The transformation of post-industrial areas into service centres in development plans ‒ selected aspects based on the example of Starogard Gdański

Abstract

Post-industrial areas in small cities can be relatively large, and thus the transformation of these areas significantly influences these cities’ urban structure. Thus, during the revitalization of such areas, the city as a whole needs to be taken into consideration when drawing up planning (zoning) documents and carrying out required studies. Unfortunately, the documents typically used in planning process are local spatial plans for individuals d istricts or even for single parcels of land designated as construction sites. In the case of post - industrial areas in small cities, the investors are most often developers and management corporations involved in building and operating malls, whose aim is t o create monofunctional service sites. The emergence of such “pseudo-public” areas is a key aspect of this issue, as they compete for space with the actual public sphere in small cities. An example of such a transformation is the sale and subsequent re-development of an area previously occupied by manufacturing plants and pharmaceutical factories, located in the immediate vicinity of Starogard Gdański. Discussions on how to develop this area have been ongoing for almost a decade. Initially, a broad, multifunctional programme was drawn up, but during consultations with investors mediated by the local government, the program was systematically reduced and ultimately evolved into something that differed greatly from the initial plans and ideas. In the case of Starogard Gdański, the only aspect of development guided by local law has been the need to carry out additional investments during the construction of malls to allow for partial multifunctionality and the construction of required infrastructure (limited i n scope) in the surrounding public space.