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The centers of large cities are attractive places not only to work, but also to live. Free access to the city's infrastructure ensures comfortable day-to-day functioning there. Unfortunately, dense development - typical of the center - limits the possibility of building new units, both commercial and residential. According to architects and urban planners, revitalizations of historic tenements and superstructures are an effective solution to this problem. Still, one gets the impression that the potential of existing buildings remains untapped.
The city center attracts like a magnet. Young people are tempted by the proximity of urban attractions. Fashionable restaurants, movie theaters or popular museums are within easy reach here. Meeting friends then does not require a time-consuming commute, and a lunch outing does not turn into a breakneck expedition. Older residents, on the other hand, praise the proximity of the city's infrastructure and the multitude of green areas they can use when seeking relaxation. But that's not all. For a long time, downtown presence has also been accompanied by prestige, which is also appreciated by entrepreneurs. The business environment in the form of nearby government offices or financial institutions makes it easier to conduct business on a daily basis. All this contributes to the perception of the urban center as an attractive and desirable place, regardless of age, social status or occupation.
Revitalization in the city center - in search of an ideal living space
Photo: Justyn Oboladze
The attractive "face" of downtown
In 2017, the Statistical Office in Warsaw published a ranking assessing the attractiveness of the capital's various districts. How did Śródmieście fare in it? As expected, it was in the lead, placing second, just behind Wilanów. Among other things, it was appreciated for having the best availability of stores and clinics in the capital, friendliness to business and a significant amount of recreational and leisure areas. All this builds a sense of comfortable living, which for many people is a fundamental value when they are looking for a place to live.
Besides, the advantages of Downtown from the perspective of everyday life are confirmed by its residents themselves.
"What I appreciate about Downtown is the location of my apartment close to important points of the city and the ability to get around on foot. I focus on mobility and easy access to the various places and attractions that this part of the capital offers. What I mean here is, above all, access to cultural institutions, as well as a substitute for urban planning, which is lacking in most of the city," stresses Dr. Joanna Jurga, lecturer, researcher, neuroarchitect and owner of an apartment in a tenement in the center of Warsaw.
Revitalization in the city center - in search of an ideal living space
Photo: Justyn Oboladze
High population density, but...
The attractiveness of Warsaw's Downtown area means that its population density remains high. In fact, this is confirmed by statistics. Reaching for "Statistical Review" No. 3/2023, published by the Statistical Office in Warsaw, one can read that the population density of Śródmieście in 2023 (as of June 30) fluctuated between 5433-6876 people per 1 km2. This is a lot, or even a lot, considering that the population rate for the entire city at that time was 3599 people per 1 km2.
Unfortunately, this is overlaid by a negative trend - in June 2023, Downtown recorded the highest population decline among Warsaw's districts - as much as 1.8%. Why is this happening? Why is a neighborhood widely considered attractive starting to slowly empty? One answer provides... demographics. In the past year, Downtown led the way in death statistics, but also in negative natural growth, which undeniably indicates the progressive aging of the district's population.
However, this is not the only reason for the emptying of Downtown and the choice of other Warsaw neighborhoods as a place to live. Equally important are finances. It is no secret that the center of the capital has for years been the undisputed leader in the listings of prices per square meter of offered apartments. Unfortunately, year after year, prices in this location are rising, scaring off potential buyers. According to SonarHome.pl, a company specializing in real estate appraisals, in March 2024, the price of 1 square meter here was PLN 20,950, which is PLN 5310 higher than the average price in the entire city. This trend is not helped by the limited number of available apartments.
What is behind these numbers? First of all - people, with their life choices, dilemmas and plans for the future. People who are looking for their place in the city and the Downtown are beginning not to find it.
Revitalization in the city center - in search of an ideal living space
Photo: Justyn Oboladze
More residents, less... premises
The above-average population density of Downtown is a fact of life. Unfortunately, it has led to a situation in which the gap between the availability of premises and the needs of residents is increasingly apparent. Initially an overlooked phenomenon, it is now becoming a problem. After all, how to reconcile the growing housing needs with the limited availability of units?
To build? Unfortunately, the scarce availability of development sites in the center severely limits the possibility of new construction. In 2015, according to the "Ranking of Warsaw's districts in terms of attractiveness of living conditions," more than 93% of the Downtown area was occupied by developed and urbanized land.
Architects and urban planners have been looking for an effective solution for years, especially since the problem affects not only Warsaw, but also other European cities. In their opinion, it might be a good idea to densify existing buildings. Superstructures and revitalizations of buildings are able to provide the missing usable space, both in terms of residential and commercial units. Moreover, they will not only solve housing problems, but also introduce greater spatial order, integrating old and new architecture.
"Building in city centers, as opposed to sprawling suburbs, takes advantage of the existing infrastructure and, moreover, shapes the urban fabric based on the universal canon of streets, squares and development quarters. Supplementing frontages with new plats or superstructures of existing townhouses is a great trend that offers great opportunities. Good space is conducive to habitation," assesses Tomasz Konior, a well-known architect and urban planner.
By the way, it is worth adding that the appearance of new premises in the Downtown space, being the result of revitalization processes or the performance of superstructures, should also influence the inhibition of the "desertification" of the city center due to high housing prices. The increased supply of apartments will create conditions for greater competitiveness, which in turn will slow down the rate of price increases.
Revitalization in the city center - in search of an ideal living space
Photo: Justyn Oboladze
Untapped potential of historic tenements
A sizable portion of the existing buildings in the Downtown are pre-war buildings. There is no shortage of historic tenements among them, important from the perspective of the city's history and forming its material legacy. Unfortunately, the condition of many of them is deplorable.
