Capital Priorities

Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz talks about how Warsaw is restoring its pre-war beauty street by street Interview by Beata Socha Warsaw’s city center has been under refurbishment for several years now. The revitalization process will also continue in the near future. What has been achieved so far? Since the beginning of my term of office as the mayor of Warsaw, I have been trying to develop all city districts harmoniously. I’ve been consistently modernizing the inner city area to make the city center a convenient place for walking as well as not only a destination for tourists but also for the residents of other districts. Many central streets have already been revitalized, including Al. Ujazdowskie, ul. Świętokrzyska and ul. Prosta, ul. Emilii Plater, Pl. Powstańców Warszawy, ul. Nowowiejska, Pl. Zbawiciela, the sidewalks along ul. Marszałkowska and Al. Jerozolimskie. Also, smaller streets are being refurbished, like ul. Elektoralna, ul. Nowogrodzka, the northern part of ul. Emilii Plater, ul. Noakowskiego and ul. Mokotowska. What is on the agenda now? The revitalization of the eastern bank of the Vistula River is very important to us. It’s a large-scale revitalization program, set to be completed by 2022. We’ve earmarked €250 million for that goal. On the one hand, these will be investments in new government-subsidized houses and improving the conditions in the already existing ones, both in technical and visual terms, in order to restore Warsaw’s pre-war beauty. On the other hand, we are changing public spaces in the city, encouraging the development of tourism, culture, sport and economy, as well as fostering multifaceted development of the local community with business’ cooperation. Changes on that riverbank are already happening. The Museum of Warsaw’s Praga district, located on ul. Targowa, the modernized Powszechny Theater and the National Stadium are examples of places that shape this part of the city. The public transport to that part of Warsaw is excellent. Apart from bus and tram lines, there are the metro stations of the second subway line, connecting Praga with the city center. The metro stations at the National Stadium and at the Wileński Railway Station are important hubs allowing passengers to change conveniently to other means of public transport and to suburban trains. The riverbank itself is also gaining on popularity with Varsovians and with tourists, thanks to a bicycle route and beach areas which bustle with life from spring to fall. How will the second metro line change the city center? Is there no threat that some parts of the center, like ul. Świętokrzyska, will become solely transfer stations? We expect quite the opposite to occur. It is the second subway line that will bring residents from other districts to the center, to the Royal Route, to cultural monuments, etc. The modernized ul. Świętokrzyska is more convenient for pedestrians, it offers a lot of space for cultural events. We expect similar results in Praga. I believe that the subway will breathe new life into Praga. It will be an excellent way to get to the Copernicus Science Centre, to the Powszechny Theater or to the city zoo. The National Stadium station is a stone’s throw away from the major arena, which features plenty of sports and cultural events. Meanwhile, the Copernicus Science Centre station on the west bank of the river is right in front of the Vistula boulevards. The central section of the second metro line will be the fastest and the most convenient connection between Praga and the city center, but also, after changing trains at the Świętokrzyska station, to the northern and the southern part of Warsaw’s west side. The metro will provide drivers with an attractive alternative, as the section between the Wileński Railway Station and ul. Świętokrzyska will take as little as seven minutes. The City Transport Council is estimating the subway will reduce the number of cars driving between Praga and Wola districts by 25 percent. A similar number of passengers will leave trams and buses for the subway, making commuting to the center more enjoyable. We expect a similar effect after the central section of the second metro line is expanded (three stations due west and three due north-east). The metro will become the fastest and the most convenient connection between Targówek and Bemowo, and the city center, and upon changing at Świętokrzyska – with the northern and southern parts of Warsaw’s west bank. How is cooperation going with private developers revitalizing Warsaw? I think that the developers appreciate Warsaw’s potential as an attractive and modern place. We consider the cooperation to be going well. We meet with investors many times each year to facilitate any common initiatives the investors and the city may have, including economic promotion. These initiatives include going to real estate fairs in Cannes and Munich, where we have a joint stand promoting Warsaw at both fairs. This year the city has as many as eight partners, whose investments are of significant importance to Warsaw’s revitalization.