Planning and Functional-Spatial Transformation of the City of Szczecin in Period from 2nd Half of 19th to 21st Century, Remedial Suggestions

Abstract

In the last century, Szczecin underwent three major planning and urban transformations. These transformations were resulting of historical, system-political, economical-economic and social factors. The aim of the current study is to present the stages of functional and spatial changes of Szczecin during the last century, together with an indication of their causes and their effects. At the same time, guidelines will be proposed for the recovery program aimed at enabling further cohesive development of the city while maintaining its identity. This is particularly important in the context of the deepening spatial disorder in the city. The first stage of intense development of Szczecin was initiated in 1873 by the decision to liquidate the fortifications surrounding the city, which allowed for quick expansion of the city area and development of post-fortress areas according to plans established in 1874. In 1912, a new spatial development plan was approved, which was implemented successively. As a result, parts of the city were created with different functions and character: industrial, workers, residences of middle and upper class, etc. The provisions of the plan included the issues of maintaining spatial order and establishing green areas. The next stage of spatial transformations was triggered by the huge destruction of World War II. Along with the annexation of German Szczecin by Poland, a new direction in the history of the city’s development was initiated. The continuation of pre-war plans was abandoned, while new guidelines were established based on Soviet experience in shaping housing developments. The space left by destroyed town houses was occupied by large-panel housing estates, the spatial layout of which did not, in most cases, continue the former building lines. The estates were designed according to the newly adopted indicators and guidelines, and their structure and management was based on the idea of a “neighbourhood unit”. Decisions made in the 1950s and 1960s irrevocably damaged the historical structure and character of the city before World War II. After 1989, the city of Szczecin is undergoing another planning and urban transformation. The change in the political system of the Polish State resulted in subsequent changes to the land development plans. The slow process of adopting local zoning plans in the years 2000-2010 caused another chaos in the city space. According to the regulations, the newly created housing communities independently decided on the appearance of buildings and their surroundings, which leads to the urban space being de-urbanized. This is a contradiction of the city’s spatial policy adopted in the study of the conditions and direction for spatial development of Szczecin. The action that could help in solving the problems would be to divide the city into a number of zones independent of the administrative division. These zones would cover typologically similar areas of the city, such as a residential zone with predominant pre-war buildings, a zone with dominant buildings from 1945-1989, and a zone with buildings developed after 1989, industrial and post-industrial areas, areas for investments, etc. The study of conditions and direction of spatial development of Szczecin should contain separate guidelines for all zones, because each of them has specific conditions and priorities. It would be advisable to set up urban and architectural commissions consisting of specialists in various fields that would help in setting the guidelines.