Ostrava Connected by Greenery
36 POSITIV 2/2024
BUSINESS
I have to start with a cliché that,
fortunately, fewer and fewer people
believe, but still survives - "The black
Ostrava". Could you give us the main
reasons why this is already a false label
today? What is Ostrava really like today?
Ostrava is completely different from this
long outdated idea. For many years now,
Ostrava has boasted a considerable amount
of greenery, which at first glance, stands
out even in such a large city. Moreover, it
is regularly cultivated. A little-known fact is
that 10 % of this vegetation consists of urban
forests. This is not a small amount. Some
people outside the region are also unaware
that coal mining in Ostrava ended in the first
half of the 1990s. This, along with the overall
restructuring of the industry, also had
an impact on the environment. This includes
the air, which has been improving in the long
term and massive investments in local heating
plants and the greening of transport have had
a major impact as well.
I think that in the current era of modern
technology it is possible to create a 'green-
blue' friendly city with a quality environment,
which will also have a sustainable and
'clean industry'. I see the way forward in
innovation and in a deliberate transformation
of the industrial base, not in hasty destruction.
After all, it is much more economical and
environmentally friendly to manufacture
than to import everything from everywhere.
What are your priorities as Deputy
Mayor for the Environment?
First of all, it is necessary to have a concrete
vision of Ostrava as a nature-friendly city
and then to set up practical mechanisms to
Ostravská třídící linka směsného odpadu je republikovým unikátem