One of the more important city projects is the repaving of the Stary Rynek square. The town has budgeted PLN 92 mln for this purpose but has not found a contractor. Raising the budget has not been ruled out. “We are looking for a contractor for this project. Right now another tender procedure is in progress to select a contractor. If we can do this within our budget, we will do everything to complete the project by 2023,” the mayor of Poznań assures us. “The construction of the Grunwaldzka integrated communication hub is another important project for the city with a budget of PLN 95 mln. Construction work is to start in the spring of 2022, once the contractor has prepared all of the necessary design documentation and the necessary permits have been awarded,” declares the Poznań official.

Billions to (not) flow

Poznań is also playing its part with climate change policy which should have a direct effect on the quality of life in the city.  “We intend to budget PLN 2 bln for investing in retention lakes,” says mayor Jaśkowiak. The policy of the city in this respect is to maximise the retention of rain and meltwater in the place it is produced and to only lead it away to drainage canals and later to the river Warta when no method can be found to allow the soil to absorb the moisture. This could be for such reasons as the management of the space, the height of the land, the groundwater conditions or due to other hindrances. To focus these types of activities within a single unit, Aquanet Retention was formed in 2021 to deal with the question of rainwater management. The city company is to apply for outside financing for the necessary investment in rainwater retention.

Fostering business

In Poznań, they are also thinking of bringing light production back to the centre making use of the latest technology without the need for heavy vehicles. “The idea is to allow production to be an element that co-exists with residences in the form of small production centres for regional specialities, luxury or specialist goods, handmade works of art, production facilities with 3D printing etc. Changes in technology are encouraging a return of a large part of production and services to the centre of the town. This will greatly limit personal transport and the unnecessary sprawl of city infrastructure,” points out the Poznań official.

Big business can also count on good conditions for growth. “The largest employers are Volkswagen (around 6,000 people), Bridgestone (around 2,000) and Allegro, a company that is growing fast. We want Poznań to be a place with varied employment opportunities. Not everyone can find work in modern shared service centres, knows three foreign languages or is an IT specialist. What’s important for us is to have attractive workplaces for society at large.

New landmarks in Poznań to arise

The changes will not just affect the Malta area. Poznań’s city hall is aiming to create a city of short distances with local service centres to meet everyday needs and provide work for residents. By creating service points including community centres, retail centres, recreation facilities and health centres all serving particular districts, local businesses will be supported and residents will not have to travel to far-off, large-scale centres and as a result will not have to travel unnecessarily, chich they often do by car. “For us, our models are Paris and Copenhagen – We want to encourage people to use their legs for making their way around the city. This is part of our 15-minute city plan. For this, we are concentrating on developing public transport and also on placing retail within each district including on those sites where former industrial buildings stand that the city conservation office has ordered be conserved and renovated. These include the ZNTK buildings (Wolne Tory), the Stara  Rzeźnia, and the terminal on ul. Gajowa,” says the mayor. As part of this concept, local service centres are to be supplemented with the creation of high-quality public spaces, such as squares, meeting places, rest and recreation areas for different segments of society (outdoor gyms, playgrounds, skateparks etc.) As part of this programme and as a result of this urban investment, new landmarks are to be created in Poznań.   “These will include, for example, the Stara Rzeźnia conversion by Vastint, a centre that will be even more interesting than Stary Browar, and an Orfea investment project to renovate the former hospital on ul. Szkolna. Both projects will take on new importance when the city modernises the Stary Rynek square,” declares mayor Jaśkowiak.