Transforming an isolated brownfield into a vibrant, connected neighborhood

Introducing a typology for community life

With Dvory Vysočany, the team is bringing a new urban typology to Prague, one that shifts the focus away from isolated buildings and elevates the role of courtyards and edge zones as the primary drivers of community life. This approach may recall the characteristic Prague courtyards that locals know from traditional city districts, e.g. Vinohrady. Rather than letting infrastructure dictate the quality of experience, the masterplan intentionally designs the thresholds where private life meets the public realm. By introducing active edge zones, the architecture creates soft, inviting transitions that invite people to pause, sit, and interact.

The layout introduces a clear hierarchy of spaces scaled specifically for human interaction. Bustling anchor plazas and neighborhood squares are bordered by local cafes and active ground floors, ensuring the streets feel safe and alive throughout the day. Complementing these active nodes are the semi-private green courtyards and front gardens, intentionally designed as shared living rooms for the local community. These spaces foster everyday encounters and a genuine sense of belonging among neighbors.

Mitigating traffic with human-scale microclimates

This courtyard-centric typology directly addresses one of the primary challenges of the Dvory Vysočany site: its proximity to a major, heavy traffic artery. Instead of forcing people to walk alongside busy, four-lane roads, the design carves out pleasant, intuitive pedestrian paths through the interior of the site, letting people move through a welcoming environment.

The generous green courtyards and front gardens are designed to act as both an acoustic and psychological barrier against the surrounding city noise. Simultaneously, they generate a comfortable local microclimate, transforming what could have been an exposed urban island into a series of safe, green sanctuaries where a distinct neighborhood culture can safely thrive across different blocks.

A soft mobility blueprint for Prague

A key pillar of the project is its radical approach to mobility, reclaiming the street network as a space for public life and establishing a new urban culture for Prague. The project vision prioritizes human feet over car tires, dedicating 90% of the site to pedestrians and leaving just 10% for necessary vehicular access.
A central feature of this people-first network is a new green corridor running along the railway. This corridor serves a dual purpose: it acts as a natural acoustic buffer for the neighborhood while simultaneously functioning as a lush, active park and pedestrian connector that seamlessly links residents to the wider city. Through Dvory Vysočany, Gehl demonstrates that when you design for the human scale and focus on the spaces between buildings and sustainable urban development, we deliver on long-term social value.