The construction of 3,000 municipal apartments, a new innovative district, and a special economic zone. These are the three main pillars of the transformation process that will give the city of Ústí nad Labem the opportunity to fully realize its potential as a confident regional hub and become an inspiring city of opportunity for all generations.

“We have a clear vision that Ústí nad Labem will leverage its location, industrial history, and cultural diversity and transform these unique characteristics into advantages that will attract new residents, investors, and tourists. We now have a document that clearly identifies the problems and offers solutions that will help us transform Ústí into an attractive and prosperous city,” said Eva Fialová, a city councilor in Ústí nad Labem.

This document is the Strategic Review of City Development Policy, which was drafted late last year. In addition to a detailed analysis, it provides guidance on how and where to head in the coming decades. It highlights three pillars that will help Ústí nad Labem stem the outflow of young people from the city, create new jobs with higher added value, and increase a sense of belonging and social cohesion.

“Ústí nad Labem is a city of opportunities. It has a strategic transportation location at the intersection of major road, rail, and water routes, which is a key prerequisite for its development. In particular, the prospect of a transportation hub connected to the high-speed rail line from Dresden to Prague offers the city a tremendous opportunity to become an attractive place to live. In this context, we have proposed three specific pillars—an extensive urban housing construction program, the creation of an innovative district, and a special economic zone,” said Jan Havránek of AQE Advisors, which prepared the Strategic Assessment.

A City of Opportunities. Urban Housing Development Program

Ústí has largely avoided the suburbanization typical of other regional capitals. Furthermore, mobile data shows that 9.3% fewer people live here than are registered as permanent residents. However, the city must also address other demographic challenges affecting the entire Czech Republic, such as the declining affordability of housing in major cities. This is evident when comparing the growth of real estate prices and wages—that is, people’s ability to purchase their own homes. For Ústí, however, this situation presents an opportunity to attract new residents. The role of a regional metropolis requires a higher concentration of younger, educated, and enterprising people in particular—a demographic currently lacking in Ústí, despite the city being home to Jan Evangelista Purkyně University.

The clear priority must therefore be the construction of municipal housing—with a long-term goal of the city holding at least an 8% share of the total housing stock. The general model for Ústí entails a long-term goal of owning 3,000 designated housing units, ranging from medium-sized to large family homes.

A City of Opportunities. The Creation of an Innovative District

The new district, covering an area of approximately 30 hectares, is intended to serve as a WORK AND LIVE destination, providing not only housing but also working conditions for at least 2,000 employees. Although the district will attract new residents, it will remain a place for everyone, regardless of background, thus building on the city’s current diversity. The proposal is to transform one of the industrial sites into a vibrant, modern urban district that will set trends in contemporary living, working, and leisure, thereby kickstarting overall revitalization.

City of Opportunities. Ústí Special Economic Zone

It is becoming clear that the current approach to addressing regional inequalities through subsidies is not yielding the desired results. The creation of a special economic zone (or broader area), ideally linked sectorally to a strategic investor, should motivate companies to create new jobs. If the city does not fulfill the role of an economic hub, it cannot reverse the negative trends it faces today. The goal is to create the Ústí Zone of Opportunity, a regional innovation hub that will generate approximately 7,500 skilled jobs within 15 years in high-value, internationally competitive sectors. The area’s high investment appeal will permanently improve the quality of life for local residents.