In recent weeks some of the old concrete advertising benches have disappeared from Prague 8. Prague 8 was one of the last districts to use these benches, and unfortunately it often also misused them as carriers for the political advertising of the coalition parties.
At first sight a simple matter: elements placed illegally or inappropriately should be removed from public space. Thanks to active citizens this has been achieved, and that is great news.
But in a city you always have to see the other side of the problem too.
A bench is not just a piece of street furniture. For many people it is a place where they can rest on the way from the shops, from the doctor, from the metro, from the tram or during a walk. Especially for seniors, parents with children or people with limited mobility, a bench can make the difference between being able to move around the neighbourhood normally and not.
That is why a simple rule applies: if the old benches have gone, new ones must come quickly. And above all in the places where they are really needed.
Removing is not enough. The city must also replace
According to the information we have from TSK, the first new batch of benches will start to appear in the streets from 10 August.
That is good news. At the same time, it will be important to make sure that the new benches are not installed only according to a technical list drawn up at a desk, but also according to the real needs of residents.
Public space is best tested by everyday use. People who walk down a particular street know exactly where a bench is missing. Where there is a long stretch with nowhere to sit down. Where people wait for the bus. Where seniors walk. Where there used to be a bench that someone really used.
That is why we want to collect specific places from people.
Write and tell us where a bench is missing
We are asking you, the residents of Prague 8, for help.
Write and tell us where you think a bench is missing. Ideally give the location as precisely as possible: the street, the stop, the corner of a building, a park, a route to the metro or another landmark.
You can send your suggestions in the comments or by e-mail:
We will pass every specific suggestion on to TSK. The more precise places we gather, the greater the chance that new benches will be added where they will really serve people.
Advertising benches also point to a wider problem
The debate about benches has also opened up a wider question: how Prague 8 manages public space and the municipal companies connected with it.
The advertising network “Lavičky z osmičky” is run by the company Osmá servisní, which is owned by Prague 8. In the past there have been questions about exactly how this municipal company works, what its costs and revenues are and what role it should play in managing public space.
That is not an unimportant detail.
If a district runs a municipal company that manages a commercial advertising network in public space, it must be clear what benefit this brings to residents. It is not enough for benches to serve as carriers of advertising. Above all, they must serve people.
And if the benches disappear, the city must be able to explain what happens next.
We want fewer quarrels and more concrete solutions
A political quarrel easily flares up around benches. Whether they should have gone. Whose fault it is. Who proposed it. Who avoided it.
But that is not much help to people who have nowhere to sit.
What matters now are several practical things:
- quickly replacing the missing benches with new and legal ones
- placing them according to the real needs of residents
- giving priority to places near stops, shops, doctors, schools, parks and longer walking routes
- explaining transparently how the bench advertising network worked and who was responsible for it
- making sure that public space is not just a carrier of advertising, but a place for people
Prague 8 needs places to stop
A good city is not recognised only by large investments. It is also recognised by ordinary details.
By whether a senior can sit down on the way back from the shops. Whether a parent with a child finds a place to rest. Whether the walk from the tram to the house is not just a long stretch without a single chance to stop.
Benches are not a luxury. They are a basic part of public space.
That is why we do not want to stop at complaints or at quarrels on social media. We want to gather specific places, pass them on to TSK and help bring benches back where people really miss them.
Write and tell us where a bench is missing in Prague 8. Let there be more places in our district again where people can rest normally.