In 2025, Józsefváros secured nearly HUF 2.5 billion in non-repayable European Union funding through the Healthy Streets programme.

As part of the project, three streets in the district will be comprehensively renewed: Dankó utca, Német uta, and the outer section of Práter utca between Szigony utca and Illés utca.

A new school street is also planned for Német utca, in front of Németh László Primary School. We are now asking local residents to share their views: would they prefer a pedestrian school street in front of the school, or would they rather retain through traffic while creating a safer school square in front of the entrance?

The deadline for completing the survey is 3 May 2026.

Previous consultation showed strong support

Residents previously reviewed an initial concept plan for Német utca in 2024, and a clear majority supported the proposed renewal. That concept included a widened pedestrian forecourt in front of the school, while maintaining vehicle access through the street.

At the same time, respondents were also asked how traffic should be managed in front of the school:

50% supported creating a pedestrian space with no through traffic

20% preferred maintaining permanent vehicle access

9% supported time-based closures

21% supported occasional temporary closures

Why ask again now?

Since then, Józsefváros successfully won Healthy Streets funding for the full redesign of the street. Two years have passed since the original public consultation, and the Healthy Streets design jury also recommended that the section in front of the school should be fully closed to vehicle traffic.

What is a school square and what is a school street?

In 2025, the district council adopted the Józsefváros School Street Programme.

A school street is a street linked to a school where a car-free public space is created in front of the entrance, with the size depending on local conditions.

The protected entrance plaza shown in earlier plans for Német utca is referred to as a school square. By contrast, a permanently car-free pedestrian section directly in front of the school is considered a school street.

In 2025, Józsefváros and Budapest’s first school street was delivered on Trefort utca, where the section in front of the school became fully pedestrianised.

Current proposal

Based on earlier public feedback, the recommendation of the Healthy Streets jury, positive experiences from Trefort utca, and local traffic conditions, we believe it is justified to create a fully car-free school street in front of the school on Német utca.

Under the proposal, the section between Déri Miksa utca and Cifra Palota Playground would remain accessible as a cul-de-sac from the Déri Miksa utca side.

Have your say

The municipality is now asking residents to choose between two options:

Keep through traffic along the full length of Német utca, with a safer public space in front of the school

Create a car-free pedestrian section in front of the school and playground, allowing a new community space to emerge

We encourage everyone living in the area to share their views.

New visualisation viewed from József utca, Option B: a pedestrian zone with no vehicle traffic — a “full” school street in front of the school and playground, creating a new public space.

In both options, the current one-way traffic system would remain on the section of Német utca between József utca and Baross utca. Vehicle traffic would also remain between Cifra Palota játszótér and Déri Miksa utca. There would be no difference between the two options in terms of parking.

Under Option A, through traffic would remain along the full length of the street, but a larger forecourt area — a so-called school square — would be created between the carriageway and the school. This space could provide room for waiting, meeting, and additional greenery.

At the same time, this layout would still leave children exposed to interactions with passing vehicles, while traffic noise and exhaust fumes would continue to affect the area around the school entrance.

Under Option B, proposed by the Municipality, vehicle traffic would be fully removed from the section in front of the school. The stretch between Cifra Palota játszótér and Déri Miksa utca would remain accessible as a cul-de-sac from the Déri Miksa utca side, ensuring continued access to existing driveways, the tyre service, and parking spaces.

Naturally, emergency vehicles — including ambulances, fire services, and police — would still be able to enter the area when necessary.

Under this layout, a genuine new community space would be created in front of the school and playground for students, parents, and local residents: a “full” school street operating as a pedestrian zone that is more liveable, quieter, cleaner, and truly safer for children.

We would like to make the final decision on whether the street should proceed under Option A or Option B together with local residents and the wider Józsefváros community.

We therefore invite you to share your views by completing our survey by 3 May here: https://jozsefvaros.hu/go/nemet_iskolautca

Public Forum on the Német utca School Street

We will hold a public forum on 28 April regarding the renewal of the street at the Municipality’s customer service office on Baross utca, where the plans will be presented in detail.

Over the next two weeks, our colleagues will also visit residents living on the street in person to keep them informed about the project.

Date: Tuesday, 28 April 2026, 6:00 pm
Venue: Customer Service and Grants Office – Baross utca 66–68.
Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/7WjCUUqdK

If you have any questions about the plans, please contact us at info@rev8.hu