Centre Of Krakow Research Articles

Heritage and Environment: Greenery as a Climate Change Mitigation Factor in Selected UNESCO Sites in Krakow

The quantity and condition of urban greenery directly affect the quality of life of residents and space users. This quality is linked to measures that reduce the negative impact of climate change. It was assumed that urban greenery should not only be protected but also should have its stock increased, which is not easy in a historical, compact structure under statutory conservation. This paper discusses the issue of green areas in the strict city centre of Krakow, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1978. The study area includes two medieval towns that had their town charters issued in the 13th and 14th centuries, which together formed a central town and a satellite town. Kazimierz and Stradom were subjected to a detailed investigation. A review of the literature and other sources made it possible to identify changes in the structure of green spaces in terms of chronology and quantity. Changes in the area, accessibility and the legal provisions arising from the various forms of statutory conservation and their consequences were analysed. Multi-criteria analyses of the historical urban structure and the types, forms and potential for introducing greenery into the historical area were also performed. The intention was to strengthen green infrastructure, which is a key element in climate change mitigation.

Influence of Krakow Winter and Summer Dusts on the Redox Cycling of Vitamin B12a in the Presence of Ascorbic Acid

Air pollution remains a serious problem in Krakow, Poland. According to the European Environmental Agency, annual mean levels of both PM2.5 and PM10 recorded in Krakow are much higher than EU limit values. Thus, the influence of particulate matter (PM) on the function of living organisms, as well as different physiological processes, is an urgent subject to be studied. The reported research forms part of the multi-disciplinary project ‘Air Pollution versus Autoimmunity: Role of multiphase aqueous Inorganic Chemistry,’ which aims to demonstrate the PM effect on the immune system. The present studies focused on the role of dust collected in Krakow on the redox cycling of vitamin B12a in the presence of ascorbic acid. Dust samples collected during the winter 2019/2020 and summer 2020 months in the city center of Krakow were characterized using various analytical techniques. The influence of Krakow dusts on the kinetics of the reaction between nitrocobalamin and ascorbic acid was confirmed and discussed in terms of the composition of the samples. Possible reasons for the reported findings are provided.

Quantitative Assessment of Changes in Topography of Town Caused by Human Impact, Krakow City Centre, Southern Poland

For the area of historic centre of Krakow (area 9.29 km2), southern Poland, base maps were prepared showing hypsometry and distribution of landforms in historical variant (ca. 1000 AD) and current variant, based on published data mainly from archaeological and geoengineering research carried out for the last 60 years, and including geographic information system (GIS) tools. The aim of the work is to establish changes in undulation of the area studied within the landforms (Vistula riverbed, Holocene alluvial plain, Pleistocene terrace, limestone hills) over the last millennium. Topographic parameters calculated on the basis of the base maps (local relative height, mean slope, limit of areas without aspect and with N, E, S and W aspects) were considered. These changes were linked with dominating trends of the altitude increase due to the development of large area embankments and of convex landforms. The assessment of changes of land undulation includes four authorial methods of quantitative determination of topography changes. Until the beginning of the 19th century land flattening occurred in most of the area of the town centre. Then the increase of local relative heights started to predominate which resulted in changes of other topographic parameters. Differentiated changes, both positive and negative, in the area undulation with altitude increase were determined.

Multi-Attribute Analysis of Contemporary Cultural Buildings in the Historic Urban Fabric as Sustainable Spaces—Krakow Case Study

This study concerns contemporary cultural buildings in the historic city centre of Krakow, Poland, and their assessment in terms of sustainability. The paper aims to bridge a research gap in previous studies on pluralistic values and the impact of cultural heritage on sustainability. The comparative case study conducted in Krakow aims to evaluate the functioning and potential of the space towards achieving the following five goals: accessibility, conservation, mix of functions, aesthetics, comfort and sociability. The perception of these buildings and the public space around them by the city residents, as well as their operation during unexpected circumstances, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, were also evaluated. The author combined an on-site analysis, behavioural mapping and a survey. The results correlate the liveability and aesthetics of public spaces along with the amount and quality of greenery found there with the comfort of users and the popularity of particular places. This paper highlights how important it is to create cultural spaces in a historic city to develop a range of their activities linked to the surrounding public spaces and green areas. Activating cultural spaces and connecting them to sustainability goals is especially important when faced with declining tourism.

