Candidate – Poland
Submission by: City of Warsaw – Public Roads Authority
Project name: Redevelopment of Kondratowicza Street
Short description
Warsaw made good use of the opportunity offered by the need to build one of the main thoroughfares of Targówek (district of Warsaw) almost from scratch. Warsaw made good use of the opportunity offered by the need to build one of the main thoroughfares of Targówek (district of Warsaw) almost from scratch. Kondratowicza Street is extremely wide – up to 60 meters and has a substantial dividing strip between the carriageways. This was a reserve for a tram route, planned in this place decades ago. Instead, a subway was built, and the surface space underwent a huge transformation. The redesigned and modernized section is almost by 1.5 km.
The street was designed to create a green thoroughfare with a significant reduction in vehicular traffic compared to its original state. Roads for bicycles were built and, depending on the section of the street, even 4 new rows of trees were planted. Due to such a green nature of the implementation, we believe that the investment deserves a distinction.
Social cohesion, economic factors, wellbeing of visitors/users
The project involves creating a visually attractive, safe space with lots of greenery on Kondratowicza Street, where residents will be able to integrate and carry out activities typical of spending free time around the house. Thanks to the pavement shared by pedestrians and cyclists, Kondratowicza Street can become a better organized, friendly place, accessible to various social groups, people with different mobility and offering an attractive program of use, while maintaining communication continuity.
There are about 100 benches along the street. Around them, architects from the WXCA design studio have planned numerous small squares for the residents.
Biodiversity, climate
After all plantings are completed, there will be as many as 93 505 shrubs and vines and 9 203 perennials. The street will be decorated with exactly 102 708 pieces of such species as, among others: Chenault’s snow lily, common sea buckthorn, common ivy and rowan tawlin. There will also be shiny cotoneaster hedges (31 386 bushes). Lawns with a total area of 2,643 sq m and a flower meadow of 4,016 sq m will be sown.
The existing rows of trees have been extended. The street will be enriched with nearly 500 new trees. These are mainly maples, hornbeams and limes.
We will plant a total of 491 trees – 39 London plane trees, 129 European ashes, 71 ‘Varsaviensis’ silver lime trees, 2 ‘Greenspire’ small-leaved lime trees, 208 maples, 2 apple trees, 7 red chestnut trees, 21 serrated cherries and 12 balsam cherries. Kondratowicza will become the “Avenue of a thousand trees”.
The selection, origin and quality of used products and materials
Regarding plant material trees which where delivered are solitary specimens, grown in the open, regularly nursed. The expected habit has been indicated for each species. These specimens where delivered as plants with a root ball. The plant material met the highest quality requirements. Material with high parameters was used for the project, including a tree with a circumference of 35 cm and a height of several meters. It was planned to plant several species of trees in order to avoid the effect of monoculture.
When it comes to shrubs, the standard of planted material was: C5 container, min. 5 main shoots, 3 pcs/m2.
When it comes to small architecture, the design uses patterns specially designed for this street. Here, especially elements of the equipment of squares. The elements had to be stylistically adapted to the patterns of benches used as a standard in Warsaw. And so, in the pedestrian routes “Warsaw” patterns were used, and in the squares, original elements in the appropriate style.
The project provides for the assembly of elements such as:
– benches, waste bins, bicycle racks, protective grilles, lighting fixtures.
– colors of steel elements – RAL 7016. Wooden elements – European wood with natural colors, oiled surface.
The overall design
The key in the linear design of the street is the division into zones. In the project of Kondratowicza Street managed to implement what seems to be a model layout of zones. And so we have wide sidewalks and bicycle paths on each side of the road. Each of the zones is separated by an equally wide green belt with a row of tall trees. We have a system that eliminates conflicts between users.
The impact on the environment
In addition to the impact resulting from the planting of a large number of trees and shrubs, we also have an impact resulting from the creation of new water-permeable spaces. A significant part of the plantings was made on areas reclaimed for greenery, e.g. by reducing the width of the roadway. The surface of the newly created squares is also made of a water-permeable surface. Care was also taken to ensure that the newly erected lanterns were energy-saving.
The innovation value of the project.
Complete reconstruction of Kondratowicza Street. The area that served as a back-up facility for the construction of the metro in Targówek turned into a green, functional and safe space. The residents also participated in the revitalization of this thoroughfare by planting hundreds of trees and shrubs, thanks to which Kondratowicza Street becomes the “Avenue of a thousand trees”.
