Billions lying in the grass

However, it is worth knowing how much the green pearls of the largest Polish conurbations would be worth. It turns out that we are walking upon millions of złoty whenever we visit these green urban sanctuaries. However, treating the matter with the distance it deserves, Cenatorium – a supplier of data concerning transactions on the property market – has taken upon itself the task of valuing the parks of Poland. According to the company’s calculations, the most valuable park in the country is most probably Pole Mokotowskie, the only rival of which could only be Łazienki Królewskie in the same city. The park is located between three districts of the capital: Mokotów, Ochota and Śródmieście, it has an area of 68.54 ha and bustles with life nearly all year long. It has been valued at PLN 2.9 bln – or PLN 5,600 per sqm. Błonie in Kraków, which occupies an area of 48 ha, has been valued at PLN 935 mln. The price per sqm of its turf, which was once grazed by sheep and cows, currently amounts to app. PLN 2,400. Residents of Gdańsk have recently been able to enjoy the Ronald Reagan park, which was considered the best designed green area in Poland in 2008. It covers an area of 55.5 ha and includes the largest playground for children in the city, a number of ponds, cycle paths and a skating park, and has been valued at PLN 475 mln (PLN 1,100 per sqm). The Juliusz Słowacki park in central Wrocław, with an area of over 7.74 ha, is located on the site of former fortifications. A square metre is estimated by Cenatorium as being worth app. PLN 2,600, meaning that the entire park would cost PLN 148 mln. The valuation also included a park in Poznań – the 9.5 ha Karol Marcinkowski park. The place is popular and attractive because it features the remains of a former fort as well as air raid shelters. The entire park is worth more or less PLN 100 mln, which corresponds to app. PLN 1,000 per sqm. Jasne Błonia in Szczecin, which is a unique area in terms of scale as it includes an avenue with 190 plane trees, has also been valued. Błonia is located between the city hall building and Kasprowicza park, which is separated from it by ul. Piotra Skargi. The park has an area of 6.47 ha and its value per sqm has been estimated at PLN 1,400. This means that the entire park is worth PLN 93 mln. “The above-mentioned parks are fortunately not for sale. Estimating their value is just for fun. It shows that the green areas which are available to the public are a precious treasure and an asset of each city, both on an emotional level as well as in terms of more measurable value,” explains Mariusz Kurzac, the general director of Cenatorium.