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25-792: Slivenec is a municipal district ( městská část ) in Prague , Czech Republic . This Prague location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Districts of Prague Prague is divided into 10 municipal districts (1-10), 22 administrative districts (1-22), 57 municipal parts, or 112 cadastral areas. Since 1990, the city has been divided into 56 (since 1992, 57) self-governing municipal parts ( Czech : městské části ). The parts are responsible for parks and environmental protection ; ordering equipment for schools and volunteer firefighters ; some cultural and sports activities; activities for seniors; some social and health programs; cemeteries; and collection of fees for dog tags and

50-795: A common feature of cityscapes across Central and Eastern Europe , and to some degree Northern Europe . One of the most drastic reconstruction policies of the Eastern Bloc was the systematization programme that took place in the 1970s and 1980s under Nicolae Ceaușescu in Romania . In 1971 Ceaușescu visited North Korea and was impressed by the Juche ideology . He enacted a mass programme of demolition and reconstruction of existing villages, towns, and cities, in whole or in part, in order to build blocks of flats ( blocuri ). In Bulgaria , buildings similar to paneláks are colloquially known as "panelki", and are

75-488: A towering, highly visible reminder of the communist era . The term panelák refers specifically to buildings in the former Czechoslovakia. However, similar buildings were a common feature of urban planning in communist countries and even in the West. Interwar Czechoslovakia saw many constructivist architects in the country, such as Vladimír Karfík and František Lydie Gahura , many of whom would maintain prominence following

100-470: A wide diversity of social classes . Fears that paneláks would become undesirable and be subject to middle class flight, commonplace following the Velvet Revolution, have not materialized. Nevertheless, concerns remain about the social situations of those living in panelák apartments, as well as their decay. However, the cost of replacing of paneláks in the short term would be well beyond the means of

125-581: The Brussels Style  [ cs ] , named after the international attention it attracted during the 1958 World’s Fair held in Brussels . By the late 1960s, the country's paneláks often reached up to 16 stories in height. Between 1959 and 1995, paneláks containing 1.17 million flats were built in what is now the Czech Republic. As of 2005, they housed about 3.5 million people, or about one-third of

150-676: The European Union . A sizable renovation market has formed in recent years, and even a home magazine , Panel Plus , exists to give renovators ideas. Following the Velvet Revolution, most paneláks were sold to their tenants at low costs. Many panelák flats are now the property of their inhabitants, though they are also rented out through private landlords. The buildings are often managed by housing cooperatives , municipalities , self-governing non-profit organizations, or through public-private partnership . Buildings similar to paneláks were built also in other communist countries, and they are

175-828: The 111 cadastral areas named above, many other Prague settlements, quarters and housing estates are perceived as districts, although they do not constitute their own cadastral areas. Examples: Barrandov , Spořilov , Sídliště Košík , Zahradní Město , Pankrác , Letná , Bubny , Zlíchov , Klíčov , Butovice , Klukovice , Kačerov , Jenerálka , Šárka , Strahov , Chodovec , Litochleby , Dubeček , Lázeňka , Netluky , Zmrzlík , Cikánka , Kateřinky , Hrnčíře , Pitkovičky , Lahovičky , Dolní Černošice , Kazín , Závist , Baně , Strnady , and many others. The biggest panelák complexes are Jižní Město ("South City"), Severní Město ("North City") and Jihozápadní Město ("Southwest City"), all of which consist of partial housing estates. Most of Prague's panelák estates that were built between

200-604: The 1960s and 1980s have names that incorporate the Czech word sídliště , which refers to a post-World War 2 eastern bloc housing estate. Many local names originated from names of historic villages in today's Prague area. Panel%C3%A1k Panelák ( Czech: [ˈpanɛlaːk] Slovak: [ˈpanɛlaːk] ) is a colloquial term in Czech and Slovak for a large panel system panel building constructed of pre-fabricated, pre-stressed concrete , such as those extant in

225-432: The Czech Republic or Slovakia. Panelák apartments have risen in value more than brick apartments, have been praised for housing people from a wide variety of incomes, and have been subject to a number of positive cultural depictions including magazines and TV shows. Areas with high shares of its population living in paneláks include the city of Karviná (where approximately 97% of people live in them), Petržalka , , and

250-605: The Prague 19 government, to get an identity card. Both the citywide government and the municipal districts have elected councils and mayors . The mayor of the Capital City of Prague is known as the primátor , which is sometimes translated into English as "lord mayor" (even though the Czech title carries no connotations of nobility). Since 1960, Prague has been divided into 10 municipal districts. Those 10 districts are still used for addressing and transportation purposes and, for example,

275-447: The buildings distinct, by mixing various types of paneláks, for example, or by using different colours. Well-designed housing estates also have some environmental advantages. By leaving wide spaces between buildings, designers created large green spaces and parks, which are lacking in many prewar Czech neighbourhoods. In some places, paneláks were an improvement in sanitary conditions. Paneláks remain commonplace today, and have attracted

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300-546: The city of Most (approx. 80%). Most's historical city was largely torn down due to the spread of coal mining and the majority of its population was moved into paneláks. Some Czech sociologists fear that panelák inhabitants may lack amenities, and suffer from being unable to physically access distant businesses and commercial centres. To combat this, certain local authorities are making significant efforts to prevent this scenario by changing bedroom communities into multifunctional urban neighbourhoods. This may include support for

