The south of Gdansk is growing the fastest, but it still lacks schools, stores, services and well-planned public spaces. The city has announced a tender for the preparation of a master plan - a comprehensive concept for the development of the area around the future PKM South line. The document is expected to finally give this part of Gdansk a new development direction - close to transportation, work and everyday conveniences.
For years Gdańsk South has been growing at a dizzying pace, but it still lacks services, recreational areas and efficient transportation. According to data from 2022 , the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship was home to 486,000 people, as many as 134,000 of them just in the south of the city. The remedy for the ills of the residents is to be, among other things, the new PKM South railroad line, which - and this is important - will also open the way to comprehensive urban changes.
The city will grow around the stops
The eagerly awaited section of the rail line will be an extension of the existing SKM line from Gdansk Downtown to Kowal - along with accompanying road investments by the city of Gdansk. But the railroad investment is expected to improve the quality of life not only for residents of Gdansk's southern districts. Those in the surrounding municipalities of Pruszcz Gdanski, Kolbud and Zhukov will also benefit.
Around the new stops - at least this is the assumption of city planners - compact buildings and attractive public spaces will be created. As a result, residents will be able to live, work and spend leisure time close to home, without having to make long commutes. The plans of the Gdansk Development Bureau assume that the closer to the bus stops, the more intensive and compact the development will be.
View of the square from Nowa Swietokrzyska Street, concept.
© mat. BRG
For a chaotically developing neighborhood, these will be big changes. That's why a master plan will help in the intricate planning of new pieces of Gdansk - in the vicinity of future PKM stops. The preparation of the plan is the responsibility of InvestGDA and the Pomerania Development Agency S.A., which are waiting for bids in a tender until October 10. The selection of the contractor is planned for early November.
consultations and participation of residents
It is already known that the new development of the land around the PKM South line will be based on the idea of Transit Oriented Development (TOD), i.e. development centered around transportation hubs. Mixed-use will also be a key principle, i.e. combining various functions in one place: residential, service, economic, social and recreational.
We want friendly, well-designed places to live to be created in the vicinity of bus stops, combining residential, service, social and recreational functions ," says Michal Jamroz, head of the project. - Places where it will be easy to commute, shop, use services or just spend time.
Alekandra Dulkiewicz, mayor of Gdansk, said that the preparation of the master plan will take about 18 months. During this time, both general urban planning assumptions and detailed solutions for the most important public spaces will be created step by step.
Residents will also add their expectations: the plan's assumptions will also be worked out by Gdansk residents, entrepreneurs and investors during public consultations. It is then that decisions are to be made as to what exact functions are to be performed by the areas around the new PKM South train stops.
Łostowice Świętokrzyska - concept
© mat. BRG
Work on the master plan will be divided into three stages: from the general spatial layout, through development proposals, to architectural details of selected public spaces. The good news is that the selection of the team that will prepare the masterplan for Gdańsk Nowe Południe will not be based solely on the price criterion. Highly scored will be the proposed participation model and experience.