Obstacles hindering renovation sometimes vary. Sometimes these are administrative difficulties (especially onerous in the case of buildings entered in the register of historic monuments), at other times renovation work is prevented by the claims of former, expropriated owners. Mention should also be made of costs, which, although mentioned at the end, are sometimes decisive. Neither local governments nor housing communities can often afford to conduct costly renovation work.
Revitalization in the city center - in search of an ideal living space
Photo: Justyn Oboladze
Fortunately, the potential hidden in historic buildings is increasingly being recognized by municipal authorities. One of the strategic goals, enshrined in the "Microprogram for Revitalization of the Downtown District of the City of Warsaw," is: "Rescue and development of historic buildings." Within the framework of this program, in the 21st century, on the initiative of the Warsaw local government, it was possible to carry out several significant renovations of historic buildings located in Downtown. Among them were the so-called "artistic tenement" at 11 Foksal Street, the tenements at 6/8 and 6/8A Brzozowa Street and the tenement at 10 Krakowskie Przedmieście Street. Importantly, in addition to the City of Warsaw, there were also external beneficiaries. For example, the initiator of the revitalization of the "Dom Gaya" tenement at 28/30 Bednarska Street was Caritas Archdiocese of Warsaw.
Architects, urban planners and conservators emphasize the positive impact of revitalization processes on urban space, despite the awareness that the cost of restoring a historic tenement is higher than erecting a new building in that place. Nevertheless, the overriding value in this case is to save the unique historical heritage.
As Dr. Joanna Jurga notes: "It's not only places to live, but above all surviving testimonies of history that deserve our attention and care. I live in a remarkable tenement that survived both wars. It is from the late 19th century, so it took me three months just to restore the floor, because the original one was hidden under panels. I also took care of the historic woodwork and stucco. After all, these are testimonies of history that can be incorporated into even very modern interiors. Unfortunately, respect for apartments in tenements is often overshadowed by modern trends. When observing the widespread tearing off of old parquet floors, hidden under layers of modernity, I can't help feeling that we are losing something extremely valuable. Such apartments are not just a collection of old walls or outdated installations. They are archives that store the history and memories of more than one generation."
Revitalization in the city center - in search of an ideal living space
Photo: Justyn Oboladze
Revitalization - an opportunity for the development of modern cities
Architects and urban planners emphasize the need for sustainable urban development to reconcile spatial order with the social needs of residents. They call for limiting suburbanization - the migration of people from city centers to their periphery, as well as opposing the "urban desertification" of these areas, i.e. the progressive aging of residents and deterioration of their quality of life. These processes - exacerbated by the poor technical condition of buildings and years of neglect - also affect Warsaw's Downtown. It is revitalization that is considered by specialists to be one of the most effective ways of solving contemporary urban problems.
"I support the direction taken by cities such as Amsterdam and New York, where more and more vacant buildings in the center, including industrial buildings, are being converted to residential use. In Downtown, in addition to making better use of existing residential buildings, it is also important to create new green spaces, such as parks. By this I mean "pocket" parks, which can be created even on individual plots of land. Downtown lacks space for large park assumptions, so every cm2 of greenery is at a premium. It is also necessary to thoughtfully structure the urban fabric, to restore the role of urban planners, and to make wise investments in the form of plots and superstructures that will fit harmoniously into existing buildings. It is worth mentioning here the concern for the protection of places of special importance, such as Jazdów". - assesses Dr. Joanna Jurga.
As part of the aforementioned revitalization program for the city center, several areas requiring the fastest possible action have already been identified. Among them was the area adjacent to Nowy Świat Street - with such streets as Foksal, Chmielna, Kopernika, Ordynacka, Okólnik and Galczynski. The program's authors drew attention in particular to the multitude of buildings of exceptional architectural value existing in this part of the city. At the same time, they suggested starting renovation work as soon as possible, so that they would not soon become a construction hazard.
Of course, revitalizations are a major challenge both in terms of construction and architecture. But the revitalization processes carried out in many Western European cities, such as Vienna and London, for example, show that it is possible to successfully combine modern designs with the historic urban fabric, creating a new architectural quality. What's more, in practice, their effect goes far beyond saving the time-bitten "brick witnesses of the past," bringing degraded parts of the city back to life.
Fitting a new development into an old architectural fabric is always a major challenge. On the one hand, it requires a good knowledge of the context of the surroundings, on the other hand, humility on the part of contemporary designers. It is important not to imitate historical buildings, because this - in addition to the questionable quality of the architecture - can also be perceived as a kind of "adulteration" of the landscape. The right solution is always to follow the dimensions and general articulation of the surrounding buildings, but using a contemporary architectural language. Of course, there can also be completely individual projects, bearing the hallmarks of old architecture, but these already require a great deal of skill, often courage and always long discussions with conservators," concludes Michal Krasucki, director of the Office of the Capital City Conservator of Monuments.
Revitalization in the city center - in search of an ideal living space
Photo: Justyn Oboladze
Downtown is home to many buildings in need of major renovation. Activities to date show that the local government has recognized the problem posed by tenements in need of quick renovation, but also the potential inherent in them. Unfortunately, financial constraints and, in many cases, still unresolved ownership issues are seriously hampering the city government's efforts. In this situation, it seems necessary to involve private investors more in the revitalization process. It should be remembered that this is an investment in the future, which shapes not only the physical space, but above all the image of Warsaw as a dynamic, modern metropolis, where progress can go hand in hand with the preservation of authenticity and identity.
Revitalization in the city center - in search of an ideal living space
Photo credit: Justyn Oboladze
