Prague Visioning Workshop

As part of the “Building for Today and the Future” project, on 19 January 2023 representatives of civil society, business and government gathered at the Prague Innovation Institute to envision pathways for a just transition in Prague’s built environment.

The project combines research and visioning in eight cities globally, connected up to regional and international advocacy to ensure that climate action relating to buildings and infrastructure is just and respects human rights. It has a particular emphasis on four areas: the right to housing; the rights of construction workers; meaningful participation; and non-discrimination / spatial justice.

Key insights from the visioning session included: 

• The importance of a bolder, more cohesive approach across government agencies on building decarbonisation, including its social dimensions, with a shared vision, knowledge and language
• The need for greater responsibility and accountability from business, including in its lobbying practices
• The fact that some of the more transformative changes are taking place in secondary cities and regions, rather than primary cities such as Prague, and yet the former face barriers to accessing finance.

Participants workshopped what they would like to see “more of” and “less of” from the public sector and the private sector in order to strengthen the pathways to a just transition in Prague’s built environment.

We commissioned young artists in Prague, Lagos, Lisbon, Jakarta, Copenhagen and Melbourne to bring the visions of a fairer, greener future for each city to life through visual art pieces that can serve as a unifying vision for a locally-grounded, fairer transitions.