Initiative details
Traffic in Czech cities often creates high stress levels and actively endangers vulnerable road users. However, the greatest hurdle to improving road safety infrastructure remains intense public resistance. When municipalities attempt to implement essential traffic calming measures such as 30 km/h zones or safe school streets, they frequently face severe backlash, as these changes are perceived as unpopular restrictions imposed from above.
Without a robust information base and unified communication strategy, cities struggle to convey the deeper benefits of these safety interventions. The ZVOLNI campaign bridges this critical gap by transforming the narrative. We provide municipalities with a clear, positive communication framework to explain that lowering vehicle speeds is not about imposing bans, but about creating safer, healthier, and more vibrant public spaces.
Crucially, ZVOLNI goes beyond municipal support by focusing on broad public education and engaging directly with children, fostering a generational shift in how urban mobility is perceived. To ensure accuracy and credibility, all initiatives operate under the strict factual supervision of recognized expert partners. By combining expert supported education, youth engagement, and positive messaging, the project empowers cities to overcome skepticism and successfully implement vital safety measures.
Without a robust information base and unified communication strategy, cities struggle to convey the deeper benefits of these safety interventions. The ZVOLNI campaign bridges this critical gap by transforming the narrative. We provide municipalities with a clear, positive communication framework to explain that lowering vehicle speeds is not about imposing bans, but about creating safer, healthier, and more vibrant public spaces.
Crucially, ZVOLNI goes beyond municipal support by focusing on broad public education and engaging directly with children, fostering a generational shift in how urban mobility is perceived. To ensure accuracy and credibility, all initiatives operate under the strict factual supervision of recognized expert partners. By combining expert supported education, youth engagement, and positive messaging, the project empowers cities to overcome skepticism and successfully implement vital safety measures.
Initiative date
Who was/is your target audience?
Policy makers
Public authorities
Children 0-16
Parents
Seniors
Public transport
Cyclists
Pedestrians
Topic
Create awareness
Education in school or in community organizations
Knowledge building and sharing
Provide alternative solutions
Organisation details
Partnership for Urban Mobility (CZ)
Association
Czech Republic
Nationwide
Contact name
Petr Gelnar
Telephone number
+420 737 365 893
petr@dobramesta.cz
Website link
Project activities
If you work together with external partners, list the most important partners and briefly describe their role.
• Platforma VIZE 0: Focuses on road safety expertise and the core concept of traffic calming.
• O2 Czech Republic a.s.: Provides anonymized geolocation data to support evidence-based municipal planning.
• Czech Smart City Cluster: Brings innovations and sustainable, smart urban solutions.
• Pilot Cities (Dobříš, Krnov, Pelhřimov, Říčany, Třinec): These municipalities actively test the communication strategy and implement specific traffic calming measures like school streets and 30 km/h zones.
• Local Schools: Act as partners in educating children, utilizing the provided manuals, comics, and participating in the video competitions.
• O2 Czech Republic a.s.: Provides anonymized geolocation data to support evidence-based municipal planning.
• Czech Smart City Cluster: Brings innovations and sustainable, smart urban solutions.
• Pilot Cities (Dobříš, Krnov, Pelhřimov, Říčany, Třinec): These municipalities actively test the communication strategy and implement specific traffic calming measures like school streets and 30 km/h zones.
• Local Schools: Act as partners in educating children, utilizing the provided manuals, comics, and participating in the video competitions.
Please describe the project activities you carried/are carrying out and the time period over which these were implemented.
The ZVOLNI campaign is built on three core pillars: expert education, public communication, and practical implementation. The initiative unfolds in two main phases. The year 2025 is dedicated entirely to intensive pilot testing within participating cities. This crucial testing phase allows the approaches to be refined directly on the ground. Following this, 2026 will launch the broad and active public campaign, drawing heavily on the success of these proven pilot projects.
To support these efforts, comprehensive step by step manuals were created for cities, schools, and individuals, including a detailed guide on establishing safe School Streets. A major physical component is the traveling exhibition named We Live the Cities of the Future. This exhibition tours municipalities alongside the campaign's friendly turtle mascot, Želvák, to visually and playfully present modern urban planning to families and the general public.
Furthermore, a series of instructional videos educate both the public and local officials. Highlighting a strong focus on youth engagement, students in pilot cities like Dobříš actively participated by creating their own videos about safe school commutes for a competition called My Journey to School. Through this combination of real world pilot projects, physical exhibitions featuring Želvák, ready made manuals, and digital content, ZVOLNI provides a complete and tested toolkit for safe urban mobility.
To support these efforts, comprehensive step by step manuals were created for cities, schools, and individuals, including a detailed guide on establishing safe School Streets. A major physical component is the traveling exhibition named We Live the Cities of the Future. This exhibition tours municipalities alongside the campaign's friendly turtle mascot, Želvák, to visually and playfully present modern urban planning to families and the general public.
Furthermore, a series of instructional videos educate both the public and local officials. Highlighting a strong focus on youth engagement, students in pilot cities like Dobříš actively participated by creating their own videos about safe school commutes for a competition called My Journey to School. Through this combination of real world pilot projects, physical exhibitions featuring Želvák, ready made manuals, and digital content, ZVOLNI provides a complete and tested toolkit for safe urban mobility.
