The goal of the Margaret Quarter program is to transform Margit Boulvard and its surrounding area into a vibrant urban district with a rich cultural and community life. The initiative was launched by the Budapest District II. Municipality with the intention of giving new functions to previously underused municipal properties and supporting the presence of cultural, community-oriented, and high-quality commercial and service providers in the neighborhood.
To support this objective, the Margaret Quarter Decision Preparation & Advisory Board was established in 2021. The board provides professional recommendations on lease applications submitted within the framework of the program.
What does the Margaret Quarter Decision Preparation & Advisory Board do?
The MNDTT first reviews incoming lease applications, then—based on the program’s priorities—submits its recommendations to the district’s decision-making body, the Economic and Ownership Committee. In doing so, it considers, for example, how the applicant contributes to the district’s cultural and community life.
It is important to note that while the MNDTT evaluates and advises, it does not make final decisions—those are always taken by the Economic and Ownership Committee.
Margaret Quarter: District II’s cultural and community-focused urban neighborhood
Margaret Quarter Decision Preparation & Advisory Board
Zsófia Besenyei – Municipal Councilor
Zsófia Besenyei is a sociologist who supports the district’s long-term, strategic development efforts with the experience she has gained as Chair of the Committee for Municipal Operations, Environmental Protection and Public Safety; Vice-Chair of the Procurement Committee; Member of the Economic and Asset Management Committee; and as a long-time Member, later Chair, of the Supervisory Board of the District II Urban Development Corporation.
As the elected Municipal Councillor for Electoral District No. 3, she places particular focus on the development of Margit Boulevard and its wider surroundings, since the daily life and character of the area are fundamentally shaped by local communities, businesses and urban functions.
Because the Margit Quarter includes a major section of Margit Boulevard — including Keleti Károly Street — she is actively involved in the work of the Margit Quarter Decision-Preparation and Advisory Board. Her aim is to support the renewal of the neighbourhood, the strengthening of community life, and the improvement of environmental quality in a professionally grounded yet people-centred way.
Tamás Dévényi – Ybl Miklós Award-winning architect and interior designer, professional chief patron
Architect, interior architect, designer, and architecture instructor.
His notable works include the holiday houses on Lupa Island, the Magház project, the Rácz Bath, Metro Line 4 – Rákóczi Square station, FUGA – Budapest Center of Architecture, and the interior design of the Várkert Bazár. In Budapest District II, his projects include the accessible residential complex in Pesthidegkút and several reconstructions of modernist heritage buildings (Napraforgó Street 18, Pasaréti Road 96 twin house).
For his achievements, he has received the Budapestért Commemorative Flag, as well as the Ybl Miklós, Molnár Farkas, ICOMOS, Podmaniczky (twice), FIABCI (twice), House of the Year, and Prima Awards.
He has lived on Buday László Street for decades.
Dávid Harján – Economist
A graduate economist specialized in regional economics. Throughout his studies, he focused on various aspects of urban and regional development. He spent a significant part of his career in the economic sector in mid- and senior-management positions, yet periodically returned to work in the public sphere. He currently serves as the CEO of II. Kerületi Városfejlesztő Zrt. (District II Urban Development Plc.) and is a doctoral student at the MATE Doctoral School of Economics and Regional Sciences.
Krisztina Kende-Hofherr – Patron responsible for business development and talent support
Krisztina Kende-Hofherr is a communications and branding expert, television producer, and a prominent figure in the Hungarian media, communications, and business sectors. Before moving into the private sphere in 2004, she served as the Communications Director of TV2, and prior to that as the Commercial and Marketing Director of Sláger Rádió. As one of the leaders of Emmis International’s Hungarian radio network, she participated in numerous communication, sales, and branding workshops and training programs in the United States—experiences that strongly shape her current working methods and professional approach. Since 2015, she has been a recurring member of Forbes’ list of the most influential Hungarian women.
She is a specialist in personal branding—whether for public figures or private individuals. Her motivational and professional talks, grounded in her own experiences, attract significant attention even outside professional circles. In 2023, she became one of the most sought-after female speakers in Hungary. She is a dedicated supporter of the SME sector and founder of AJMAFT, a self-made career support methodology.
She is the editor and host of Hétköznapi Példaképek nem hétköznapi történetei (Extraordinary Stories of Everyday Role Models) , a radio show and podcast showcasing Hungarian business success stories. She has received several recognitions, including the Bridge Budapest business community award, the Felelős életút a vállalkozókért (Responsible Life Path for Entrepreneurs) Prima Special Prize, and the annual VOSZ Award for Outstanding Social Contribution.
