On 28 May 2026, the Metropolitan Plan was approved by the Prague City Council; this is Prague’s new zoning plan and will replace the existing plan from 1999. What does it entail?
Prague has a new zoning plan
After more than 14 years of preparation, the approval of the Metropolitan Plan marks the completion of the process of drawing up Prague’s new spatial development plan.
What is the Metropolitan Plan?
As a spatial development plan (zoning plan), the Metropolitan Plan is the fundamental conceptual document for the city’s development, which, for example, defines built-up areas and areas suitable for development, land use, public benefit projects, and the concept of public infrastructure. Any construction project authorised and carried out within the metropolitan area of the City of Prague must comply with it.
The Metropolitan Plan will thus influence the following for many years to come:
- the value of land and property
- development opportunities
- investment strategies
- permitting processes
- relationships between property developers, city districts and the general public.
What does the plan promise?
- To speed up the approval of buildings and projects
- To reduce uncertainty for developers
- To facilitate the creation of new neighbourhoods
- To help stabilise housing prices
- Major transport and infrastructure projects
Key principles:
- Prague should grow mainly ‘inwards’ towards the city centre rather than spreading out into the countryside.
- Support for the redevelopment of brownfield sites (Bubny, Žižkov goods station, Rohanský Island, etc.).
- Introduction of clearer height restrictions. The aim is to protect the historic skyline.
- A definition of stabilised areas and transformation zones.
- The plan better protects the character of individual neighbourhoods and Prague’s panoramas
Entry into force of the Metropolitan Plan
The Metropolitan Plan is due to come into force on 1 September 2026.
In order to ensure continuity, under the transitional regulations, building projects for which planning permission proceedings were initiated under the Building Act prior to the effective date of the Metropolitan Plan but have not been concluded by that date, may also be assessed in accordance with the existing Prague Zoning Plan of 1999.
Author: Tereza Chalupová, Senior Associate, Real Estate, LYNX (Czech Republic)
Source:
https://praha.eu/web/metropolitniplan
https://iprpraha.cz/metropolitniplan
