Be square and be there

Over the last few decades, Polish market squares and public plazas have been redesigned, renovated and refurbished, often with the support of substantial EU subsidies. These projects have grown in size, regardless of whether any trees stood in the way of such progress. The lack of any greenery, paving stones broken under the weight of motor traffic and the unbearably high temperatures during heat waves are just a few of the drawbacks of public squares in Poland. Friendly public space that actually draws people in, however, can only be achieved when a number of complementary factors are in place.

A topic that heats up with the climate

Trees have recently come to the fore in the discussion about city squares – and some weighty arguments have been put forward for their inclusion, since climate change is also posing a threat to our way of life. “Up until now, any questions about urban greenery that came up in discussions were marginal. Trees were just regarded as a problem – as things that blocked the view, shed leaves that had to be swept up in the autumn, or that cast unwelcome shade; but with global warming, all such inconveniences have become irrelevant. Plantings in public places are now the main and most basic thing we can do to cope with the effects of global warming. And that’s why if we want to have a decent quality of life in cities, we have to view vegetation as an ally rather than an enemy,” insists Wojciech Słomka, an expert on plant protection and the environment.

Urban heat sinks are not just a hot issue for our quality of life, but also for our health – and they can sometimes even lead to a loss of life. “Our measures to combat climate change are being hindered by a lack of knowledge among designers and city authorities, who are rushing headlong to adopt modern solutions like a careering runaway coal wagon,” admits Paweł Mrozek, an architect at the Mad Pracowni studio and the founder and associate of the 100 Lat Planowania information service. “Local authorities are still stuck in the 90s, when 70s American films were in vogue and the social priority was to concrete over everything, build roads and buy more cars,” he argues. Something, however, has been gradually changing in attitudes towards urban landscapes. For example, trees are now being added to Kraków’s huge historic market square. Architect Robert Konieczny has also been modifying his design for Solidarność Square in Szczecin and, together with his team, he’s looking for places to plant trees that wouldn’t affect how the area functions. Meanwhile, in Kielce, the mamArchitekci studio is preparing changes to the city’s market square and is also working on other projects, such as a green concept for pl. Dąbrowski square in Łódź (in partnership with A2P2). On Warsaw’s newly-built Plac Pięciu Rogów square, an avenue of trees has been planted – and it’s worth stopping to take a look at, because this is somewhere that has unexpectedly received more criticism than praise.

We go high, not low

Before it was rebuilt, the area that is now Plac Pięciu Rogów was a busy junction, often swarming with pedestrians and motor traffic. A competition to draw up a new concept for this area was eventually won by Kacper Ludwiczak, while the final project was prepared by the WXCA studio. “Plac Pięciu Rogów was created in a very typical urban space but, unusually for Warsaw, one that had an unusual funnel shape. The identity of the square is also derived from the history and usage of each of its streets – Chmielna, Bracka, Zgoda and Szpitalna, which together used to form one of the busiest crossings in the city, as Varsovians remember all too well,” relates Michał Kempiński, the architect and designer of the square. The square has been almost totally pedestrianised, while seating has been added, along with ponds, new paving and trees. When the project was completed, the lack of low-level plants was a matter of controversy among locals. But according to the architects: “Plac Pięciu Rogów is first of all a public space that is open and universal. Because of the high footfall, introducing flower beds or a lawn was not an option for us. In public discourse, you have to distinguish between a green square, a paved square and a park,” argues Michał Kempiński. “What a particular place requires needs to be assessed and analysed,” insists Piotr Łosek, architect and junior partner at WXCA, who was responsible for the design of Plac Pięciu Rogów. “You cannot say a well-designed city space is one that automatically has flower beds. Designing squares is rather more complicated than that,” he adds. He also points out that thousands of people cross the square each hour. It is one of just a few public spaces in Warsaw with such intensive pedestrian traffic, which was why the solution that was arrived at was for the greenery to be tall, as this is what generally works in similar places.

For Plac Pięciu Rogów it was also important to ensure access to the various tenement buildings surrounding it, as well as to mark out fire rescue access routes (one of which leads past the pond and is suitable for heavy loads) and access to public transport. The square joins together two sections of a pedestrianised street, ul. Chmielna, through the creation of a larger urban space. And it is already undergoing further changes. Already new bars and pavement cafés are opening on it, while local shops are staying open for longer. “We are waiting for Plac Pięciu Rogów to become part of the city’s bloodstream and for people to see that this many-sided puzzle works,” argues Michał Kempiński. “Joining together the two sections of ul. Chmielna through creating an urban public space is something that is extremely important. We hope that – just as the city intends – this square represents just the beginning of the changes to the neighbourhood,” he adds.

