Podwale Przedmiejskie St. in a powerful spatial and mental frontier that separates the historical centre in Gdańsk. It is perceived by locals and tourists as the outer limit of the city’s actual city centre. The current profile of this area reinforces social disparities and gives rise to a number of socio-economic issues.

The objective of the project was to take the participatory approach to development of the remodeling strategy for Podwale Przedmiejskie St. in Gdańsk. The initiative followed up on issues addressed during implementation of a previous project by the Reactivation Centre Association.

While the project lasted, the expert team was engaged in cooperation with citizens and other stakeholders from the area in question. Following four workshop meetings, all attended by a group of approx. 40 citizens plus seven months’-long one-on-one consultations that generated additional feedback from nearly 100 citizens, the expert team designed a comprehensive, multi-aspect urban and architectural concept for refurbishment of the area. Its implementation helped resolve existing urban development and socio-economic issues.

The project also brought in wide-ranging social surveys (nearly 500 respondents were reached with community surveys) in which citizens from the area in question clearly and basically univocally opted for essential changes to the existing design of Podwale Podmiejskie St. and its environs. Numerous analyses of the current state of play were teamed up with verification of the plan in terms of social behaviors demonstrated within the public space and the impact of the intervention into urban planning on these behaviors.

Findings from the project were translated into specific guidelines for local area development plans. City authorities have declared that actual activities will be launched as early as in 2016 to curb transit traffic, reintroduce pedestrian crossings and junctions on the street level.