After World War II, areas called Kukleny, Malšovice, Svobodné Dvory, Pražské Předměstí, Slezské Předměstí, Pouchov, Plácky and Věkoše were annexed to the city, thus creating the so-called Velký Hradec Králové (Great Hradec Králové). Through this administrative process, the population and the prestige of Hradec Králové, as the centre of north-eastern Bohemia got increased. The city had to urgently sort out the issue of the lack of residential places. That is why new housing estates were designed and built.
Concerning the combination of residential buildings and greenery, the Labská kotlina I, the building construction of which began in 1947, is one of the housing estates in which that issue has been most successfully sorted out. It is the first functionalist post-war housing estate in Hradec Králové. The architects based their design on Gočár’s spatial concept, according to which a part of the river basins was freed from residential development, and thus the function of greenery was increased. The housing estate is characterized by a clean line of buildings complemented by green areas. Its construction was completed in 1955.
This housing estate is connected to Střelecká Street, which forms one of the parts of Gočár´s circuit in Hradec Králové. The four-lane road is divided lengthwise by a two-row alley of lindens, elms and horse chestnuts. In January 2017, the city began planning the reconstruction of this tree line, which includes professional pruning, cutting down of old trees and new planting. The biggest transformation are being made between Gočár´s intersection and the intersection called “V Lipkách“, where the existing lime trees are being replaced by new plane trees. The reconstruction of the alley between the intersections “V Lipkách“ and “U Soutoku“ is planned for the period of several years. It is assumed that the existing species composition will be preserved.
1 – Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
2 – Himalayan Birch (Betula jacquemontii)
3 – Rocky Mountains (Pseudotsuga glauca)
4 – Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
5 – Korean Fir (Abies koreana)
6 – Swedish Whitebeam (Sorbus intermedia)
7 – European Cranberrybush (Viburnum opulus)
8 – Leatherleaf Viburnum (Viburnum rhytidophyllum)
9 – Amur Cork Tree (Phellodendron amurense)
10 – Red Flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum)
11 – Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)
12 – Mulberry (Morus sp.)
13 – Chinese Redbud (Cercis chinensis)
