The term concretosis has made a dizzying career in Poland, on a par with terms such as "jug" and "śpiulkolot." Today it is no longer necessary to explain to anyone what the concreting of public spaces often cursorily called "revitalization" consists in. We have prepared for you an overview of the most pathological examples of concretization.
Kutno
The train station in Kutno, shrouded in legend from a song by the band Kult, where eyes were supposed to burst from the dirt and ugliness, cannot compare to another exceptional project in the city. Kutno's Freedom Square, an investment costing 34 million zlotys, is an exceptionally ugly combination of concrete, an above-ground parking lot and a space that no one wants to use.
Kutno
Photo: Kutno Streets and Bicycle Paths
Zywiec
Moving to another Polish city, we can observe a unique panacea for all the problems with the pathology of concrete. In Zywiec, once all the trees were cut down, it was noticed that shade was important after all. You don't have to tear up the concrete right away - you can, for example, put up flower pots and call it a "relaxation zone."
Zywiec
© Zywiec City Hall
Cieszyn
A few months ago there was a lot of buzz about the work on the reconstruction of Cieszyn's market square. This project, was quickly recognized as another pathological example of the disease called concretosis. Cieszyn, however, quickly found defenders who pointed out that not all concrete is pathological. The judgment is worth leaving to one's own conscience.
Cieszyn
© City Hall Cieszyn
Zakliczyn
A model example of concretosis remains what happened in Zakliczyn. In a small, gently degraded market square, it was decided to remove even a small square of greenery. In return, residents got even more concrete, cut by a provincial road.
Zakliczyn
© Zakliczyn Town Hall
positive case - Klobuck
Fortunately, there are more and more positive de-concretions in Poland. Greenery is coming to Dabrowski Square in Lodz or Solidarity Square in Szczecin. Such phenomena are worth fighting from the bottom up - involving the local community. Such a solution was the creation of a special team for greening in Klobuck, consisting of a diverse group, which evaluated urban actions while auditing city activities.
Klobuck
© Klobuck Town Hall
