"Urban Planning Intervention. A New Activity Center for the Mościce District of the City of Tarnów" is the subject of the thesis by Kamil Stanczyk, a second-year graduate of the Architecture Department at the Cracow University of Technology. Its aim is to respond to the main problems of Mościce - depopulation, disappearance of local identity and compositional disorder. What solutions does it propose?
Mościce is a district of Tarnów named after President Moscicki. In the 1920s construction of a nitrogen plant factory began, next to which villas, modern residential buildings and cultural and sports-recreation infrastructure were built. The urban planning of the district shows the influence of Ebenezer Howard's idea of a garden city, particularly in the area around the "Director's House," a representative villa inhabited by the factory's directors before the war. Mościce continued to develop after the war, introducing touches of modernity into the modernist fabric of the twentieth century.
Analysis of the current state of the Mościce district
© Kamil Stańczyk
Currently, Mościce is facing many problems: lack of attractive jobs, negative demographic growth, disappearance of local identity or emigration of young residents. These are also problems of outdated recreational and cultural infrastructure and the disappearance of local identity, formerly centered around the factory and its units.
an idea for urban planning intervention
These problems were noticed by Kamil Stańczyk. In his thesis, he set out to create a series of solutions for Mościce, starting with an analysis of the area, local community gathering places, transportation hubs and sports areas.
The topic of Mościce is close to my heart, since I already chose the topic of renovating the main stand of the city stadium in Tarnow as my diploma thesis during my first degree studies. With this thesis, I wanted to respond to the ongoing problem of the city stadium, which needs urgent renovation work or the construction of a new facility. The thesis allowed me to analyze the existing condition in more detail. On the other hand, with my sophomore thesis, I wanted to present an idea for development and get the local authorities to discuss the further future of Mościce," explains Stańczyk.
The main goal of the intervention is to organize the space between the main transportation hubs (the bus terminal and the modernist railroad station). The changes include changing the location of the city stadium and creating a special recreational zone on the White River. The current stadium, which is falling into disrepair, would be replaced by a skatepark and small sports facilities. The change would allow the area next to the White River to be strengthened - creating a recreational space for walking, running or kayaking.
Urbanist intervention proposal
© Kamil Stańczyk
The intervention also envisages densification of the space next to the buildings of the Mościce Art Center - where the project envisages densification of buildings while respecting the idea of a garden city, leaving space for green areas.
An equally important point is the ordering of the space around the modernist railroad station, which is listed in the register of monuments. The project involves the introduction of additional space, establishing a dialogue with the proposed changes. Business infrastructure would be built in close proximity to the station.
A proposal for urban intervention
© Kamil Stańczyk
Depopulation of small and medium-sized towns, along with the process of aging population, is a major problem for places like Moscice. The best proof of this is the awarding of Kamil Stanczyk's thesis with the T. Tertil Award for the best work on the city of Tarnów. The attempt to create a new space bringing together the local community with jobs and cultural, recreational and educational infrastructure is a significant challenge for urban planning of the future.
