10 days of fruitful activities and debates

4 września 2013

After 10 days, we collected about 600 surveys that would be summarized and transferred to the city authorities. We want to thank everyone who filled the survey, took part in the debate on the Coal Market (Targ Węglowy), or simply sent pleasant time there. It is not over; we will discuss the matter further.

The screening of ‚The Human Scale’ by Andreas Dalsgaard and the debate ended the initiative ‚The Square Quarrel’. It started public consultations on potential and expected usage of the Coal Market (Targ Węglowy). The temporary movable arrangement of the Square invites the citizens of Gdańsk and other users of the public space to express their opinions, take part in various activities and workshops for designing the city area, or just to spend their leisure time there.

 

Beginning of the discussion on the city and people

The film screened changes the attitude towards the city, the ways agglomerations are designed. Cars are superior to pedestrians, traffic needs to be reduced and new parking spots needs to be created. ‚The Human Scale’ by Andreas D. Dalsgaard shows how small steps may restore the public space to citizens and visitors. Experienced architects who introduced such changes in New York or Melbourne show that the process should be started from consultations with the people who live in the space as it brings the feeling of unity and make the citizens use the space more willingly as they truly influenced the final form.

 

Ideas for the Coal Market (Targ Węglowy)

Many interesting ideas concerning the potential usage of the Square have emerged in response for an open question.

Many of them shown ways for creating a leisure open space and green zones.

Parks, orangeries, or even an exotic park appear.

Many ideas are focused on the space used for particular physical activities such as open air gyms, volleyball pitch, or a roller rinks (skating rinks during the winter).

There are even ideas for a sports hall; an aqua park pops up quite frequently.

There is still the case of the parking lot which is an important case – cars need to be parked somewhere in the city center.

An underground parking lot might be a good idea, as most of the survey results show. The minority of the respondents would prefer to keep the parking lot at the Coal Market (Targ Węglowy).

A detailed analysis of near 600 surveys will take some more time.

The summary will be published at our website and transferred to the city authorities.