We must act together. Energy regeneration of cities

Błażej Ciarkowski

16 of August '23

Energy-efficient construction at the Västra Hamnen eco-district in Malmö

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The article is from A&B issue 6|23

An old activist truth states: „think globally, act locally.” In the case of ecology, however, individual choices, however important they may be, are no substitute for global action, involving entire cities, regions, countries. A wooden eco-toothbrush may give us a sense of responsibility for the fate of the world, but it will not save the world.

Architect Winy Maas said that the modern world suffers from „green schizophrenia"—We don't know whether we should do (build) more or less, we can't decide whether cities are "good” or „bad.” Regardless of which option we choose, cities will continue to exist and grow, reaching sizes never before imagined in history. It is therefore indispensable to transform cities, i.e. to pursue appropriate policies that will implement them in a new dimension of managing resources, urban goods (water, energy, space) and achieving social justice. Professor Justyna Martyniuk-Pęczek of the Faculty of Architecture at the Gdańsk University of Technology stresses that "it is no longer possible to think about the city today without also thinking about 'shaping the spatial energy efficiency of the city' that includes technological aspects (e.g., energy generation and exploitation), spatial relations and multifunctionality, as well as changing the lifestyle of residents."

Energy-efficient construction in the Västra Hamnen eco-district in Malmö

Photo: Fredrik Johansson © Malmö Stad

snapped out of lethargy

"The energy crisis cannot be separated from the climate crisis.„—Agnieszka Rzeńca of the Department of Regional Economy and Environment at the Faculty of Economics and Sociology at the University of Łódz stresses. "Urban areas generate most of our energy demand and are where most of the carbon dioxide is produced. The carbon footprint and, more broadly, the ecological footprint of cities, both Polish and European, continues to grow and is greater than the capacity of the urban environment and the resilience to intensifying pressures on that environment.” The scientist warns against a narrow, one-dimensional perception of the energy regeneration problem and reducing it only to a matter of thermal modernization and replacement of installations. It's part of a broad process involving CO2 reduction and neutralization, as well as responsible management of resources—energy, water, waste, space. Saving, reusing resources, materials and products, and reducing pollution is a field of action that starts with households and local communities, business entities, cities and regions.

Polish cities have proven to be unprepared to face any of these challenges. Suddenly, after years of neglect, they have been snapped out of their lethargy and forced to change existing policies. Western European centers such as Munich, where reducing urban sprawl has been written into the long-term development strategy, emphasizing that an energy-efficient city is a compact city, are often set as models. In Västra Hamnen (a Malmö neighborhood boasting the designation of a zero energy district), new development has been shaped to limit the effects of strong cold winds from the Baltic Sea while harnessing solar energy.

Jacek Biskupski, a researcher at the Center for Energy Conversion and Renewable Sources at the Polish Academy of Sciences, admonished during the Second Citizens' Panel, held in Łódz in 2023, to be cautious in comparisons to the aforementioned Malmö: „Łódź is at the same level of planning sophistication in terms of 'decarbonization and greening' as Malmö was in 2005.” A year later, the authorities of the Swedish city outlined an action plan for the next few years (until 2030) and began to systematically implement it. Meanwhile, in Poland, "we are still discussing fundamentals such as the issue of the PLO, while at the same time subsidizing the purchase of coal by citizens."—Biskupski complains.

One of the most interesting domestic projects oriented towards energy efficiency—Miasteczko Siewierz Jeziorna, proj.: AiM Architekci in cooperation with MAU studio

Justyna Martyniuk-Pęczek, who believes that under certain conditions we can create a „second Malmö” in Poland, seems slightly more optimistic. „There has to be a willingness to take on such a challenge (and here we are talking about the willingness of politicians, decision-makers, investors and users) and financial resources,” says the architect.—Decision-makers and the public don't seem to fully realize how pressing the problem is. They limit themselves to the scale of a single building, which we can change to 'more energy efficient' in a few months, but a city is a complex organism that takes decades, maybe even a century, to change."

let's do our part!

Energy transformation requires deep reflection on the functioning of the modern city. The pursuit of carbon (climate) neutrality and attention to environmental issues (such as air quality) must go hand in hand with concern for residents and their needs. Agnieszka Rzeńca cites the words of the mayor of one Polish town, who stated during a meeting on energy transition: ""in my town, if there is a harsh winter, it will either kill us with frost or smog". Such a strong statement showing the seriousness of the situation," he added.—State policies are slipping away from the modern needs and challenges of cities and local communities. The energy system is not prepared for the produced energy from RES from prosumers. Years of neglect in increasing energy efficiency, diversification of energy sources and energy security revealed in the war conditions in Ukraine have hit households, business entities and entire cities with redoubled force."

Adaptation of cities to climate change includes actions at different scales; pictured is the implementation of blue-green infrastructure (BZI) on a large scale—the Borki reservoir in Radom

Photo: Sebastian Szklarek © University of Lodz

She is echoed by Jacek Biskupski, who describes the current law on renewable energy sources directly as abysmal and stresses the need for changes at the central level. „Increasing the public participation of RES is a topic for the Sejm, not the city council,” he says. However, this does not mean, according to the expert, that we should wait idly for new (better?) laws. „Let's do our own thing, but don't count on the situation changing quickly and multi-year plans like in Malmö can be made (and implemented!),” he says.—she says, adding that today the most important thing is education and the dispelling of harmful myths, such as those that dictate that hope should be pinned on nuclear power plants.

