Can Krakow get a new linear park in Grzegórzki?

Wiktor Bochenek

19 of September '22

Designed space of the linear park

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Wiktor: How could industrial and technical heritage be used in the creation of this park?

Piotr: Grzegórzki was a very important part of the map of Krakow's industry until the 1960s. It was associated with the creation of a specific workers' identity. On the initiative of the Municipality of Krakow, some of the few social housing estates referring to the famous Red Vienna complexes were built there. In 1936, bloody protests by workers of the "Suchard" chocolate factory and the "Semperit" rubber products factory took place there. They are commemorated by a monument on Daszyńskiego Street. The relics that survived there are material elements of this heritage. For the most part, they are remnants of the infrastructure of the defunct factories, in addition to those mentioned above, many smaller plants, including J. Orlicki's Auto Body and Carriage Factory, R. Muranyi's Carpentry Factory and J. Pacanowski's Paper Products Factory.

A different example is what you'll find at the end of Yellow Cajemka and Skrzatów Streets; the former Kraftfahr Erzsatzdepot, a temporary depot for rolling stock serving the Krakow Fortress. This alley with the cekhauz, or central armament depot, and the command building forms a kind of "manor" establishment, now quarters apartments, accompanying specific gardens where tenants raise livestock and grow vegetables in the middle of the city.

ZamojskiBarracks, the former part of Erzsatzdepot is still a military area. As a result, a lot has really survived in the surrounding area - for example, two reinforced concrete viaducts - now no longer fulfilling their original function. There is a similar viaduct over Peace Avenue - exploring the area, we noticed that you can normally walk over the busy street there.

Surrounding the former Dabie Station - a new themed recreation area

Another important thing, in this project, is to merge the city. For example, we have a couple hundred-meter section of Mogilska Street without a pedestrian crossing. Similarly, on the section of the ring line separating Olsza and Olsza II there are only two pedestrian crossings. This has resulted in a number of illegal crossings, which create hazards. A park, crossing these areas, would help reduce the risk and eliminate the barriers dividing previously homogeneous neighborhoods.

Victor: In addition to the functions and advantages mentioned, what else could the park bring:

Peter: In addition to the cultivation of heritage - the restoration to use and revitalization of traces of so-called dormant infrastructure, in this case fragments of former railroad lines and accompanying engineering structures; embankments, viaducts, spare strips of former sidings greater accessibility to recreational activities. Linear parks, due to their linear nature, are usually not large areas like traditional scenic or formal parks.

In their course, they allow to connect nodal functional points, attractions, small pocket parks and allow to create a pedestrian and bicycle canal, connecting numerous attractive but unused sites and strategically important objects such as the planned Grzegórzecki Park, the cekhauze complex of the former Dwernicki barracks complex on ul. Skrzatów, the local center in the remaining Polmos factory halls, the new swimming pool on Eisenberga, as well as the publicly accessible green areas of the boulevards and the planned pocket park at the end of Rakowicka Street. The primary goal is still and connection of currently isolated neighborhoods with barriers.

Stanisław Goliński's 1910 concept of greenery of Krakow, 3rd prize in the competition of the regulation plan "Greater Krakow", and a plan of recreational-park tracts by Eng. Kleczek from around 1930

In the project description we wrote:

"The primary goal of the project is to create a multifunctional and attractively arranged public space, integrating local communities connecting important points and areas, which are the dormant potential of the neighborhoods."

To put it succinctly: this is an opportunity for a whole new interaction of multiple attractions and functions, in two city neighborhoods where there are currently almost no decorated recreational areas. And all this in stages implemented at little cost.

Victor: What would be the length of this park?

Piotr: Roughly four and a half kilometers. Two possibilities arise here. The beginning in Olsza is obvious, since the completed project on Vilna Street ends there, while the end depends on whether the embankment and relics of the Nadwiśle Line would be integrated oror if a spur would still be created, which would reach the only area of landscaped greenery in that area, on the FS16 embankment, on the site of which there is a church at the mouth of the Białucha River into the Vistula.

It is worth noting that more than 60,000 residents, taking into account the numerous new developments perhaps even more than 70,000 residents, do not have access in the neighborhood of interest to a decorated urban green area, which cannot be considered the Botanical Garden,entry to which is paid and for much of the year impossible. The closest large green area is the Aviators Park located much further than 800 meters from the geometric center of the neighborhoods, which does not correspond to the norms indicated by the WHO as a requirement for accessibility

Distance to the park, population density and spatial barriers

Victor: What do you think would be the most difficult in creating this park?

Peter: The main obstacle is the lack of a holistic, larger vision for recreational areas as a tool for urban renewal and political will. Originally, the idea for the park was viewed positively by city officials and the Urban Greening Authority. However, despite the fact that some piecemeal elements are beginning to come to fruition - for example, the aforementioned reconstruction of the swimming pool on Eisenberg Street or the planned "Olszanski Park" on the initiative of Councilman Karol Kwiatek, who submitted the project to the Civic Budget.

There is also an initiative to make a new section of the Bialucha river boulevards available, as the Pliwa plant intends to give back the urban area along the riverbed, which for several decades was closed between two parts of the plant. It is attractive insofar as there are unique flattenings of the riverbed, allowing for the introduction of wider park facilities and pedestrian and bicycle paths.

Accessibility to landscaped greenery and recreational areas

Victor: Was there public consultation on the creation of this park?

Piotr: We held piecemeal consultations when we were developing the Music Center location study for the Marshal. For the entire section of the park, it would have been very difficult, due to the number of stakeholders. In the case of Grzegórzki, the reception was very positive. Especially since the project is complementary to the initiative to create Grzegórzec Park in the post-military area previously indicated as the site for the Music Center.

The second place where extensive public consultations were held, quite recently, was the Officer's Estate. This was in connection with the "Olszanski Park" project. There were many voices in favor of preserving the naturalistic character of the Bialucha riverbed in this section. This means confirmation of the need for a recreational area on the part of residents.

main spatial barriers and isolating areas

Victor: Let's suppose that the approval of the concept comes about and there would be an approval from political will. Should the city hold a competition to create the park?

Piotr: This is a difficult question, from today's perspective. Four years ago we submitted a finished conceptual design. We think it would be appropriate to gradually implement what we socially proposed as a bottom-up concept. Of course, there is the possibility of launching a competition. I organized a similar competition with the SOS Zablocie collective for the realization of the Vistula Station Park. The competition was international, actually it was a design call . Such a formula is effective, inexpensive and possible to gather a pool of directional ideas, and the detailed solutions are selected through a competition, which is usually the most transparent and effective formula for specifying an idea.

Victor: Thank you for the interview!