Reclamation and development of post-industrial sites for recreation as exemplified by projects carried out in Poland in the 1920s and 1950s

Abstract

The aim of this article is to present spectacular examples of reclamation and development of post-industrial sites, carried out in Poland in the 1920s and 1950s, with emphasis on their recreational function. Examples include a park built between 1889 and 1920 by Wojciech Bednarski in the valley of the former quarry in Podgórze, now the right-bank district of Krakow, and “General Jerzy Ziętek Provincial Park of Culture and Recreation”, now called “the Silesia Park”, created in the 1950s on degraded post-industrial land located within the borders of three cities: Chorzów, Katowice and Siemianowice Śląskie. Both parks are examples of reclaiming brownfield sites for recreational use in order to create attractive leisure spaces. They have become a model and point of reference for other park planning projects in Poland. Their spatial and functional design is exceptionally timeless. The study is mainly based on a review of the literature of the subject.