New Zagreb is built in the tradition of modernist utopia. The amnesty for the New Zagreb is the conceptual frame for the creation of “new” New Zagreb, affirmation on the new project, but also its unfinished state. This project aims to redefine a modern city and its basic rules.
The area of Zagreb on the south side of the river is called New Zagreb. New Zagreb was built between the 1050s and 1980s. It has nine enormous blocks (on average 1000m x 600m) surrounded with wide multi lane boulevards. Mid-rise residential buildings are scattered in the middle of each block. Each block has its name and is identified as a neighborhood.
The proposal affirms the large scale of existing urban planning and proposes to reinforce it by treading loops of interlaced tram lines and bike paths through the boulevards and also one loop of elevated high speed train connecting each block with the historical center of Zagreb and with the airport. It further reinforces the boulevards by zoning the currently, mostly vacant area around the boulevards for high density commercial, institutional or mixed used developments. The interior areas of the blocks are left to existing and future residential development and parks.
The proposed zoning regulations determine a set of rules to ensure porousness of the block and vitality of both boulevards and interior areas of large blocks.