A friendly space for everyone is to finally arrive on Długie Ogrody Street, which is an extension of Długa and Stągiewna Streets in Gdańsk. The long line of cars will give way to greenery, the avenue of trees along the street will be reconstructed, and a road reconstruction is planned. This is not, as those who criticize these changes point out, an official invention, but a response to the expectations of residents, experts and entrepreneurs who took part in the participatory process.
In July, the City of Gdansk announced an implementation competition to develop a concept for the development of Dlugie Ogrody Street, which is an extension of the Royal Route. One of the main assumptions of the planned changes is the elimination of a large parking lot and the restoration of an avenue of trees. After our publication, a heated discussion flared up in AiB's social media, with those who cannot come to terms with the necessary restrictions on cars today being particularly active. It is worth emphasizing, however, that the new idea for Long Gardens Street is not a whim of officials. The need for revitalization, an important element of which will be to limit the cars flooding the area, is recognized by residents and entrepreneurs themselves.
At the end of last year, the RC Foundation - Regional Information and Support Center for Non-Governmental Organizations and the Office of the Architect of the City of Gdansk conducted a participatory process on New Gardens. A total of more than 130 people participated, including residents, district councilors, community activists and entrepreneurs.
This is what Dlugie Ogrody Street might look like according to a visualization from a few years ago
GZDiZ
the name obliges
"Among the most important proposals in spatial terms, one can mention the need to transform Dlugie Ogrody Street into a green, representative urban avenue that is an extension of the city's most important historical traffic route - the Royal Route," reads the consultation report published by the Office of the City Architect.
Unfortunately, today the street with its name - which took its name from the long and narrow parcels of land stretching north and south of the street, once used as gardens - has little in common.
As a result of historical changes and redevelopment, the street was stripped of its historic greenery. It was first replaced by a streetcar line, and today by parking spaces. The street is dominated by ubiquitous concrete. This negatively affects both the perception of the space, making it unattractive, as well as the comfort of its use - on hot days the street becomes a so-called frying pan, and on rainy days water collects here, which has no outlet in the ground, the report says.
tourist won't park a car
The consultation was dominated by the topic of parking spaces for cars, as it should be. Residents are mainly bothered by onerous parking by tourists and coaches. They pointed out that this problem should be solved by limiting parking spaces to those for residents and people using nearby services. Another problem is that greenery is scarce here today. The meetings called for not only plantings along the street itself, but also such solutions that would connect the existing green areas to the area's main artery.
Participants in the consultations realized that the area, which today is a poor showcase for the city, nevertheless has great potential. The site of the current parking lot for coaches - as expected by the participants of the consultation - could be transformed into a multifunctional neighborhood center, which would also be a showcase of the city for tourists. The site should have the following functions: social, cultural, commercial, catering, image.
During the consultations, participants repeatedly complained about the poor technical condition of Długie Ogrody Street: patched roadway and uneven sidewalks. On the other hand, when asked about concerns, they spoke of the phenomenon of gentrification, the loss of the local character of this piece of the city and the development of short-term rentals, which are pushing ever more audaciously into downtown Gdansk.
On the one hand, the newly emerging neighborhoods are seen as a positive element, raising the profile of the space and providing an influx of younger residents, but on the other hand there is concern about whether the increased attractiveness of the Long Gardens and the influx of new residents will not contribute to the gradual marginalization of the current ones, according to the report "Drugie Ogrody. The Royal Road Extension.
Now the field is open to architects and architects. The competition for the concept for the development of Dlugie Ogrody Street has a one-stage, unlimited and realization character. The deadline for submission of works is November 8, 2024. The competition is scheduled to be resolved in mid-December.
