REGION TŘINEC
A Strong and
Vibrant City
RNdr. Věra Palkovská has been
involved in the development of
the town of Třinec for twentythree years. It is located in the
very eastern tip of the Czech
Republic within sight of the
Polish and Slovakian borders.
From a small mountain village,
which became a town only
in 1931, it has turned into
a vibrant place friendly to
business and life, in part thanks
to close cooperation with
Třinecké železárny, a prosperous
metallurgical company.
Třinec is a multiple-time winner of the
title City for Business in the MoravianSilesian Region. Why is this so?
Since 2015, we have three times won the
comparative research award for the City for
Business in the Moravian-Silesian Region.
In 2020, at the national level, we finished
fourth place out of the total number of 205
municipalities with extended powers. It is
the result of long-term cooperation which
requires the fulfillment of three conditions:
the continuity and stability of the town
hall, long-term cooperation with business
subjects led by Třinecké železárny and
the courage necessary to embark on new
things associated with responsibility.
Mutual synergy has been working
successfully between the city and
Třinecké železárny for many years. Which
projects are successfully implemented
thanks to this?
The city and Třinecké železárny are
connected almost by an umbilical cord.
The smelter is the largest employer in
the region. Due to this history, there has
been successful cooperation between
the city and the Třinecké železárny for
many years. This cooperation allows us
to implement a number of projects that
increase the quality of life in our city,
such as the construction of the Baliny
industrial zone, the partial diversion of
heavy car traffic outside of the city center
and more. The smelter plays an important
role in supporting sports, culture and social
projects. We value this cooperation and
partnership very much, because such close
cooperation between towns is not usual.
which is why even the coronavirus did not
stop us.
Třinec is no longer just an industrial city.
There are more areas for relaxing, new
sports grounds, etc. What else can it offer
to citizens?
We are an industrial city surrounded by
greenery. In the center is a modern sports
complex, STARS, with a wide range of sports
and Werk Arena, where extra-league hockey
and many other major sporting and cultural
events take place; the Trisia cultural house,
which offers a wide range of cultural events;
an attractive forest park with a workout
playground that also includes equipment for
children to play. Not far from the center is the
well-known tourist hill Javorový, which is also
the dominant feature of Třinec. And this is
just a short list of what our city offers.
The Třinec concept of a smart city has
set itself three goals: to manage the city,
transportation and the environment wisely.
What specific smart measures have you
already managed to implement in the city?
We have been on the path of a smart city for
a long time. We are looking for smart solutions
to make people‘s lives more pleasant and
easier and we put them into practice using
smart technologies. We focus on three areas:
smart city management, clean transportation
and a clean environment. Everything is closely
related. As part of the clean transportation
project, we are creating the conditions for
people to make more use of rail transport,
electromobility and bicycles. It is interesting
that since 2017, ten electric buses have been
running in Třinec—we matched the number
of electric buses running in Vienna at that
same time.
What are your current priorities and what
other news in terms of city development
are you planning next year?
We are currently working on a Strategic
Plan for the statutory city of Třinec 2022+,
whose basic priorities include investing in
education, transport construction, greenery
and helping the needy. COVID affected not
only the lives of the inhabitants, but also the
life of our city. We are now implementing
mostly the necessary investment projects—
the reconstruction of the overpass in the city
center, the construction of a parking garage,
the modernization of schools and more. We
have been striving for sound finances and
sustainable development for a long time,
Due to your position of responsibility, it is
probably difficult to switch off and relax
completely. What are your hobbies and
where do you go in the Moravian-Silesian
Region if you want to clear your head?
Working for the city is very demanding, but
at the same time it fills me a lot. In order to be
able to work at full capacity for a long time,
one has to recharge the batteries. I recharge
them with my growing family in nature, by
bike, with golf or on skis.
Mrs Mayor, thank you for the interview.
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