Street lighting has been renewed in several places, we have planted tree lines and anyone who would like to celebrate both streets with us should come to the “Prater-Tömő walk” on 8 March 2024 at 4pm. Details of the event can be found here: https://fb.me/e/1U85c3unl

What has changed?

In the Práter utca:

31 new trees planted

More than 200 m2 of new green space was created.

Over 200 new trees were planted and over 200 m2 of pedestrian surfaces were increased.

in Szigony Street, two new pedestrian crossings were installed

In the Tömő utca:

16 new trees were planted

a safer intersection at kerb level was built on Leonardo da Vinci Street

In both streets:

raised, safer intersections 

street lighting renewed

traffic is now barrier-free

Neat, coherent public spaces have been built

The story of the renewal of the streets started at the beginning of the Corvin Sétány Project, when the Municipality of Józsefváros signed an agreement with the investor. As part of the contract, both parties undertook tasks to renovate the Sétány and its surroundings. As part of the project, the Nagy Templom, Szigony and Leonardo da Vinci utca have already been renewed, and lastly the part of the Práter utca between Futó utca and Szigony utca and the section of Tömő utca between Leonardo da Vinci and Szigony utca. The first plans were completed by mid-2019, but they would not have brought any quality change: no new trees or green areas would have been created, only the streets would have been resurfaced, with the same one-way parking on the narrower sections of Práter Street.

In 2020, the municipality and the project manager, RÉV8, have set new expectations for the renovation. The complete renovation of a street is always expensive and long-term, so it is important that such a renovation is carried out in a way that is timeless, safe and responsive to the challenges of the near future. A priority has been to create new trees along the entire length of the streets, which will soon provide shade and help to reduce the urban heat. An important new element was the creation of a safe and comfortable environment for pedestrians and cyclists, including slowing down traffic, removing obstacles, installing new pedestrian crossings and creating opportunities for cycling in both directions. There was also a new demand for the redevelopment to give the area a new image in harmony with the Corvin Sétány, helping to create a coherent urban image. We asked the residents to share their opinion in a survey before finalisation and our colleagues  responded to each of the comments received, incorporating the technically supportable suggestions into the plans.

The biggest challenge in the redesign was to find places in the dense public utility network of narrow streets where trees could be planted within the required protection distances. In the end, the designers reconsidered the cross-section of each street section and succeeded in planting new trees on all sections. In discussions with the service providers, it was clarified that this could be done in Prater Street with the existing utilities, but that the old water pipe in Tömő Street would have to be replaced to plant the trees. The planning and permitting of the new water pipe took a long time, but finally the consent for the construction of the new pipe and the tree planting was obtained.

In the new design, the roadway will be raised to the level of the pavement at street intersections, helping to keep to the 30 km/h speed limit. The pavements on the streets have been widened, and cyclists are assisted by new storage facilities and a wider roadway to facilitate two-way cycling. Street lighting has been renewed and made much brighter, not only on the two streets but also on the connecting side streets, with the removal of temporary wooden poles from Leonardo da Vinci and Nagy Templom utca. No asphalt pavements remain between the renewed streets and the Corvin promenade, and the renovation has also included the laying of new paving stones in these short sections where this had not been done before. On Práter utca, a more decent entrance area has been created in front of the Kézművesipari Technikum, and a small rest area with benches has been created at the Leonardo da Vinci utca intersection, replacing the former abandoned telephone box. The redesign of the cross-section between Leonardo da Vinci and Kis Szigony utca has also created a barrier-free pavement on the even side. At the Szigony utca intersection, two new pedestrian crossings have been added to the previous one, joining the previously renewed sections of Szigony utca.

With the complex transformation of Práter and Tömő utca, the formerly neglected streets have not only been given a surface renewal, but a whole new quality has been created in the Corvin negyed. The improvements have created a walkable, safe, cycleable and liveable network of streets around the promenade, which the Municipality is already planning to continue. The plans for the renewal of Szigony utca between Üllői út and Apáthy István utca have been completed, and the plans for the Práter utca between Szigony utca and Illés utca, which also follow the concept of healthy streets, have recently been finalised.