325-428: The communist era wanted to provide large quantities of fast and affordable housing and to slash costs by employing uniform designs over the whole country. They also sought to foster a "collectivistic nature" in the people. In case of war, these houses would not be as susceptible to firebombing as traditional, densely packed buildings. Throughout the mid 1950s, the country's designers applied a modernist aesthetic known as

350-552: The construction of missing facilities, such as shopping centres, churches, or improved transport accessibility. Paneláks, particularly in big cities, are often the first targets for builders of telecommunication networks, as the housing estates combine a high concentration of people with easy access to underground and in-house spaces for cables. Panelák housing estates are usually the first neighbourhoods with access to cable TV , WiFi network coverage, cable-modem service, DSL and other telecommunication services . In March 2005,

375-602: The country's Velvet Revolution in 1989, there was widespread speculation that the country's paneláks would fall out of favor, due to their simplicity and small size. The Czech government sold the paneláks to their tenants for cheap prices, furthering speculation that the apartments would be undesirable. However, these fears have not materialized. In comparison to pre-war apartment buildings, paneláks can be truly enormous. Some are more than 100 metres long, and some are more than 20 stories high. Some even have openings for cars and pedestrians to pass through, lest they have to go all

400-409: The country's population. In Prague and other large cities, most paneláks were built in a type of housing estate known as a sídliště. Such housing developments now dominate large parts of Prague, Bratislava and other towns. The first sídliště built in Prague was Petřiny in the 1950s; the largest in Prague is Jižní Město (about 100,000 inhabitants), with 200 buildings built since the 1970s. Following

425-486: The director of the Czech Ministry of Regional Development expressed concerns that the country's paneláks were near the end of their lifespan, citing an increasing number of structural incidents. He estimated that his agency would need 400 billion Czech koruna to modernize the country's paneláks, and 1.5 trillion to tear them down entirely. In recent years, many paneláks have been renovated, partially due to funds from

450-612: The establishment of the Czechoslovak People's Republic in 1948. In the years following 1948, the Czechoslovakian architectural scene favored Stalinist architecture over more modern architecture . However, a 1954 speech by Nikita Khrushchev encouraging the construction of panel buildings , coupled by post-war housing shortages faced throughout both eastern and western Europe, encouraged the country's architectures to construct more simplistic, modernist buildings. Planners from

475-558: The former Czechoslovakia and elsewhere in the world. Paneláks are usually located in housing estates ( Czech : sídliště , Slovak : sídlisko ). Panelák [plural: paneláky ] is derived from the standard Czech : panelový dům or Slovak : panelový dom meaning, literally, "panel house / prefabricated-sections house". The term panelák is used mainly for the elongated blocks with more sections with separate entrances – simple panel tower blocks are called "věžový dům" (tower house) or colloquially "věžák". The buildings remain

500-403: The like. Another important activity of the municipal parts is the ownership, maintenance and, sometimes, sale of public property, especially public housing . Since 2001, the 57 municipal parts have been grouped into 22 numbered administrative districts ( Czech : správní obvody ), for national-government purposes. One administrative district has responsibility for providing certain services for

525-468: The municipal parts. Those services include providing business licenses, identity cards and passports. The administrative district with such responsibility sometimes shares a name with the municipal part it serves. For example, the administrative district of Prague 19 provides those services to the municipal parts of Prague 19 (Kbely), Prague- Satalice and Prague- Vinoř . Residents of Satalice can get dog tags in their neighborhood but must go to Kbely, home of

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550-472: The organisation of courts and prosecutions. Street signs usually reflects the name of a municipal district and additionally add the name of the cadastral area ( Czech : katastrální území ). Thus, a sign in Kbely will say "Praha 9-Kbely," not "Praha 19." Prague residents are much more likely to use the name of a cadastral area, than the name of an administrative district in everyday communication. Notes: Beyond

575-870: The predominant type of en masse housing throughout the country. In Hungary , similar buildings are called panelház . In Poland , they are called "bloki" (blocks), or "wielka płyta" (the great panel). In Germany they are known as Plattenbau . Most buildings in Soviet-era Microdistricts are panel buildings. In the European Union , among former communist countries, a majority of the population lives in flats in Latvia (65.1%), Estonia (63.8%), Lithuania (58.4%), Czech Republic (52.8%) and Slovakia (50.3%) (as of 2014, data from Eurostat ). However, not all flat dwellers in Eastern Europe live in communist era blocks of flats; many live in buildings constructed after

600-405: The way around the building. A typical panelák apartment has a foyer, bathroom, kitchen, a living room also used for dining, and a bedroom. All paneláks in the Czech Republic were constructed to follow one of sixteen design patterns. Paneláks have been criticized for their simplistic design, poor-quality building materials, and their tendency to become overcrowded. In 1990, Václav Havel , who

625-721: Was then the president of Czechoslovakia, called paneláks "undignified rabbit pens, slated for liquidation". Panelák housing estates as a whole are said to be mere bedroom communities with few conveniences and even less character. However, paneláks have also been praised by many. Upon their introduction, paneláks offered more reliable heating, hot water, and plumbing than existing buildings, especially those in rural locations. The buildings typically offered large amounts of natural light, compared to their older counterparts. Some housing estates do have other facilities, such as shopping centres, schools, libraries, swimming pools, cinemas and such. Also, architects sometimes made an effort to make

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