Background

Gorzów Wielkopolski, a city of approximately 125,000 residents, is situated in a very picturesque area of northwest Poland, about 130km from Berlin and 80km from Frankfurt. Located on the hills by the Warta River, and surrounded by forests and beautiful lakes, the city is also called the City of Parks and Gardens. Gorzów is an important administrative, social, economic and cultural centre in the region, and the seat of Lubuski voivode.

Objectives

The Future City Game focused on one of the main streets in Gorzów - Boleslawa Chrobrego - a pedestrian zone, with an old tram line. The game brought together residents, architects, urban planners, sociologists, city council representatives, artists, designers and students, who searched for ideas to revive and develop this promenade. The ideas generated during the game were realistic, and possible to implement. City representatives were impressed and enthused by the game and the interesting ideas that it generated. Gorzow has just started working on a brand strategy, and the city authorities expressed their interest in further co-operation with the players. Not just using ideas from the game, but also consulting the players on upcoming changes in Gorzow.

The game was co-organised by Gorzów City Council and the Higher School of Business (Wyzsza Szkola Biznesu w Gorzowie Wlkp.). Once again, the Polish national magazine on architecture and design, 'Architektura', was the game's media patron.

Winning idea

The Green Axis (Zielona Os)

The winning team took a holistic approach by taking into account not only the well-being of residents, but also the cultural specifics of the ethnic communities, responsibility to the environment, etc. The idea transforms the walls of individual buildings into green walls, vertical green spaces, which would be biologically and aesthetically active. The current tram-line would be transformed into a green canyon - a green space hiding the tram-line in a lawn. Unused and neglected spaces along Chrobrego Street could be transformed into recreational squares and theme playgrounds, designed by taking into consideration the presence of local communities and ethnic minorities. The idea also supports local artists by encouraging the development of small galleries and cafes along the street.
 

Winning ideas from the other teams

Modern Retro (Nowoczesne retro)

Chrobrego Street is a natural meeting place, a public space that should be lively, and where one should find several interesting venues, activities, and events. To improve the offer, attract more visitors, and transform the street into a more vibrant area, the city should attract young art creators and entrepreneurs to the area by transforming the area into a friendly environment for opening cafes, galleries, spaces for public exhibitions, etc.

Chrobrego Today and Tomorrow (Chrobrego dzis i jutro)

How can the old be combined with modern architecture and, at the same time, satisfy residents’ needs? The idea proposes the reconstruction of the tram-line by removing the metal railings and diversifying the surface of the line (in order to mark a visual ‘barrier’, drawing a line between the pedestrian area and the tram line). Part of the street would be transformed into a glass-roofed passage, a shopping precinct, with cafes in backyards. The team would like to introduce variety with small-scale architecture, and continue the idea of erecting monuments of famous Gorzowians. To attract more visitors and provide them with enough parking space, the team would also encourage the city authorities to make use of spaces that are currently empty and unused to build multi-level car parks.

Promenade on Chrobrego Street (Deptak na ul. Chrobrego)

The idea combines green surfaces and modern infrastructure with a cultural offer, business and meeting places to make Chrobrego Street more attractive not only to residents of Gorzow, but also to visitors. Backyards could be turned into art studios and exhibition spaces. The team also considered the ethnic minority living in Gorzow, the Roma people. The restaurant on Chrobrego Street, with traditional cuisine of the Roma people and a characteristic summer garden stage and small stalls for small traders, would enable them to present their rich culture and habits to a much wider public and enrich the offer on the Street.