At the Budapest 2030 conference, city mayor István Tarlós and other decision-makers discussed what the next decade might hold for the Hungarian capital. The biggest announcement was the formation of a new committee, in which civilians and the members of the government will be equally represented. This means that from now on, residents will have a bigger say in city planning, as the government will only discuss plans that have already been raised at a meeting of this committee. Besides politicians, experts will also be involved.
The collective aim is to strengthen Budapest’s position in the region and in Europe, and to make it one of the top three capitals on the continent. As representatives of Hungarian airline Wizz Air and state rail company MÁV were also present, the future of air and overland transport was also discussed. While air traffic is growing, now the aim is to double the number of visitors flying into Budapest – meanwhile, rail stations and train lines require extensive renovation. A fast train to the airport, an underground line connecting Nyugati and Déli stations, and the modernisation of suburban trains, are all top of the priority list.
Details were also revealed about extensive ongoing city renovation projects such as Kopaszi-gát, City Park, and the Centrál Park initiative revamping the nine-hectare area behind Nyugati station. Budapest is brimming with possibilities and this potential should be exploited over the coming decade.
