Present State
How can you change your street to make your life better? People living in Smolna street (in Warsaw) will receive help from specialists from Austria, Greece, Spain, Romania, Italy, and Turkey. They want to share their experiences on how to change the appearance and standard of their cities, streets and districts.
The Past
Why Smolna? Because its inhabitants know best how to start changing their lives, starting from their own backyards. In January, they awarded a prize for the most beautiful Christmas tree standing in the street’s backyards. Before Christmas time, they organised an outdoor carol singing event in which over 200 people took part. In September last year, they fought a one-day battle against graffiti on Nowy Swiat Street, the effectiveness of which surprised even the whole of Warsaw.
The EU Subsidies
The Smolna Street Association (SSA) has applied for EU grants via Warsaw municipalities several times, but with no result. It transpired that it might be easier to be granted subsidies from the EU directly, passing over the bloated bureaucracy in Warsaw. “We have been awarded a grant for the LearnInc project from the Leonardo da Vinci programme, whose concept is to work out a civic idea for the revitalisation of the historical centres of cities,” says Jaroslaw Cholodecki, one of the leaders of SSA. He notes that renovating buildings is not enough – they need new life as well. Smolna will be given €30,000 provided that they can include work of their own to the tune of €10,000.
Former Glory
The Plan
According to Mr Cholodecki, they first need to carry out research. This will be undertaken by sociologists who are compiling questionnaires to be conducted among Smolna inhabitants, under the supervision of Professor Barbara Lewenstein, one of Warsaw University’s leading sociologists. The results will be known within four months and will be presented at an international conference to be held at the end of June in Warsaw. “The first report is going to be produced in autumn; then, all seven partners will create their macro and micro plans regarding the revitalisation, whose pilot project will be completed by July 2010,” says Slawomir Lais of CompuTrain, an advisor company to SSA.
The Outside Partners
Interestingly, on February 23rd, a meeting will be organised by Wieslaw Uchanski, the owner of Iskry, one of Poland’s largest publishing houses. It will bring together not only SSA members but also a network of local stakeholders, institutions (Damian’s Medical Centre, the Polish Banking Association, Warsaw Central District House of Culture, schools, to name but a few), as well as local municipalities, who will be having a brainstorming session on the issue.
The Core
Significantly, Mr Cholodecki notes that in the West revitalisation is mainly realised by a process called gentrification, i.e. replacing elderly and unemployed citizens with the young and rich, a move that helps implement vital changes. However, he claims, Warsaw needs a completely different approach. The fact that this is possible can be demostrated by the work on Smolna Street, where not only the houses but also neighbourly friendship thrive, despite the diversity of the status of its inhabitants.
Gazeta Wyborcza
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Posted by Agata Stachurska 
