will not have a place around us where it is possible to relax, where we want to meet and which we like to look at from the windows of our apartments.
I firmly believe that such an antisocial people live in a minority in the housing estate and that the effort to create and maintain something nice in the vicinity of houses and flats prevails among the people. I wish you that the summer of 2014 will be a challenging start to a nice phase of life in the housing estate that you have chosen for your life.
Markéta Svobodová, green supervision at Lentilky