Budapest's Mayor Obstructs Development

On Wednesday, Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony and leftist-liberal councilors, in alliance with the Tisza Party, decided to try to block the government’s Grand Budapest project in Rakosrendezo, once a railway hub, by exercising their pre-emption right. This would effectively thwart the creation of 14 thousand new jobs, the construction of a flyover, the extension of the yellow metro line, the transformation of the disused railway yard and a direct rail link to the airport. This major investment does not benefit Budapest residents, the mayor claims.

Conditions in Nepliget (Photo: Balazs Szekelyhidi)

Budapest's so-called Rado Dezso program includes plans for the refurbishment of Budapest's other major park called Nepliget. The capital already had a call for bids for architectural firms to come up with project concepts. Last year, a consortium of the winning entries  designed a spatial vision for the park. The plans were paid for, but since then nothing has happened with the park.