Learning from Gdansk

Gdansk is the capital of the Pomerania region. Along with Gdynia and Sopot, they form a conurbation of 750.000 inhabitants known as the Tricity. As the main seaport in Poland, Gdansk gained a significant influence since the times of the Hanseatic League, leaving as a footprint a magnificent old town (called main town) which was massively restored after the WWII. In the context of the KAIRÓS project, we organized a study trip to the city aimed at learning from three ongoing experiences:

• The Gdansk way to civic empowerment, as the city is now placed at the forefront in this field and is extensively working with the idea of urban commons. A landmark is the Dolna Brama building, at the Old Suburb district.
• The efforts to keep the historic centre liveable and multi-functional, under the pressure of a growing massive tourism. In this regard, the position of «City Architect of Gdansk» was created in 2021 to ensure proper direction and consistency to the many urban projects and plans underway in the city.
• How the city is preserving and even capitalizing, as collective memory, the extraordinary historical events that took place in the Gdansk shipyard during the 1980s, with an impact worldwide. In this regard, the shipyard area is home to the awesome European Solidarity Centre and the “Young City Gdansk” project, which is called to be one of the largest waterfront redevelopments in Northern Europe.