Second day of the Urban Regeneration Congress
The second day of the Urban Regeneration Congress was marked by discussions on urban policy and interregional relations, public transportation, regeneration of structures, innovation and culture as a lever for change.
Prof. Tomasz Komornicki
Photo: Nikolai Zakharov © OEES
The day was centered around the session:
- Cities in the system of interregional relations in Europe,
- Public transport and low-carbon zones in practice,
- Climate change and the operation of Urban Functional Areas,
- Urban regeneration in light of health needs and climate challenges,
- Culture as an urban regeneration lever,
- Innovation as an urban service for urban regeneration and climate change mitigation.
The plenary session, held in the Hall of Machines, entitled "Regeneration of the City", was opened by Prof. Tomasz Komornicki, speaking about Polish regions and cities in the European space of flows. At the same time, discussions and lectures were held in the following halls.
panel culture as a regenerative lever
From left: Dorota Wodnicka, Michał Piernikowski, Monika Kamieńska, Halina Bernat, Dr. Wawrzyniec Rudolf,
Photo: Nikolai Zakharov © OEES
culture as an urban regenerative lever
The second day at the Generator was devoted to culture as a lever for regenerative change in cities. The panel discussion focused on the specific example of Lodz and the changes it is undergoing. The presenter, Dr. hab. Wawrzyniec Rudolf (University of Lodz) and panelists: Halina Bernat (City Library of Lodz), Monika Kamienska (City Cultural Zone of Lodz), Michal Piernikowski (Łódź Design Festival), Dorota Wodnicka (City Cultural Zone of Lodz) jointly considered how cultural institutions perceive climate change, respond to it and encourage residents to be active.
Shaping language and building narratives is the most important role of cultural institutions. I'm a fan of protopia - a good approach is to build small projects, on a local scale, monitoring, such as rain gardens, floating islands, activities that involve interventions in public space," said Michal Piernikowski.
Everyone agreed that environmental and climate education from an early age is most important. And the slogans summarizing the discussion were attentiveness, resilience and flexibility.
discussion city as a common space
from left: Dr. Paweł Grobelny, Prof. Jerzy Porębski, Prof. Czesława Frejlich
Photo: Nikolai Zakharov © OEES
The next session at the Generator was about the city as a shared space, and was led by Prof. Czesława Frejlich (Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow), discussing with Natalia Budnik (Landscape Architect), Dr. Paweł Grobelny (Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw) and Prof. Jerzy Porębski (Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw). They wondered what regeneration really means.
Globalization and our mobility do not facilitate the creation of local, permanent communities. Quite low in the hierarchy of values is education about public space and this affects its quality [...]. If we accept that living in a city is a process of constant change then this means that there is always time for reconstruction and change," said Professor Jerzy Porębski.
The professor also reflected on the word urbanity and our sentiment towards, what used to be, and stressed the importance of redefining values. Pawel Grobelny spoke about the right to a city for all - small local spaces create larger urban spaces. He mentioned, also, tactical design - applying solutions for a certain period. The most important thing is observation and quick reaction. Architecture should take into account pretexts, he added.
session entitled Innovation as an urban service for urban regeneration and climate change mitigation
from left: Dr. Magdalena Wiśniewska, Prof. Aleksander Noworól, Nicholas Coutts, Marcil Korolec
Photo: Nikolai Zakharov © OEES
we have a right to the city
After the break, the final session in the Machinery Hall began, entitled Innovation as an urban service for urban regeneration and climate change mitigation. Moderator Dr. Magdalena Wisniewska (University of Lodz) spoke with Nicholas Coutts (UNLEASH - Innovation Lab for SDGs), Marcin Korlec (former Minister of Environment, CEO, Foundation for the Promotion of Electric Vehicles), prof. Aleksander Noworól (Cracow University of Economics), among others, on the concept of fifteen-minute cities, smart design, economic, legal and mental barriers, and education.
Innovation is a state of mind," concluded Prof. Aleksander Noworól.
Mayor of the City of Lodz Hanna Zdanowska
Photo: Nikolai Zakharov © OEES
After such intensive and rich in discussions, knowledge and meetings, the two days were followed by a summary and closing of the Congress.
Lodz Mayor Hanna Zdanowska said that Lodz wants to show everyone, not just residents, that it has ambitions and is a place where climate neutrality will be a reality.
After the congress, there will be dreams left, which we will turn into real actions. If we want change, we have to start it with ourselves. Everything is ahead of us!
Prof. Jerzy Hausner speaks at the end of the Congress
Photo: Nikolai Zakharov © OEES
The Second Urban Regeneration Congress closed with a short speech summarizing and recalling the speeches of the speakers by Prof. Jerzy Hausner.
We already agreed last year that we need to have a different approach to the city and about thinking about its development and regeneration. We can no longer look at the functioning of cities so carelessly [...]. We need to influence the couplings that have been degrading the urban fabric in such a way that we reconfigure them so that they work the other way, raise our potential. These are multidimensional processes, we need to see their complex nature. These are cumulative processes, you can't just act on them point by point [...].
What dimensions of regeneration should we think and talk about? Professor Hausner referred to Prof. Szymon Malinowski's speech, saying that the climate is governed by the laws of physics, and the basic aspect of regeneration, is thermodynamic and physical regeneration.
Acity is something in which an exchange of energy takes place, if this exchange goes wrong, it destroys its fabric. The city generates entropy, dissipates its own energy and is unable to use it [...]. What we are dealing with is counteracting entropy by causing the phenomenon of negentropy.
He also recalled that the congress addressed the second dimension of regeneration, which is bio-organic regeneration, and noted that biodiversity should be developed and sustained. Other points include the economic regener ation mentioned by the professor , and cultural regeneration - which also involves a mental change, a way of thinking about ourselves and the world we live in.
We need a new metabolism. Cultural change means thinking in terms of design thinking - the exigencies are global, but the solutions must be local.
Hanna Zdanowska, Prof. Jerzy Hausner and Congress volunteers
Photo: Nikolai Zakharov © OEES
Finally, Prof. Jerzy Hausner invited to the conference next year, proposing the topic Energy Regeneration of the City he also reminded about the Open Eyes Economy Summit, which will be held already on November 22 and 23 this year in Krakow, and one of its thematic tracks will be on climate regeneration of the city, and will be hosted by Prof. Tadeusz Markowski.
All sessions and speeches from the Second Congress will soon be available on the YT channel of Industrial City Regeneration.
Architecture and Business was one of the three main media partners of the Congress, and as a side event we also organized the Festival of Open Architecture Studios. The last day of FOPY is ahead of us, tomorrow at 1 pm the Sikora Wnętrza Architektura studio will open its doors. You are welcome!
We would like toremind you that the latest June issue of Architecture and Business is all about Climate Regeneration of Cities. HERE you can download it for free!
