The Strategic Plan determines the priorities for Prague’s physical, economic and social development to 2030. The idea of the Strategic Plan is to transform Prague from a city that relies on its existing reputation and status quo, into a city that is deliberately establishing a position as the most sought-after location for a meaningful life. This aim does not differentiate Prague from other cities and metropolises. Every city tries to ensure that its inhabitants have a good standard of living. The difference is in the method, selection and scheduling of the strategic decisions the city chooses in order to achieve its vision. The exhibition, Pře(d)stav si Prahu (Imagine Prague) showed which path was chosen by Prague.

In mid-2013, the Prague City Council decided to update Prague Strategic Plan from 2008. Over 3 years of work culminated at the end of 2016, when the Prague City Assembly approved the plan. It is currently being implemented, with work spread over 4 separate periods, coinciding with the electoral cycle for the local assemblies. This division allows for flexible responses to unanticipated social or technological changes. It is this flexibility that is one of the 3 common principles of Prague Strategic Plan and the exhibition, at which visitors could engage in interactive games and simulations in order to absorb the strategy and decide on a direction for the city, all in real time.

Another common principle is the need for cooperation. More than 300 experts from academia, professional organisations, cultural institutions and ministries have been involved in preparing the Strategic Plan and the development process has also been opened up to the general public for comments. Just as the Strategic Plan would never have emerged without links between a network of stakeholders, who are actively contributing to the city’s development, the visitors also sought common solutions, communicating and seeing the decisions made by the people around during the Pře(d)stav si Prahu exhibition. The last common principle of both the Strategic Plan and the exhibition was an emphasis on mutual synergy between the individual areas. The search for a balance between traffic and the quality of public spaces or business and affordable housing is indeed key to understanding the measures proposed in the Strategic Plan. The path through the labyrinth of strategic planning requires courage and responsibility. But this does not mean that the path cannot also be fun.