Janusz Sepiol will be the new Chief Architect of the City of Krakow!
Krakow is implementing the provision of the Pact for Space [see in A&B: Pact for Krakow's Space Signed!], which was initiated and co-authored by A&B editor-in-chief Malgorzata Tomczak. We would like to remind you that during the spring local government campaign, the current president Aleksander Miszalski and vice-president Prof. Stanislaw Mazur were signatories of the Pact.
During the conference held on Friday, August 30, Janusz Sepiol was announced as the Chief Architect of the City of Krakow. So far, the office of Chief Architect of the city, has been the subject of widespread criticism. The mayor of Krakow, Aleksander Miszalski, announced that the responsibilities of the new city architect will change, with a much more important role from now on.
The Chief Architect will be the leader of this part of creating the city's vision. The role of the city's chief architect will change - he will have much more to say.
- said Mayor Aleksander Miszalski
Janusz Sepiol, co-author of the Pact for Space, is an architect by training and an art historian, who in recent years, since 2021, has been the Architect of Rzeszow[see: Rzeszow twine. With Janusz Sepiol, interviewed by Pawel Kraus]. Previously, from 2002 to 2006, he held the position of Marshal of the Małopolska region, then senator of the seventh and eighth terms. He also worked at the Krakow Development Office and the Planning Department in Warsaw. He will now use his extensive experience to support urban development in the capital of Malopolska.
directions for action
Janusz Sepiol points out the three most important directions of his activity as Chief Architect of the city:
The first area is concern for the quality of public spaces, which must be better programmed, better designed, and with this comes the organization of study and implementation competitions, broadening the public debate, expanding the forum for this debate, so workshops, panels, promotion and publications. This is one area. The other is strategic issues, that is, working on "Greater Krakow." This is the question of the metropolitan system, this is the question of major investments, such as the subway or the other projects mentioned, such as the outskirts of Nowa Huta. We assume a much longer horizon for achieving an effect and more strategic thinking. Finally, the third area is that of Krakow's architectural heritage, especially the newer ones.
Of the chief architect's upcoming activities, Janusz Sepiol mentions, among others, plans for the revitalization of the Avenue of the Three Rulers, the reconstruction of the Botanical Garden or the creation of an Arboretum, or urban botanical forest, in Cracow. Among the most important challenges of the new Architect, Aleksander Miszalski included not only the development of the General Plan for the city and the construction of the subway, but also the announcement of a master plan for Wesoła and activities related to the White Seas, New Huta Przyszłości or Rybitwy areas. Procedures for Integrated Investment Plans are also being designed.
The new Chief Architect of Krakow is an opponent of spatial chaos, about which he wrote in our pages[see: Janusz Sepiol on spatial planning reform]. During the conference, he announced attempts to develop master plans not only for Wesoła, but also for many other districts of Krakow, on the basis of which Local Development Plans will be developed.
Everything we do in Krakow will be a model for Poland.
- said Janusz Sepioł
krakow needs a debate on space
As Janusz Sepiol pointed out, the appointment of the Chief Architect of the City is to some extent a consequence of the creation of the Pact for the Space of Krakow[see: Janusz Sepiol on the Pact for Space]. Such a demand was included in the eighth point of the Pact:
CITY ARCHITECT - city development needs a coherent vision and effective management. We want to restore the status of the institution of the City Architect as a moderator and initiator of debate, guardian of the public interest and spatial order.
He announced that further points of the pact will be implemented in the coming time, and debates on space will play an important role.
In Krakow, we lacked a debate about space. Residents want to talk about space. I'll mention the example of the General Plan - more than 20,000 applications submitted. This means that space is important to people. It's a matter of responding to climate challenges, the different role of MKUA and a number of other activities. I am glad that what we have declared and what we have committed to, we are effectively implementing. Today we took one important step - we appointed the Architect of the City
- said Stanislaw Mazur, 1st Deputy Mayor of the City of Krakow.
changes in Cracow
Janusz Sepiol will begin his function on September 16. However, this is not the only change that will take place in the city's structures regarding the spatial development of Krakow. As announced by Krakow Mayor Aleksander Miszalski, next week a competition will be held for chairpersons of three units important to Krakow's urban development - the Department of Architecture, the Department of Spatial Planning and the Municipal Conservator of Monuments.
