Can good quality space be created with the participation of the private sector? Where to get money for it, and how to bring investors and the urban community into dialogue? These and many other topics were discussed at the first URBAN FORUM, held on June 25, 2024 at Krakow's Klub pod Jaszczurami.
first URBAN FORUM
"Let's talk about specifics"- was thethought behind the first URBAN FORUM, held under the slogan "Economic and spatial development of the city and housing issues." We would like to remind you that the URBAN FORUM is an item of the Pact for Krakow Spaces, a document whose existence was initiated by Malgorzata Tomczak, editor-in-chief of Architektura & Biznes, and which, within a few months of its inauguration, was signed by a significant group of signatories, including Krakow Mayor Aleksander Miszalski, I. Deputy Mayor of the City of Krakow Prof. Stanislaw Mazur, chancellors of Krakow universities, architects or people associated with developer and non-governmental organizations such as SARP, TUP and OEES. One of the pact's goals became the establishment of the URBAN FORUM, a meeting place acting as a platform for dialogue and cooperation between various stakeholders in urban development. How did the first URBAN FORUM turn out in practice?
A discussion seeking a solution to the problem of poor quality of space was held at Krakow's Klub pod Jaszczurami. The meeting was moderated by Malgorzata Tomczak, and presentations were made by Bartlomiej Kisielewski of Horizone Studio, Wojciech Kotecki of BBGK Architects, Tomasz Dabrowski of MGDF, a company that raises funds from EU projects, and Lukasz Kumecki, president of the TYTANO Foundation. The summary of the meeting belonged to Prof. Stanislaw Mazur, 1st Deputy Mayor of the City of Krakow.
Urban Forum: Economic and spatial development of the city and housing issues - From left: Deputy Mayor of Krakow Prof. Stanisław Mazur, Łukasz Kumecki, Tomasz Dąbrowski, Bartłomiej Kisielewski, Wojciech Kotecki, Małgorzata Tomczak
Photo: Przemysław Ciępka
The issues raised during the URBAN FORUM were important primarily because the coming time will be marked by far-reaching changes in Krakow - for the residential investment boom is still underway, new authorities have appeared in the city, the General Plan is being developed, and developers and the city have both new legal instruments, such as the ZPI, and the lex deweloper, or housing specs law, which is still in force. That the URBAN FORUM is a space for discussion for all those interested in the development of Krakow was palpable towards its end, when it was the audience gathered at the Klub pod Jaszczurami that heated up the discussion. However, in order to actually talk about specifics, the subject of the debate had to be well defined in the first place.
good space
So the discussion began with the basic issue - Bartlomiej Kisielewski, representing the Horizone Studio design office, showed and explained what good quality space is. It is primarily about multifunctional spaces, created with respect for the local context and at the right scale. A good space is one that abounds in greenery and small architecture - there were many examples of this type of realization, as we talked about the revitalization of Warsaw's Powiśle power plant, the Vistula Brewery or Lodz's Fusion located on the site of the former Scheibler power plant complex. In Krakow, too, we need new investments that will create quality space - as it turned out during the URBAN FORUM and presented on the map - there is quite a lot of land to develop in the city.
Urban Forum: Economic and spatial development of the city and housing issues - Map of Krakow land still waiting to be developed
© Bartłomiej Kisielewski
lex developer in practice
In order for good quality space to actually appear on still undeveloped land, proper legal mechanisms are needed - we learned about how the lex developer procedure works in Warsaw from a presentation by Wojciech Kotecki of BBGK Architekci. There was talk about the concept of the Warsaw Residential District, ways of participation of the local community in the process of development under lex developer, and specific examples of the use of the new legal tools. Despite the fact that the procedure is much more complicated than, for example, a GMP, there are significant benefits from its use - thanks to lex deweloper or ZPI, not only apartments are created within new developments, but also complementary investments that add value to the projects.
Where does the money come from?
Tomasz Dabrowski, a specialist in obtaining EU funds, pointed out that the ZPI procedure and the income in the city coffers generated by it can be used as an own contribution to various EU projects.
Urban Forum: Economic and spatial development of the city and housing issues - From left: Bartłomiej Kisielewski, Wojciech Kotecki, Małgorzata Tomczak
Photo: Anna Kociucka
community participation
The URBAN FORUM discussion also included the voice of the social side, represented by Łukasz Kumecki, president of the Tytano Foundation, well known to Cracovians, which shows that the social side also wants to participate in the debate on the quality of space in Cracow and cannot be left out of these discussions.
The audience also actively participated in the URBAN FORUM - attention was paid to various aspects of the dialogue around newly created investments. The discussion, which began with a question about the financing of public consultations, very quickly turned into a debate and an exchange of opinions on the difficulties that already arise during such consultations. The lack of understanding between developers, the city and the public side, and the need for a platform where communication between the parties can take place transparently, were the main demands pointed out by voices from the audience.
voice from the City
A representative of the new authority, 1st Deputy Mayor of the City of Krakow Prof. Stanislaw Mazur summed up the meeting by recalling the four basic criteria that guide the local government when implementing urban policy - these are democratization, participation, aesthetics and quality. The mayor paid particular attention to the first of these, pointing to the need to organize discussions on new investments. Declarations were also made regarding specific actions - the assurance of work already underway to adapt the MIP procedure to the conditions in Krakow resounded here above all.
conclusions for the future
The conclusions from the meeting are simple - proper communication and consideration of the needs of all parties: social, municipal and investor, is a prerequisite for the creation of good space in Krakow. Therefore, in light of these conclusions, we should see the success of the first URBAN FORUM, which, as intended, became a platform for the exchange of opinions between the above-mentioned communities. The next URBAN FORUM will be held in the autumn.
