We publish more student works selected in the preselection in the competition for press reportage on architecture. We invite you to read the text by Marta Stróżczyńska entitled. "Revitalization of urban areas in the context of sustainable spatial development".
Marta Stróżczyńska - a student of Architecture at the Poznan University of Technology. She is currently writing her master's thesis on the revitalization of downtown Poznań and accessible housing. Recently, together with Natalia Steblewska, she received an honorable mention at the PLGBC Green Building Awards 2019 for her project Synergic Coffee Roasters.
Urban revitalization in the context of sustainable spatial development
A city is a structure of interconnected vessels. Interference in one part of it results in changes or transformations in adjacent spaces. The areas determining these changes are public space, the role and importance of which have changed significantly over the centuries. It has constituted space, whether sacred, commercial or recreational. Over time, this space ceased to meet the requirements of the community of the time and changed.
Today's cities are faced with carving out new areas of public spaces and giving them a character that reflects the modern way of life. The biggest challenge is to cope with abandoned post-industrial areas and the emigration of people from city centers to the suburbs. In the face of these problems, revitalization is needed to resurrect the depopulated space. To do this, it is necessary to keep spatial sustainability in mind and take a closer look at the aspects that this revitalization will touch.
spatial sustainability
economic aspect
Important in the revitalization process is the identification of functions that will meet the economic needs of the city. Downtown areas are spaces that in recent years have relied primarily on service development. As a result, this has led to significant development density, the extinction of green spaces and the chaotic growth of the city's urban grid. An additional element contributing to the decline of downtown spaces is degraded brownfield sites, which were once built precisely in or adjacent to city centers. Some cities, such as Lodz and Detroit, for example, based their entire economies precisely on these areas, which went bankrupt or in decline with the development of civilization. Decommissioning of factories was associated with layoffs of workers, lack of cash flow to the city, desertion of large areas of factories, development of pathologies in post-industrial areas and, as a result, emigration of people to other localities. When determining the new functions of revitalized areas, it is therefore necessary not only to adapt the functions to the current needs of the community, but also to ensure their diversity and that they do not dominate the spatial layout and economy of the city. It is equally important to make a forecast of future socio-economictrends and include in the plans being developed the possibility of further development or change of a given function of the revitalized areas. If changes occur, this will allow the already non-functional space to be adapted to new challenges more quickly and efficiently.
economic aspect
A common difficulty in shaping a new vision for downtown areas is meeting financial challenges. These are often areas in decline or already degraded. Cities in this situation are usually in debt and do not have sufficient financial resources to rebuild their public spaces, so decisions to revitalize them must be accurate and effective. Even with external funding, there is little margin for error in drawing up the strategy. Actions taken result in changes for years to come. The new vision for the city should ensure its self-sufficiency and liquidity. The investments made are supposed to generate income and help lead the city or the area out of crisis. In many cases, in bringing about the renewal of a dilapidated space, the goal is to attract new users to the area who will contribute to the city budget. However, there are cases where this is not possible, and the most important action is to keep the population that still remains there in the area. This is done by developing a so-called magnet, a project that will attract or keep people with it. New investments, however, involve many costs not only at the construction stage, but also at the stage of exploitation of the area. Localities with very low profitability, despite meeting the needs of residents, may not be able to cope with maintaining the revitalized space.
Thecity of Detroit was in such a situation. Once the largest city in the state of Michigan famous for its auto industry and music label. Today it is a city of unemployment, pathology and high crime. After the closure of the existing factories, the city went bankrupt, contributing to a population reduction of about 60 percent, spreading pathology, crime and drug abuse. The city has a lot of neglected land and plenty of empty or unused lots. Due to a lack of funds, the city has opted for a gradual cleanup of abandoned land instead of proposing showy investments. Green parks and squares are being planned and planted on the vast, dilapidated plots. Places that are close to human nature and that, properly designed, eliminate pathological behavior. Only buildings that are particularly historically or culturally important are left in these areas. Over the past few years, the prices of abandoned properties in this city have fallen dramatically. As a result, the city is slowly becoming an avant-garde and attractive place for private investment. Abandoned factories are being taken over by private individuals for a small price, thus reducing the costs associated with spin-offs. Despite the prospect of many more years of revitalization, this gives hope for the city's rebirth and restoration to its glory years.
