After many years, Zielona Gora will once again have a City Architect. This position will be assumed by Pawel Kochanski. What challenges does he face?
this position has been fought for years
Marcin Pabierowski, the Mayor of Zielona Gora, spoke about the legitimacy of appointing a person to this position as early as 2015, while still a city councilman, stressing that this decision should be preceded by a substantive discussion about the competencies of the architect, his location in the structure of the office and tasks related to spatial policy.
I keep stressing that the City's Architect and consultation teams are lacking. We have a commission under the president when it comes to urban affairs, but it's not enough," he said in an interview in Gazeta Wyborcza in 2017. - Conscious cities, such as Wroclaw and Lodz, have an extensive consultation cell and structures for historic preservation and architecture
- he added.
Paweł Kochański City Architect
of Zielona Gora
In the 2024 local elections, Marcin Pabierowski, who is an engineer by training, defeated Janusz Kubicki, who was running for re-election, and took the office of Mayor of Zielona Gora. Just over a year later, on July 16, 2025, he restored the position of City Architect to the official structures, arguing that this was a strategic decision, a step towards harmonious, aesthetic and functional development of the city. He entrusted this role to Pawel Kochanski, a Zielona Gora architect, member of the local branch of Association of Polish Architects (SARP), lecturer at the Department of Residential and Service Architecture at the Institute of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Zielona Gora, and founder of the PAF architectural studio.
I am convinced that Paweł Kochański's knowledge, experience and genuine passion will become a driving force for positive changes in the space we all live in. [...] His deep knowledge of the architectural history of Zielona Góra, combined with a modern outlook and professionalism, guarantees that the spatial development of the city will be in the best hands
- emphasized Mayor Pabierowski.
Representatives of the Zielona Gora Association of Polish Architects, of which Paweł Kochański is a member, have a similar opinion.
We are convinced that the professional experience of our colleague Paweł will have a positive impact on improving the quality of space in Zielona Góra and will confirm the role of the architect in creating a living environment that is friendly to all of us
- they write.
What will the City Architect face?
As the Zielona Gora City Hall points out, the main tasks of the new City Architect will include: co-creating and giving opinions on zoning plans, which is expected to make it possible to ensure consistency and order in the development of the city; taking care of the high quality of architecture and aesthetics of public space, including supervision of the appearance of small architecture, advertisements, murals or catering gardens; active participation in key city investments and negotiations with private investors so that new buildings fit perfectly into the urban fabric; Initiating architectural competitions to select the best designs for the most important spaces in Zielona Góra; supporting revitalization activities and protecting heritage and cultural landscapes, as well as close cooperation with creative circles, associations of architects and urban planners and the University of Zielona Góra to promote good practices and architectural education.
