This has not been done before. A nationwide campaign for urban planning was organized by the Ministry of Development and Technology. The little-visible but very important campaign under the slogan "My Place" deserves to be promoted as widely as possible.
The campaign accompanies work on sweeping changes to the Land Use Law, which has been underway since this spring. It is also a step toward building general planning awareness. On its website, the Ministry explains that its goal is to:
To make the public aware of the importance of rational spatial management and the impact we can have on shaping the character of our neighborhoods. Spatial planning not only affects everyone's quality of life, but also the overall cost of meeting current needs.
meaningful guidance
Through what channels and methods does the ministry want to convince Poles? First of all, a ministerial website has been launched, available at the communicative link mojemiejsce.gov.pl. Very rarely, but one can also find posters placed in public spaces - on citylights or advertising poles. The slogan encourages: "Wise space planning. Find out what you can influence in your neighborhood."
What can be found on the campaign's website? At the forefront are practical tips telling what to pay attention to when choosing a place to live. The authors emphasize issues related to transportation accessibility, the quality of the neighborhood (the presence of services, schools, recreational areas, parks) and the cost of living. The role of local plans and the need to check their provisions is clearly emphasized.
The message clearly points out the unfavorable phenomenon of urban sprawl, which is not surprising - the campaign was organized as part of the project "New urbanization model in Poland - practical implementation of the principles of responsible urbanization and the compact city (NewUrbPact)," which is the work of a consortium: the Ministry of Development and Technology (the project leader), the Institute for Urban and Regional Development and Lazarski University.
video for planning
A very communicative element of the action are videos posted on YouTube, which show in simple terms the importance of urban planning and how to plan the choice of a new place to live. There is even a "plan your move" subpage on the action's online site, by the way. Other sub-pages are also available. Material under the heading "why we should plan space" refers to explanations that convince the average viewer, such as "spatial chaos generates costs." Also mentioned, fortunately, is the phenomenon of biodiversity disappearance, far from ad hoc economics.
Infographics accompanying the "My Place" campaign
source: www.mojemiejsce.gov.pl
Other tabs also provide users with an accessible compendium of what a local plan is, who prepares it, consults on it, approves it, etc. There is also information about the law changes currently being prepared and their benefits. Importantly, the campaign doesn't sugarcoat the status quo, presenting the current situation critically. It also appeals to public sensitivity:
The campaign also aims to raise awareness that every citizen can actively participate in the urban planning process. Investment decisions that may affect space, the daily lives of other users, as well as nature and monuments - this is our shared responsibility.
a little-visible step
The campaign is certainly a step in the right direction, although it is not difficult to see that many recent measures that dismantle the planning and building system (for example, houses without building permits) contradict the rightful message of the campaign. The failure of government housing support programs also does not make it easier for Poles to make a rational housing decision. The MRiT's actions should also be much more visible. It would be great if, for example, the very intense campaigns blaming energy price hikes on the European Union and on Russia were replaced by equally numerous and much more constructive messages from the Ministry of Development and Technology.
