The Piecki-Migowo study is supposed to be a recipe for the problems that developers have brought to the district with their numerous residential developments.
The Piecki-Migowo district of Gdańsk, known as Morena, is one of those places where new residential development has been springing up like mushrooms in recent years. But the more residents, the more difficult it is to have a good quality of life and a friendly space. Suffice it to mention that over the decade, more than 137 new buildings have sprouted up in Morena's space and some 5,600 apartments have been put into use. The result? Piecki-Migowo is today the third most populous district in the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship.
The darker side of development
The residential boom does not necessarily go hand in hand with improving the quality of life of residents, the problems include the scarcity of greenery, including tall greenery, driven by intensive development, omnipresent traffic jams, problems with parking and public transportation. Hardly any new infrastructure is being restricted by developers to their own lots, with the result that sidewalks and crosswalks are being cut off, and pedestrians are finding it difficult to move between neighborhoods.
In 2020, the city decided that it would create a common vision for the further development of Morena, or master plan, which was strongly advocated by the neighborhood council, among others. Admittedly, the document, which will encompass the entire neighborhood and, in the words of officials, will be „a document between the Study and the local plan,” is not anchored in law. Besides, as a result of an amendment to the law, the Study of Conditions and Directions for Spatial Development will be replaced by a so-called master plan anyway. The master plan for Morena, on the other hand, officials want to treat as additional material that will allow better decisions to be made. Perhaps it will also prompt city planners to make changes to local zoning plans.
to the rescue of the masterplan
The master plan can, for example, be a starting point in negotiations about which Civic Budget projects make sense and which do not. It can also be a point of reference for planning regulation, but also for various types of investments that may occur in the neighborhood. The master plan is good to treat as an agreed vision for the future of the district," explained Prof. Piotr Lorens, Architect of the City of Gdańsk.
Already in late 2022 and early 2023, the first meetings were held with residents, who specified their needs and directions for further work on the masterplan. Not surprisingly, at that time Gdańsk citizens pointed out the need for changes in pedestrian infrastructure, more tree plantings and green areas, new small architecture, as well as the construction of a social center with social, cultural, sports services. They suggested using the land reserve on the so-called New Polytechnic for the construction of an alternative bicycle route. Their biggest concern, however, is the further increase in development intensity, but also the fact that there are still no local plans for the vast areas of housing cooperatives.
with the participation of Gdańsk residents
The second round of workshops will kick off on Wednesday, October 18. Experts in urban planning and the shaping of urban space will also enter the game, and their analyses will be presented to Gdańsk citizens. Detailed information about the consultations can be found on the Facebook profile of the Architect of the City of Gdańsk. Importantly, the first meeting is open to all interested residents and stakeholders. Subsequent, more detailed ones will be held in groups of residents who will be selected as a result of recruitment.
This form is somewhat reminiscent of the citizens' panel formula. The idea is to select a diverse group of residents in terms of, among other things, gender, professional activity, age, in order to best reflect the social and demographic profile of the neighborhood.
