Urban heat island and traffic burden are threats facing not only large agglomerations of cities such as Warsaw and Krakow. There are many more smaller towns in Poland that are struggling with the same consequences of the negative effects of climate change.One of them is Poddębice - an oasis with thermal waters 40 kilometers from Łódź.Their revitalization was designed by Paulina Dębińska of Politechnika Łódzka in an award-winning master's thesis written under the supervision of Dr. Eng. arch. Adriana Cieślak-Arkuszewska.
Paulina Dębińska examined Poddębice - a small town in Lodz province with tourism and spa potential - through the lens of climate change. Her master's thesis includes a detailed analysis of urban planning and the impact of blue-green infrastructure on the functioning of people in urban spaces, as well as an extensive case study of the city of Poddębice in terms of climatic conditions and the city's internal and external relations. She also included an analysis of the main public spaces in Poddębice, as well as the results of a survey of residents regarding their assessment and needs.
town square - visualization
proj.: Paulina Dębińska
small city in the face of climate change
The final stage of the work was the design part, in which the author proposed a vision for the rehabilitation of the center of Poddębice with a focus on the quality of the environment and counteracting the negative effects of climate change, which carries over to improving the quality of life of residents.
The project focuses on sustainable development, taking into account the needs arising from climate change and proposing solutions that reduce its negative effects. One of the main goals is to improve the quality of life of residents while increasing the attractiveness of the city, which is expected to increase its competitiveness with other tourist destinations in the region
- describes the author.
blue-green infrastructure system - existing and designed state
proj.: Paulina Dębińska
The main challenges facing Poddębice are the long-standing pollution of the Ner River, as well as the significant traffic burden within the city. Paulina Debinska's paper addresses these very issues, especially in the context of Poddębice's tourist potential.
Thanks to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters, Poddębice has the potential to gain the status of a health resort or become an important center of pro-health tourism. Such a situation means that the quality of the environment, public space and the general living conditions of both residents and visitors should be seen by the city authorities as a priority in the context of planned functional and spatial transformations
- explains the author.
Densification of buildings, reduction of car traffic and more greenery
The solutions he proposes include densifying development in the city's central areas to make better use of existing infrastructure and reduce urban sprawl into green areas. Other key aspects of the study concern the reconstruction of the transportation system and the creation of a system of green public spaces.
The new development was placed in the project mainly in the vicinity of the river so as to activate these very areas. The newly designed buildings, mostly two-story, relate in structure to the existing urban fabric. At the same time, the author stresses the importance of stopping the investment pressure occurring in the area in wooded and forested areas.
Boulevards on the Ner River from a bird's eye view - visualization
design: Paulina Dębińska
Among the ways to improve communication in the city was a city bypass to relocate transit traffic. Thanks to this measure, noise levels in the city center would drop, air quality and safety levels would improve.
The author proposes transformations in the area of the existing market, such as the creation of an additional access road and new pedestrian routes to integrate the area with the Ner River boulevards.
Other tools to improve the living comfort of Poddębice residents were the creation of new pedestrian and roadway penetrations, including in the quarter between Sienkiewicza, Leczycka, Lodzka and Kosciuszko Square streets. These penetrations prioritize pedestrian and bicycle traffic, and are also complemented by greenery. In Paulina Debinska's concept, car transport in the city center has been significantly reduced, traffic lanes narrowed, and pedestrian traffic allowed throughout the street. Parking lots intended especially for incoming tourists have been moved from the city square to the limits of the development.
detail of the city square
designed by Paulina Dębińska
The city square, from which parking spaces will be relocated, can become a space for cultural events. Greenery has been designed on its edges. The author also took up the subject of the city market, whose current form she moved to the south of the city, away from the center. Instead, she designed shopping pavilions, with green roofs, under which the sale of local products and crafts could take place.
detail of the city market
design: Paulina Dębińska
The river - a source of refreshment and a threat of flooding
An extremely important area in Paulina Dębińska's study is the boulevards on the Ner River. There the author designed a new system of footbridges and bridges, allowing people to cross the river and use the newly designed attractions on the boulevards: recreational gazebos, viewpoints, etc. In the northern part of the study, near the existing Sensory Garden, there was a footbridge connecting the city with the nearby Borysewo Zoo.
Ner River boulevards - visualization
design: Paulina Dębińska
As part of the blue-green infrastructure design, the author widened the bed of the Ner River, and created a stagnant area where it flooded. These measures are intended to control the river when the water level in it increases and counteract flood risks. For the same purpose, most of the designed surfaces, whether on boulevards or in parks and squares around the city, are unpaved - so that water can soak into them.
In the project, the author also used the potential of the mineral and thermal waters present in Poddębice. Open-circulation fountains located in various parts of the city use precisely mineral water and affect the reduction of the phenomenon of the urban heat island.
The aforementioned designed solutions are not only conducive to residents and the environment, but also to animating tourism. Poddębice offers not only the existing Thermal Baths, a system of pools offering thermal water baths and therapeutic treatments. Visitors could also take advantage of the sports offer at the former high school on Mickiewicza Street, the City Park with the Garden of the Senses, or the new marketplace offering regional products.
Poddębice from a bird's eye view - visualization
design: Paulina Dębińska
Sustainable development, care for the environment and the quality of life of residents should be a priority not only in large agglomerations,
but also in smaller cities, which will contribute to the overall improvement of urban conditions in the country
- Paulina Debinskasays.