In terms of implementation, what worked well and what challenges did you need to overcome?
What worked exceptionally well was the provision of a unified, clear communication strategy that participating cities easily adopted. By framing the initiative around the positive, psychological concept of "ZVOLNI" (slow down or relax) rather than the restrictive term "calming", cities gave a deeper, lifestyle-oriented meaning to their safety measures. Because a strong information base was established, supported by the traveling exhibition and instructional videos, the public accepted the introduced measures much better than in the past.
The primary challenge was overcoming the initial fear of municipal officials who anticipated public backlash against any traffic restrictions. This barrier was overcome by equipping them with ready-made manuals, educational comics for schools, and a clear communication style. This preparation allowed cities to communicate the vision effectively, ensuring that the public understood the core reasons before any physical infrastructure changes occurred.
The primary challenge was overcoming the initial fear of municipal officials who anticipated public backlash against any traffic restrictions. This barrier was overcome by equipping them with ready-made manuals, educational comics for schools, and a clear communication style. This preparation allowed cities to communicate the vision effectively, ensuring that the public understood the core reasons before any physical infrastructure changes occurred.
Evaluation
Please summarise how you have evaluated the initiative’s impact (e.g. social media reach, survey, feedback forms, statistics).
The campaign's impact was evaluated through the successful adoption of the communication strategy across 8 pilot cities and the reach of the digital and physical campaigns. The student video competition on YouTube engaged schools directly, with the general public actively voting on the videos, which significantly expanded the digital footprint and community engagement.
The traveling exhibition "Žijeme města budoucnosti" reached thousands of citizens directly in their town squares, facilitating constructive local debates and public hearings, such as the one in Třinec which saw record citizen participation. The ultimate effect of these activities is a measurable shift in public acceptance. Cities that utilized the manuals and communication templates successfully implemented pilot school streets and shared zones (for example in Dobříš and Říčany) without the typical public uproar, proving that a solid information base and soft measures are essential precursors to physical safety improvements.
The traveling exhibition "Žijeme města budoucnosti" reached thousands of citizens directly in their town squares, facilitating constructive local debates and public hearings, such as the one in Třinec which saw record citizen participation. The ultimate effect of these activities is a measurable shift in public acceptance. Cities that utilized the manuals and communication templates successfully implemented pilot school streets and shared zones (for example in Dobříš and Říčany) without the typical public uproar, proving that a solid information base and soft measures are essential precursors to physical safety improvements.
What has been the effect of the activities?
The ZVOLNI campaign has generated a significant impact at both the national and local levels by successfully shifting the public perspective on traffic calming. Nationally, the educational tour reached a massive audience across 13 cities, including participation in major events like the multi-genre festival Olomouc (O)Žije, which attracts over 30,000 visitors. At the local level, the most tangible effect is the successful implementation of pilot measures such as 30 km/h zones, school streets, and shared zones across 8 specific municipalities, including Dobříš, Krnov, and Říčany.
Regarding road safety, the immediate effect of these implemented measures is a reduction in vehicle speeds, which directly lowers both the probability and the severity of traffic accidents, creating a significantly safer environment for vulnerable cyclists and pedestrians. The initiative's effects are measured and evaluated through public engagement metrics, the successful launch of pilot projects, and the innovative use of anonymized geolocation data from O2 to analyze real population movement patterns.
This campaign is particularly efficient because it serves as a crucial "soft" measure that complements hard infrastructural changes, preparing the public mindset to accept safety interventions. Furthermore, it actively complements other national safety and sustainability initiatives, including the National Clean Mobility Plan, BESIP educational programs, and the Vision Zero (VIZE 0) goals.
Regarding road safety, the immediate effect of these implemented measures is a reduction in vehicle speeds, which directly lowers both the probability and the severity of traffic accidents, creating a significantly safer environment for vulnerable cyclists and pedestrians. The initiative's effects are measured and evaluated through public engagement metrics, the successful launch of pilot projects, and the innovative use of anonymized geolocation data from O2 to analyze real population movement patterns.
This campaign is particularly efficient because it serves as a crucial "soft" measure that complements hard infrastructural changes, preparing the public mindset to accept safety interventions. Furthermore, it actively complements other national safety and sustainability initiatives, including the National Clean Mobility Plan, BESIP educational programs, and the Vision Zero (VIZE 0) goals.
Please briefly explain why your initiative is a good example of improving road safety.
ZVOLNI is an excellent example because it proves that road safety is not just a technical or engineering problem, but fundamentally a cultural and a communication challenge. The initiative is highly transferable because complex safety concepts have been translated into easy-to-use manuals, step-by-step instructions (like the school street guide), and instructional videos. By adopting the pre-packaged communication strategy, any municipality or organization can easily build a solid information base, give deeper meaning to their safety measures, and dramatically improve public acceptance.
How have you shared information about your project and its results?
Information is shared through the central www.zvolni.cz portal, which hosts all manuals, guidelines, and educational comics for schools and social media platforms. YouTube is widely utilized for instructional videos and student-generated content. Physically, the project's vision is shared through the traveling exhibition "Žijeme města budoucnosti" and an interactive 13-city educational tour featuring the campaign mascot. Results and methodologies are also disseminated through a robust partner network, social media campaigns, and participation in major events like the European Mobility Week.
Supporting materials
