In many discussions of urban planning, it is emphasized that we have low MPZP coverage. Personally, I do not agree with such a simple correlation. The plan itself is not all it is still about its quality and allowing specific development indicators. A good example of this thesis is the northern part of Wieliczka, bordering Krakow.
Wzgórze Kaim - a historical dominant in the shadow of developer expansion
As we leave the capital of Malopolska, our eyes are drawn to Kaim Hill. It is a small but significant hill - it is here that an obelisk was erected to commemorate the repulsion of the Austro-Hungarian army on December 6, 1914 by the Russian army seeking to conquer Krakow during World War I. Kaim Hill is a place of resistance, a symbol of the bloody clashes, the central point of the battlefield.
Not surprisingly, the unveiling ceremony brought together several hundred people. Among those present were the president of Cracow Juliusz Leo, the rectors of the Jagiellonian University (Kazimierz Kostanecki) and the Academy of Fine Arts (Jacek Malczewski), Cardinal Adam Sapieha[1]. President Leo promised to "record the defenders of Krakow against the enemy's invasion in the history of our city with golden voices." The monument is a narrow but 13-meter tall pyramid. It was unveiled on the first anniversary of the events - December 6, 1915, and was created thanks to the funding of the Krakow Fortress command. The author of the obelisk was Henryk Nitra, while the author of the plaque was Karel Korschann.
For years it was the only spatial dominant, standing out from the green surroundings. Until.
Ceremony to cover the commemorative obelisk
News Illustrated. 1915, no. 51, 1915.12.18
In 2017, Wieliczka Mayor's Plenipotentiary for Municipal Affairs Piotr Ptak promised that Wieliczka would buy the area around the monument on its side. A fifteen-meter protection zone was to be provided, as ordered by the provincial conservator of monuments. There was a plan to build access to the monument. It was announced that a wide staircase would be built, over a distance of about 200 meters, from Winnicka Street in Bogucice to the monument. Land around the obelisk was to be purchased for the investment. Unfortunately, nothing of the sort has happened. The historic obelisk, which is a symbol of remembrance, was given up for dead - disappearing from the hill in a sea of overflowing development. The lack of adequate protection and supervision has caused the Kaim Hill to gradually disappear from the map as a spatial dominant. Plans to put the area under protection have blurred in the helplessness and sluggishness of officials.
Today it is a place where the inefficiency of the urban planning system can be observed. In recent years, developers, tempted by the attractiveness of the area, have begun intensive construction of housing developments on the slopes of the Kaim Hill. It is known - a nice view always improves sales results. A coffee on the terrace of your own home on a sunny Saturday and a panoramic view of the neighborhood? Sounds like a dream.
According to the I Like Krakow website, discussion of the site began just in 2017, with the topic of amending the zoning plan for the area, which allowed for terraced housing. Initially, however, the designs envisioned a slightly different placement of the buildings, routing the road leading to the houses in the form of a mountain spiral. The plans were beautiful. The implementation? Completely failed. Today it's straight sections, the development resembles chaotically scattered blocks.
Despite the fact that the area is covered by the plan, it is clear as day where the border between the municipalities runs. Wieliczka is effectively pushing development right up to the border, issuing more building permits. Estates are being built that have a considerable intensity of development while the area is not being retrofitted with social services and infrastructure. The development is so intensive that literally the land cannot stand.
Comparison of MPZP Wieliczka and satellite image
Landslides and a threat to new settlements
In 2021, a slope slid between buildings on Winnicka Street. Fortunately, the piles of earth landed on the building of garages, not houses. JL Development was responsible for the investments. According to the developer, and according to opinions prepared at its request, the landslide was supposed to have occurred as a result of... not emptying the tanks of the external rainwater drainage system. The tightly sealed tanks were to be emptied regularly by a drainage company. Both the manager and the co-owners were aware of this obligation, the CEO of JL Development reported. Residents are alarmed that both the city and the developers are washing their hands, leaving them alone with the growing problem.
