27. October 2025
The topic of city-making and the developer’s role in shaping urban life was presented by Peter Čižmár, Senior Business Development Manager at Penta Real Estate, during the Reality Expo 2025 event at Bratislava’s Stará tržnica. His talk, “How a New City is Born: from Vision to Reality”, showed that the role of a developer today goes far beyond constructing buildings. It’s a complex process that brings together vision, responsibility, and an understanding of the city’s needs.
According to Čižmár, a developer is no longer just a “builder,” but a creator of neighbourhoods that must work over time and deliver value not only to investors but, above all, to residents. Every project, he says, begins with dialogue — with municipalities, architects, and urban planners, but also with future residents. He sees collaboration and an appreciation of local context as the foundation of success.
“Our ambition isn’t just to build houses, but to develop whole districts — places with their own identity and life,” he explains. In projects like Bory, the mix of housing, services, a kindergarten, a hospital, and community spaces has created a functional, organic whole. Similarly, the planned Southbank project brings a vision for the Danube embankment where housing connects with public space, leisure, and city life.
When assessing new sites, the decisive factors are the needs of the city and its residents, the zoning plan, and the availability of infrastructure. “We see every project in a wider context,” Čižmár says. “With Chalupkova, we didn’t just want to fill a brownfield, but to transform it into a vibrant urban zone that ties naturally into Bratislava’s downtown and connects with Sky Park and Jurkovičova Tepláreň.”
One of the key principles is a strong emphasis on public space, which at Penta Real Estate carries the same weight as the buildings themselves. “It’s the streets, parks, and squares that decide whether people want to come back,” he adds. That’s why projects like Bory feature community zones and greenery, Southbank will include a series of unique public spaces known as “bowls,” and Chalupkova will offer a new park area.
For developers, the zoning plan is a framework, not an obstacle. It sets out the basic function of a site, but, as Čižmár notes, developers can add real value — high-quality architecture, well-thought-out services, and public spaces. In some cases, Penta Real Estate even initiates changes to the zoning plan to ensure better land use.
Asked how Bratislava will look in fifteen years, Čižmár answers simply: “I believe it will be a city where modern architecture and high-quality public spaces are taken for granted. From redeveloped brownfields to entirely new districts, that’s what we’re helping to create.” His vision is not about grand gestures but about a continuous process that connects architecture, infrastructure, and people.