Agnieszka Rzeńca sees the potential for action at the local level. "We are doing a lot, but the dynamics of change are still too small. One of the reasons is the lack of knowledge about innovative solutions and the possibility of implementing them, as well as the appropriate staff, not enough people who are aware that the city needs to be looked at differently. It is crucial to take a comprehensive look at the functioning of the city under conditions of uncertainty and risk (energy poverty, blackout, meteorological threats such as heat waves, torrential rains), where investment and planning activities will be complemented byactivities involving the city's residents and users (including business entities) in active efforts to improve the quality of the urban environment—saving energy, reducing individual transportation, reducing waste production and segregation."

A small BZI in Radom—a blue-green bicycle shelter by the Radom Sports Center

sensitive to greenery

Actions at the local level produce tangible results that residents interact with on a daily basis. Green walls and roofs, rain gardens or new plantings not only improve the quality of the environment. They also aid rainwater retention, level the urban heat island and (to some extent) absorb pollution. Of course, it should be remembered that for a tree to be effective, it should grow for fifty years or so, and any explanation about compensating for cuttings with new plantings should be treated as a PR stunt rather than a solution to a real problem. Fortunately, public awareness of this issue is consistently growing, which is partly the result of micro-level activities. Although, as Agnieszka Rzeńca points out, they are no substitute for a comprehensive city policy, especially in terms of urban planning, „Eco-innovative solutions in the city, i.e. community gardens, flower meadows, rainwater collection and management, play a great educational role and sensitize the public.” It is important that these initiatives are recognized and continued on a wider scale by local authorities, especially in the process of effective management of green spaces, through their maintenance, protection and care.

A small BZI in Radom—rain garden implemented at Public Kindergarten No. 11

The results of the activities are visible to the naked eye. Residents are increasingly paying attention to urban problems and getting involved in solving them. This was confirmed by the 2nd Lodz Civic Panel (https://uml.lodz.pl/panel-obywatelski/ii-lodzki-panel-obywatelski/), during which panelists, stakeholders and experts jointly sought answers to the question of how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the city. Four thematic areas: energy, construction, transportation and closed-loop economy, were discussed and recommendations for the mayor were developed. Many of the recommendations are part of the city's comprehensive regeneration process. One of these included revitalization processes to be carried out in the spirit of zero-carbon. In addition to the protection of cultural heritage and its restoration, as well as social activities, a plan to improve their energy efficiency and „greening” was outlined. It should be mentioned that in Gdynia, too, the authorities have taken measures „in response to climate change and aimed at reducing its impact on the city.” This is how Mayor Wojciech Szczurek described the genesis of the „CLIMATE Center” project in 2020. The effects, so far, do not impress, but the very fact that local authorities (listening to the voice of society) are paying attention to the problem of the climate and energy crisis is noteworthy.

Similar examples of city activism and ongoing projects aimed at transforming cities and adapting them to climate change can be multiplied: Zero Emission Krakow, Zero Emission Plonsk, Radom Klima. The last of these is particularly noteworthy, as under the project created jointly with external experts, the Radom authorities have begun to create an urban space with increased resilience to climate change through the development of green and blue infrastructure and the implementation of demonstration solutions based on the ecosystem approach (https://life.radom.pl/pl/).

The revitalization of downtown buildings in Lodz is also expected to include its energy regeneration—pictured is the courtyard of a revitalized tenement at 142 Piotrkowska Street

urban planning at the threshold of change

One of the most interesting domestic projects oriented towards energy efficiency is the Siewierz Jeziorna Township, where both at the level of urban planning and the selection of specific architectural and material solutions, the aim was to reduce energy consumption and lower CO2 emissions. Despite this, a complete transition to RES has not been decided, and the considerable distance from the center and the absence, at this point, of most urban functions, condemn residents to the use of individual means of transportation.

Seestadt Aspern eco-district located on the outskirts of Vienna

Justyna Martyniuk-Pęczek stresses that „shaping the spatial energy efficiency of a city should not be considered only as thinking about urban planning in the context of energy generation and exploitation. It is simply looking at the global challenge of creating sustainable cities from a different angle.” While urban design based on sustainability principles can be applied to new developments, can one „fix” existing urban complexes that were designed and built at a time when no one was thinking about lowering CO2 emissions and reducing energy consumption? „The idea is not to create cities by building new urban complexes that consume resources and generate CO2 emissions (the construction sector is responsible for about 38 percent of carbon emissions). After all, we have neighborhoods and settlements with already existing social and transportation infrastructure,” Martyniuk-Pęczek adds.—All we need to do is make sure that we introduce the right technology (including networks) and multifunctionality, including places for recreation, services and work, and take care of public transportation—convenient connections to other parts of the city."

Transportation in cities is an issue that experts have been highlighting for years. What's the point of eco-buses, which our local governments boast about, if at the same time they eliminate more lines and connections, condemning residents to depend on cars? Even ambitious assumptions, such as Siewierz Jeziorna, lose a lot due to the lack of an adequately developed public transportation network. Not surprisingly, many people put an equal sign between an energy-efficient city and a compact city, and are unequivocally negative about urban sprawl. Justyna Martyniuk-Pęczek, who conducts research on edge cities, warns against categorical assessments. "I do not think that Polish suburbs are a complete evil. Polish suburbs have some potential due to the location of small and medium-sized enterprises. They are mostly jobs and services. Of course, they lack spatial order, but there is a certain chance that multifunctional neighborhoods will be created on this basis. In the future, cities may be a certain constellation—a network of neighborhoods that work together. Most of the eco-districts that were created as 'urban laboratories' and today are set as models are located in the suburbs (BedZED, London; SolarCity, Linz; Seestadt Aspern, Vienna)."

Seestadt Aspern eco-district located on the outskirts of Vienna

Experts agree—we are standing at the threshold of great changes. They require strenuous efforts from everyone—designers, users, city authorities. "We can try to adapt to the challenges of the energy transition, or we can continue on the familiar path.... The choice, unfortunately, is not up to the individual, we must act together."—Justyna Martyniuk-Pęczek concludes.