Going deeper underground

Paweł Mrozek makes the point that many projects, despite the best intentions of the designer, have been stripped of their greenery by the monument preservation authorities. However, a major shift in gear is now becoming more evident in the general conservation approach. For example, in July last year, Magdalena Gawin, who was at the time the undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Culture, National Heritage and Sport, issued a memo to regional conservation offices in which she clearly stated that existing greenery should be left in place and that she was firmly opposed to anything that might result in a “concrete square with an underground car park and flower pots instead of old trees.”

Paweł Mrozek highlights another issue that makes the design of city squares more problematic. “There are also difficulties when it comes to the underground installation design. This sector is not accountable to anyone or anything and its project designs are often created without any regard for the infrastructure above ground. When it comes to laying out the ground, it can suddenly turn out that it’s been divided up in a way that’s most convenient for the underground installations and there’s no room left for the root ball of a tree or more organised green space,” he laments.

For Plac Pięciu Rogów, each point where a tree was to be planted was examined to see if there would be an issue with underground installations. “Considering the time it took, we should regard the planting of so many trees in this place as a small victory. The building work for the networks and the underground preparation took many a long month and far longer than was originally expected. At the beginning of the conceptual stage, few believed that so many trees could be planted in such a difficult location with all of its underground installations. Agreeing on the locations and coordinating the work took a tremendous effort, many months of intense work, negotiations and discussions, and endless paperwork,” recalls Piotr Łosek, unfondly.

What type of greenery?

Even though we are still not fully accustomed to greenery in public squares, it’s still important to consider what type it should be. “We have to look at urban space again in a completely new way,” says Wojciech Słomka. “Climate change does not come in a linear manner, but suddenly and in many situations unexpectedly. The weather patterns these days are more extreme. Sometimes we have heatwaves, and then we have storms and gales. Plants, which we are dependent on, have got to be able to thrive in such conditions. We need vegetation that can survive long and extended droughts and, furthermore, able to store water quickly – plants that can cope with searing summer temperatures as well as bitter winter freezes. Limes and plane trees have been popular in cities up until now, but they are not so resilient to such extremes. Urban plants need to be good at growing back during climate changes. Trees need to have large crowns that provide lots of shade, while shrubs and bushes are needed to cover the flat surfaces,” he argues. Many people will find it hard to accept that it is not the aesthetics of plants that are the most important thing anymore – now it is the very fact of their being there and that they can protect us from climate change. Trees now line Plac Pięciu Rogów, even though they were never there before. It was crucial that they were planted in the ground and not in pots, to give them a chance to grow vigorously and provide increasing amounts of shade for the square. “Underground, they are well cared for via a piping system that supplies water and oxygen to the root balls. There are also anti-compression systems – special barriers to ensure that the earth does not become too compacted beneath the plantings,” explains Piotr Łosek.

A place for the people

It seems obvious that the people of a city should have a say in the design of the public space in their area, but do we actually know how to consult the public in Poland? “We have to change our approach to public participation,” claims Paweł Mrozek. “You don’t always have to invite people to a meeting at which ideas are thrown around. The authorities should have a vision for what the space is going to be like and this concept has to be based on the needs of the people. Researching their actual needs with expert support is what real participation is. This is a continuous process that can help to update the city’s vision and goals. And this is why when you design the ideal square you should leave room for the changes that life brings about,” he argues. “City squares are exceptional spaces in that they represent a blank sheet where different things can happen during different periods of the day and year and different types of events can be held,” points out Piotr Łosek.

The architects responsible for Plac Pięciu Rogów also point out that their work is just one piece of a larger puzzle. This is best summed up by Michał Kempiński: “Creating a good public space is a joint effort, which may involve the renovation of local buildings or changes in local government policy – such as subsidies for bars and restaurants. On the one hand, we have our architectural sphere, but this can be insufficient for bringing a place to life. But on the other, what is required is a professional environment to enable us to thoroughly prepare an urban city project.”