Gdynia joins the ranks of Polish cities that have created the position of City Architect. Appointed to this position, Paulina Szewczyk is tasked with creating a coherent architectural and urban planning vision for the city, conducting consultations with residents and investors, organizing competitions and providing opinions on concepts for important locations.
Gdansk, Szczecin, Wroclaw, Krakow and Gliwice havea City Architect. Now Gdynia has joined the cities that want to better shape spatial policy. The new position was assumed by Dr. Eng. arch. Paulina Szewczyk. The former deputy director of the Office of Spatial Planning of the City of Gdynia will also head the established Office of the City Architect. The new department will be responsible for creating the architectural and urban planning vision of the city. The appointment of the Architect was requested by city councilors, among others.
City Architect - a bridge between planning and implementation
Although the City Architect is a much-needed role, the scope of authority and influence on space varies from municipality to municipality. How will it be in Gdynia?
The City Architect will create a coherent local architectural policy and vision for the city. He or she will also engage in dialogue with all stakeholders. This will improve the aesthetic and functional quality of urban space. And it will make it tailored to the scale of projects and the needs of residents," comments Aleksandra Kosiorek, mayor of Gdynia.
The Office of the City Architect will provide opinions on architectural and urban planning concepts in the most prominent locations. Its representatives are also to take part in talks with investors and prepare recommendations and guidelines for city projects. The office is to conduct "broad consultations" and organize competitions to identify the most interesting concepts for buildings and public spaces. It is also to initiate changes to improve the aesthetics of buildings and urban spaces. The bureau will support the Department of Architecture and Construction, the conservator of historical monuments and the Office of Spatial Planning.
Paulina Szewczyk notes that the Office of the City Architect is to bridge the gap between urban planning, the development of local zoning and general plans, and the building permit process.
We want concepts to be consulted at an early stage in order to find the best urban-architectural solutions for the city. The office is intended to be a place where different perspectives meet. The perspective of the city, the perspective of investors who build in the city, and above all, the perspective of residents. So that the city is designed in a way that is coherent, functional, sustainable and, above all, beneficial for its residents and convenient for its users," says Szewczyk.
Who is the Architect of the City of Gdynia?
Architect of the City Dr. Eng. arch. Paulina Szewczyk is a graduate of the Faculty of Architecture at the Gdansk University of Technology. She holds a PhD in technical sciences in the field of architecture and urban planning. She is currently an assistant professor at the Department of Spatial Planning at the Faculty of Architecture, Gdansk University of Technology, chairwoman of the Urban Planning Commission of the Union of Baltic Cities and a member of the Urban Planning and Architectural Commission in Gdansk. She gained design experience at the Gdansk Urban Planning Studio "Alter Polis". Later she was a sub-inspector at the Urban Planning Department of the City Hall of Gdynia, and then a designer, head of the 2nd Urban Planning Team, and most recently deputy director at the Spatial Planning Office of the City of Gdynia. She is the author and co-author of dozens of local spatial development plans and a study of the conditions and directions of spatial development in Gdynia.
