One of the main streets in Warsaw's Bródno, Kondratowicza Street, has just become the Avenue of a Thousand Trees. Its area has served for the past few years as a subway construction site. Today it is one of the greenest streets in Warsaw. And the plans were even more ambitious.
Although the Zacisze, Kondratowicza and Bródno subway stations were commissioned in the fall of 2022, it wasn't until July 2023 that work on the surface was completed. The goal of the modernization contractors was to take advantage of the unique opportunity and transform Kondratowicza Street—along the entire key section, i.e. between Rembielinska and St. Vincent streets. The street is an important place for the whole of Targówek—it is here that the district town hall and the Bródno hospital are located. Its new character was intended to reflect the prominence of this space, to have a positive impact on the visual and functional qualities of the area, and to provide a new green direction in the redevelopment of urban arteries in Warsaw. Modernization, as planned, began last spring—even before the new stations were put into service, when the subway contractor began dismantling the construction facilities.
© Warsaw City Roads Authority
Today, after the completion of the works, Kondratowicza Street is completely different—it has changed beyond recognition, becoming a modern, comprehensively rebuilt, green and user-friendly place for all users; a place with wide bicycle paths, resting places with new benches," said Rafał Trzaskowski.—It's also safe here—thanks to LED streetlights and an additional five new pedestrian crossings. Residents had their say in these changes, who planted trees and shrubs here—and so did I, as we were concerned with the active participation of the local community in the revitalization of this street, the Warsaw mayor added.
© President of the City of Warsaw
Did Warsaw make good use of the opportunity provided by the construction of the subway directly under the street under reconstruction? While indeed today the thoroughfare is an urban avenue full of greenery, the plans of City Hall itself were far more ambitious. We wrote about them in the article Avenue of a Thousand Trees designed by WXCA will grow in Bródno. Indeed, the origins of the concept for the transformation of Kondratowicza Street date back to 2015 and the design workshop organized at the time by the Warsaw Branch of SARP. The workshop work and subsequent discussion included ideas to create new frontage development, bus lanes or, finally, narrowing the street to a single carriageway. In the end, the roadways remained two, albeit narrower. Before the construction of the subway, Kondratowicza Street had a layout with two lanes in each direction, along with possible additional ones—for turning in the area of intersections. This principle has been maintained. Pedestrian alleys and bicycle paths were added on the sides, as well as green rest areas.
Kondratowicza street from a bird's eye view
© UM st. Warszawy
Existing rows of trees have been supplemented and expanded. The street is enriched with 700 new trees. They are mainly maples, hornbeams and lime trees. By comparison, before the changes there were about 300 in this section. The last pieces will go to Kondratowicza in autumn to avoid planting them in the season of greatest heat. Then Kondratovicha will become „Avenue of a Thousand Trees.” In addition to the trees, 136,000 shrubs of various species have appeared here, as well as numerous new lawns, some of which have become flower meadows. About 100 benches have been placed along the street. Around them, architects from the WXCA design studio have planned numerous small squares for residents.
© Warsaw City Roads Authority
The surrounding network of bicycle routes has also undergone a major transformation. Two two-way bicycle paths, each 3 meters wide, have appeared between subway stations. The existing route on the south side has been rebuilt to modern standards—that's better mileage and the use of a level asphalt surface. On the north side of the street, meanwhile, a second one of equally high quality has been built, which will provide bicycle access to residential areas and a connection to St. Vincent Street. A set of bicycle crossings has been provided at all intersections and along additional pedestrian crossings between Rembielińska and Malborska streets. A parking space for 470 bicycles has appeared along Kondratowicza Street.
