What Ostrava Thinks: Community Voices on Nature, Air Quality, and Local Solutions

Written by: Valentina Galantari, HUB-CR

Czech Living Lab – Community QR-Code Survey Highlights

As part of its ongoing engagement activities, the Czech Living Lab launched a QR-code survey during public events in Ostrava to learn what residents, students, and young people consider the most urgent environmental topics in their region. The anonymous survey invited participants to share their concerns and propose simple, nature-inspired ideas for improving local conditions.

What Worries People the Most?

Across dozens of responses, several themes appeared repeatedly. Participants were most concerned about:

Air pollution and smog, especially during winter
Noise and heavy traffic, including cars and trucks
Insufficient greenery in urban areas
Polluted rivers and water sources
Legacy impacts of industry, such as old emissions and the smoking mine heap in Heřmanice
Littering and waste in public spaces
Reduced biodiversity, including fewer insects and plants
Lack of public information on how people can help
Concerns linked to climate change, such as droughts and storms

Many participants also mentioned feeling worried about people’s attitudes – especially low interest in nature among youth or a general lack of environmental responsibility.

What Solutions Do People Want to See?

When asked what could make Ostrava greener and healthier, respondents proposed a wide range of practical ideas. Many of them reflect nature-based processes and community-led actions, such as:

Planting more trees in streets, schoolyards, and near industrial areas
Creating more parks, green spaces, and community gardens
Building green roofs and green walls
Using rainwater and improving local water retention
Developing better cycling routes and supporting public transport
Organising school projects and awareness activities on ecology
Increasing recycling and waste-collection initiatives
Reducing pollution through better monitoring and responsible behaviour

Several participants highlighted simple actions – from planting native species to keeping public spaces clean – as ways to support biodiversity and community well-being.

Why These Insights Matter

These responses help the Czech Living Lab better understand what people in Ostrava notice in their everyday environment and which nature-based ideas feel meaningful to them. The results also guide future Living Lab activities by showing:

which topics interest residents the most,
where young people see opportunities for improvement,
and how communities perceive the connection between biodiversity, air quality, and natural processes.

By listening to community voices, the Living Lab aims to make its educational and engagement activities more relevant, accessible, and grounded in local experience.