Mátyás Kocsis – Experimental nanophysicist
Kocsis Mátyás completed his studies at Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem and Budapesti Műszaki és Gazdaságtudományi Egyetem. He is an experimental nanophysicist, the Chair of the Economic and Ownership Committee, and a member of the Committee on Public Education, Culture, and Sports. A lifelong resident of Budapest District II, he considers active community participation, civic initiatives, and the role of the Margaret Quarter in providing a physical space for these goals to be of key importance.
Dániel Ongjerth – Cultural manager, co-founder of the 11_11 cultural urbanism organization
He completed his studies at Pázmány Péter Catholic University and at the Freie Universität in Berlin.
Since 2005, he has been working on the cultural revitalization of long-vacant properties in Budapest. Between 2009 and 2012, he was one of the founders and creative directors of Fogasház – Cultural Venue, and from 2010 to 2012, also its owner.
Since 2012, he has served as a board member of the Eleven Blokk Art Foundation, where he has contributed to the renewal of Bartók Béla Boulevard through the Bartók-negyed project. Since 2015, he has been the director of INDA Gallery.
Géza Salamin Dr. – Urban development geographer–economist specializing in regional and municipal development
Géza Salamin is an urbanist, geographer–economist specialized in regional and settlement development, and holds a doctoral degree in spatial and urban planning. He lives in the Margaret Quarter with his wife and their four children. He began his career at the Budapesti Műszaki és Gazdaságtudományi Egyetem, then spent nine years at VÁTI, where he was responsible first for national planning, later for urbanism and international relations, and eventually for coordinating the territorial development and urban policy tasks of Hungary’s 2011 EU Presidency.
He has worked at a government ministry as Head of the Regional Development Department and has carried out coordination and representation duties for several international urban and regional development programs (ESPON, EUKN, URBACT). Since 2017, he has been a member of the faculty at the Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem, where he currently serves as Director of the Sustainable Development Doctoral Program and Associate Professor at the Department of Economic Geography and Urban Development.
Since 2018, he has served as President of the Hungarian Society of Urban Planning, and since 2013 he has been the Hungarian member of the ECTP.
He is deeply committed to advancing urban development that supports sustainable growth.
Viktória Rozgonyi-Kulcsár – Chief Patron for Cultural and Artistic Fields
Viktória is a theatre historian and cultural manager. Born on the Day of Hungarian Culture, it is perhaps no coincidence that she has dedicated nearly two decades to serving the arts. In the spirit of collaboration, shared platforms, and more effective cooperation, she founded the Függetlenül Egymással (Together Independently) Public Benefit Association in 2010. As an umbrella organization, it has since become the background institution for numerous significant theatre projects and productions.
Her most substantial cultural enterprise is the Jurányi Produkciós Közösségi Inkubátorház (Jurányi Production Community Incubator House), which for more than ten years has been a unique artistic base for independent theatre companies and other performing arts workshops, productions, and festivals. The former school building has grown into a major center of contemporary performing arts—while preserving its original mission of talent development, youthful and energetic atmosphere, community building, and value creation.
Since 2024, she has also served as the professional director and coordinator of Átrium, another key cultural venue enriching Budapest’s District II.
She has been listed among the 10 most influential Hungarian women by Forbes for three consecutive years (2022, 2023, 2024).
She is the managing president of both the Jurányi Produkciós Közösségi Inkubátorház and the FÜGE Association.
Ágnes Vámos – Hungarian and history teacher, cultural development professional
Until 2010, her work focused primarily on public education and research. She served multiple times as an expert supporting the strategic planning of municipalities and also worked as a senior official in a government ministry. During Hungary’s EU accession period, she led the planning of public education development programs, later oversaw their implementation, and contributed to the design and delivery of adult education initiatives.
After 2010, transitioning into the private sector, her attention turned toward cultural fields, working with contemporary design projects in the Budai Vár and at Örkény Színház.
Since 2019 she has been working in the cultural sector of Budapest District I, and since 2021 in District II. She currently serves as the Chief Operating Executive of KULT2 Nonprofit Kft., which oversees the Marczibányi Téri Művelődési Központ, as well as the Klebelsberg Kultúrkúria, the Budai Táncklub, and the Vízivárosi Galéria.
