In recent days, information began to appear in the Wroclaw media, as if the construction of buildings higher than 6 stories was to be banned in the capital of Lower Silesia. However, the matter is more complicated, and the changes that will come into force are not so spectacular. This is because the city has adopted a draft Resolution on Local Urban Development Standards. What will be its consequences?
The Resolution on Local Urban Development Standards adopted at the 9th session of the Wrocław City Council is basically an amendment to the conditions applicable under the housing speculative law implemented in 2018. The Developer's Lex, as the spec law is colloquially referred to, allows residential developments to take place in areas that are not covered by local development plans or on plots where the plans do not provide for residential development. To avoid urban chaos, however, each such development must be voted on by the City Council and meet a number of requirements - including appropriate height or access to key infrastructure. Often, carrying out construction under the housing speculative law involves developers carrying out accompanying investments in the form of the aforementioned infrastructure.
Student houses Ołówek and Kredka in Wrocław - design: Marian Barski, height: 70 m.
Photo: Ivan-wrc © CC BY-SA 4.0 | Wikimedia Commons
flexible spec
However, the aforementioned requirements are not too exorbitant, which is why many cities introduce resolutions on local urban planning standards that affect the applicability of Lex Developer. Among these cities are Warsaw, Katowice, Krakow, Łódź, Poznań or Szczecin. As a result of the City Council's vote, Wroclaw will also join this group in the near future. What changes did the councilors make to the housing spec?
Local urban planning standards for Wroclaw
The most important restriction from the point of view of density and the silhouette of the city is the reduction of the maximum number of stories of buildings being built under the housing speculative law from 14 to 7. What's more, in order to reach the maximum building height, newly designed buildings must be located at a maximum distance of 250 meters from existing structures of such dimensions. Before the change, the distance was 500 meters.
Other guidelines will also change - the required number of available spaces in nearby schools and the maximum distance from established recreation or leisure areas will increase. Originally, the draft resolution on Local Urban Development Standards in Wroclaw also included a provision on the requirement to provide access to the city's district heating network, but due to its current condition and the emergence of new, more environmentally friendly heating solutions, this point was eventually dropped.
Skyscrapers at Grunwaldzki Square in Wroclaw - designed by Jadwiga Grabowska-Hawrylak, height: 54 m.
Photo: Emptywords © CC BY-SA 4.0 | Wikimedia Commons
better late than never?
Although the draft resolution was passed, the councilors were not unanimous on the issue. Many rightly pointed out that the resolution on local urban planning standards was hastily drafted, and, above all, too late - more than five years have passed since the housing specs law came into effect. For most of that time, the city was not interested in using Lex Developer. In 2023, however, three developments were allowed to be built under the housing spec law. Now the mayor plans to impose restrictions on the use of the new law. They won't be applicable for long, however, because in 15 months, with the end of 2025, the housing speculative law will cease to apply, and a new tool, Integrated Investment Plans, will likely be used in its place. Nevertheless - better late than never, as supporters of the new Resolution said during the session.
Lotos skyscraper in Wroclaw - designed by Kazimierz Bieńkowski and Tadeusz Izbicki, height: 52
photo: Silesiac © CC BY-SA 3.0 | Wikimedia Commons
lex developer in Wroclaw
In Wroclaw, permits have so far been issued for three developments under the housing speculative law. These are Nowy Tarnogaj, a quarter-unit development with the largest building rising 14 stories high (designed by Dziewoński Łukaszewicz Architekci), Wrocławska Stocznia Rzeczna (designed by BBGK Architekci) and Osiedle Komplete Lotnicza 100. The first of the investments raised particular concerns from the local community, which drew attention to the very intense construction traffic in the area, where nearly 3,000 new people are expected to find their homes in the coming years.
Wrocław without skyscrapers? not so fast
Limiting the height of buildings in cities is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it counteracts the "race to the skies," which often changes city skylines in an uncontrolled way. An infamous example of such a metamorphosis may be the two towers that have recently stood in Rzeszow, marking a completely new direction in the spatial development of the city. Some people are pleased with the setting of a new ceiling for Rzeszow's skyline, but the majority of those concerned did not like the change, especially since the buildings were built according to dubious designs that will "enrich" the city's skyline for years.
Olszynki Park in Rzeszow - designed by S.T. Architekci, height: 220 m.
photo: Patryk2710 | © CC BY-SA 4.0 | Wikimedia Commons
The other side of the coin, however, is the phenomenon of urban sprawl, which building upwards partially counteracts. Progressive exurbanization not only contributes to environmental degradation - it generates additional costs for cities and their residents and causes spatial chaos that can take decades to re-regulate. Wroclaw, being the third largest city in Poland in terms of area, is a place particularly susceptible to the phenomenon of exurbanization. Magdalena Millert wrote for us about how life is "in a bagel".
a step towards order
In reality, however, Wroclaw's resolution on local urban standards will primarily affect investments that are being built outside the strict city centers. In this case, it is not only the silhouette of the urban skyline that is important, but also, and perhaps above all, the accessibility to key infrastructure and the density of people living in the area. Although it came at the last minute, the passing of a resolution on local urban planning standards in Wroclaw is an important step toward regulating the city's ongoing investments.