Regardless of the construction supervisor 's actions, the slope was inspected by engineer Maciej Zmuda of GeKon, who pointed out mistakes made in the construction of the housing development, including the lack of drainage of the slope's crown. According to him, this could have led to a landslide.
We can read from the GIS and MPZP itself that the site is specific.
Screenshot from the SOPO system marking the monument and landslide-prone areas
The settlements built here are built on an area of macroporous soils, occurring on flissile or cohesive soils, which means that the ground is characterized by high porosity and can have variable bearing properties depending on water conditions. Flissile, which is a layered structure of sedimentary rocks, consisting mainly of sandstone and clay shale, shows susceptibility to erosion and mass movements, especially when hydrated. Cohesive soils, such as clays and loams, retain water, which can lead to swelling or reduced bearing capacity.
The construction conditions in the area themselves are rated as sufficient, meaning that construction is possible, although it requires careful geotechnical analysis and appropriate protective measures. A factor affecting the stability of the soil and the safety of structures here is the level of waterlogging - increased moisture can lead to subsidence of buildings or even landslides - and these can be seen on the map.
Does the Kaim Hill still have a chance to be protected?
According to Dziennik Polski, in response to the protests of residents and experts in 2018, a decision was made to halt part of the investment on Wzgórze Kaim. Temporarily. However, the pause in work concerned a neighboring development, the Pod Pomnikiem estate from developer Quercus, and had to do with the initiation of a procedure to enter the monument inthe register of monuments by the conservator (it was entered in the Małopolska register of monuments). Currently, the procedure for entering the entire battlefield in the register of monuments is continuing for another year.
The mayor of Wieliczka, Rafal Sleczka, planned to sell the plot of land on the historic Kaim Hill, which met with strong opposition from residents, leading to the withdrawal of the project just before the deliberations. In response, the Rescue Action for Hill Kaim was formed, which monitors the situation and documents the actions of local authorities. The hill is not only of natural value, but also of historical value - one of the oldest World War I war memorials is located there. Despite the monument's inclusion in the register of monuments in 2018, Wieliczka authorities show no interest in protecting the area.
Residents are calling for the parcels of land to be rezoned to undeveloped green space and the hill to be protected as a cultural park or ecological use. Rescue Action for Kaim Hill is collecting signatures for a civic motion to change the zoning plan. Residents stress that in the face of increasing concretization and the lack of green areas in the municipality, preserving the remnants of Kaim Hill as a historical and natural space is a necessity.
A screenshot from a satellite map showing the settlements and the monument
On the Krakow side, the situation looks a bit better - talks are underway with the Environmental Protection Commission, and the City Treasury is buying up more land in the area of the monument.
You can see here how different approaches can be taken to the area, and how it should be developed. Of course, the example of Wzgórze Kaim is only a fragment of the broader problem of uncontrolled suburbanization, which affects many Polish cities. Here, however, in addition to the typical problem of urban sprawl, there are geological and historical conditions. Thus, one can easily assess what approach the authorities have to the area and what are other values than just a profit system. It hurts that the new mayor is following the path of his outclassed predecessor. The mistakes of the past authorities seem to have been forgotten, yet they are the ones that led to the decline in support among Vieliczans.
Photo of the access to the estate from the side of the monument
Magdalena Milert
Finally, it is worth mentioning that Wieliczka itself does not spare land for development. Kaim Hill turned into a housing estate is the most spectacular example of such chaotic development, but it is not the only one. Just a few plots of land next to it appear equally intensively developed, ideally marking the boundaries between municipalities. The progressive development is an indicator of the non-partisan, independent approach to the disrespectful management of urban land by the authorities.
Recall that urban sprawl generates huge economic and social costs. According to the Polish Economic Institute, spatial chaos in Poland consumes about PLN 84.3 billion annually. These costs are due to, among other things, the need to expand technical and transportation infrastructure, as well as the negative impact on the environment.
Magdalena Milert
[1] Marcinek, R. (2019). Monument on Kaim Hill. On the need to protect places displaced from memory. Conservation News, (59), 115-123.
