Trenčín is only the second city in Slovakia after Trnava to have this position in the municipal office. The city curator will take care of all the elements in the public space, the regulation of advertising or the artworks placed there.
The environment we live in and all its elements influence us indirectly. This also applies to billboards, banners, signs and advertisements. They sometimes overwhelm spaces, they can be confusing for people in the city, we speak of them as visual smog. Several cities are adopting rules on the placement, permitting and removal of advertising devices so that they can regulate visual smog and allow residents to perceive the spaces around them as cleaner, brighter and more pleasant.
Trenčín was one of the first towns in Slovakia to address this issue through a spatial plan. Already in 2018, the city council approved the regulation of advertising facilities on the territory of the city through amendments and additions in this document.
In connection with the title of European Capital of Culture 2026, the city of Trenčín is trying not only to fight visual smog, but also to unify all the elements in the public space. It is preparing a manual that will determine the appearance and quality of surfaces, but also of furniture, such as benches or bike stands. This would bring the public space in Trenčín to a higher level.
The urban curator or curator will specialize in public space, not only in terms of visual smog, but also in art in public space, how it is placed and cared for. At the same time, he or she will ensure that new strategic documents, such as the manual of public space or the manual of advertising, are actually used in practice.
Lívia Gažová
Project manager for Architecture and Public Space Trenčín 2026
Streetart in Amsterdam
Foto: archive Cities in Placemaking