Urban regeneration : Saint Matthew’s square
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Date
2010
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AESOP
Abstract
The 54 ha Nadodrze neighbourhood located in the central part of the city of Wrocław near the Old Town is one of the few districts that was not destroyed during the Second World War. Close to the only train station operating after the war it was populated since then by immigrants of many nationalities and social backgrounds. Its layout and architecture are great examples of pre war German planning1 with a regular grid consisting of dense urban 5 storey blocks, wide roads and a central public area (Saint Matthew’s Square). The current conditions of the buildings no longer reflect the high quality of the original design and gradually neglected, the area lost its meaning within the urban structure of the city. This densely populated area suffers from precarious social conditions, such as low income, unemployment, lack of education, addiction, together with an aging population. There is poor interaction between the multicultural communities (mainly Polish, Ukrainian, Roma gypsies etc). Due to the very complex ownership pattern embedded in Polish ownership law during the transition period, buildings normally owned by the municipality house people with a lifetime lease while municipal programmes aim to make them real owners of their dwellings. Conversely, the big courtyards inside the blocks remain publicly owned and do not serve their original purpose of semi-private recreational areas. Some buildings have been privatised, others remain social housing and new private developments are being introduced in the area.
Description
Book of proceedings: Urban change : The prospect of transformation
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