Monuments and space: Exercises in political imagination

The monument to the Polish Romantic poet Adam Mickiewicz, erected in 1898 in Krakow’s Main Market Square, is one of the most dynamic spots within the space of the Old Town, in its physical, symbolical and social aspects. Its origins story is an example of proto-patrimonial practices associated with the emergence of the canon of national heritage, understood as specific, existing cultural assets, either material or symbolic, which a given community inherited from previous generations and feels obliged to preserve. Dedicated to a poet whose oeuvre was recognised as priceless national treasure soon after his death, the monument transformed the space around it, imbuing the very centre of Krakow with new semantic codes, associated with the idea of a nation as an autonomous cultural and political community. The statue’s annihilation during the Nazi occupation of Poland and its post-war reconstruction led to a major revaluation of its essential form. The monument changed its patrimonial status and became a kind of a secular relic. Well-integrated into the urban landscape, the Mickiewicz Monument is regarded as one of Krakow’s landmarks, continuously entering interactions with the people around it. For tourists, it is mainly used as a convenient orientation point and an attraction that – as advertised by guide books – ought to be seen and photographed. For Krakow’s residents, it is simply Adaś, a symbol of local identity, a meeting spot and the background for family photographs. Since the very moment of its unveiling, the Mickiewicz Monument has also functioned as a democratic rostrum, becoming one of the brightest spots on the political map of the city.

Effect of Gender and Age on the Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Taxus baccata L. Needles in the City Center of Krakow (Poland)

The aim of the study was to evaluate the differences in heavy metal accumulation in yew (Taxus baccata L.) needles depending on gender and age. Trees growing in the same soil and forest conditions were selected for the study. The study was conducted in the botanical garden in the center of Krakow, and study plots were characterized by the same deposition of pollutants. Needles of yew and soil samples were collected for laboratory analysis. Heavy metal content and basic biochemical parameters were determined in needles samples. The study confirms the importance of gender and, to a greater extent, age of needles in the accumulation of heavy metals by yews growing in an urban agglomeration. On the basis of the results obtained, it can be concluded that male yew individuals have a high tolerance to heavy metal contamination and their high needle concentration. At the same time, female individuals, which are usually less tolerant to environmental stress, seem to have some physiological mechanisms protecting them from excessive heavy metal uptake from the soil. The accumulation of heavy metals in yew needles does not negatively affect the level of their biochemical parameters.

Pozyskać Królestwo Polskie. Z dokumentacji Sekretariatu Generalnego Naczelnego Komitetu Narodowego z 1914 r. i pierwszej połowy 1915 r.

The article is based on the archival material preserved in the National Archives in Krakow, in the fonds of the Supreme National Committee. The documents include many thorough analyses of the Polish Kingdom, its economic potential, the mood of the society, the position and condition of political parties and groups operating in its territories. This was made for one purpose: to win the people of the Polish Kingdom and drag them into the sphere of influence of the Krakow centre. The material reveals the activities and problems of Krakow centre on its way to win the Kingdom’s political parties and organisations, and, above all, to win the sympathy of people for the idea of the Legions and Austro-Polish option.

Silesian Theological Seminary and Częstochowa Theological Seminary in Krakow— the Heritage of the Interwar Period. A Study of the History of Organization Management

After Poland regained its independence in 1918, the Polish Roman Catholic Church needed to be reunited, so that thoroughly educated priests could be deployed to work in the newly established dioceses. The system of teaching had to be reorganized and this issue was fi­nally regulated by the 1925 Concordat which guaranteed the possi­bility of creating a seminary in each diocese. A special situation took place in Krakow, where in the 1920s, in addition to the existing dioc­esan seminary, the Częstochowa Seminary and the Silesian Seminary were located. The article outlines the circumstances in which the seats of these institutions were established outside home dioceses and draws attention to the cultural context of the events of that time, whose mate­rial reflection remains as the two modernist buildings preserved in the center of Krakow.

Regeneration of a historic city block: the example of the relocation of the historic Atelier building to the cloister area of the Congregation of the Resurrection in Krakow

Abstract The article discusses a project that features the relocation of the historic Atelier building, built by Krakow-based architect Wandalin Beringer (1839–1923) who was active in the early twentieth century, and the regeneration of a plot belonging to the Congregation of the Resurrection since 1885, which is located at 12 Łobzowska Street in Krakow. The method includes cutting the entire structure off at the foundation and then after reinforcing it with a steel structure transporting it in its entirety to the new location. The project included two possible variants of moving the building in a straight line, either by 21 or 59 metres and evaluates two projects of further regeneration, the adaptive reuse of the building as an exhibition and religious space as well as a proposal for the remodelling of the nearby plot that belongs to the Congregation into a space for meditation and as a recreational park. The aim of these measures is to prevent the demolition of this building, now over a century old, as a result of which a forgotten element of the cultural heritage of the city will be saved. This project was based on the results of analyses of the cultural and historical conditions of Krakow. The block of buildings in which the Atelier in question is located is a very attractive location, near to the very centre of Krakow, adjacent to residential, service and educational buildings. It is directly adjacent to the Monastery Complex of the Congregation of the Resurrection, listed as a heritage building under conservation protection (municipal registry of heritage buildings). In the second half of the twentieth century, the building was used as a workroom by artists such as Xawery Dunikowski and later by the sculptress Teodora Stasiak. The case of the Atelier may provide an inspiration for discussion as well as raising awareness among citizens and city authorities to avoid future situations in which cultural heritage may become forgotten or demolished.

Built Heritage, Sustainable Development, and Natural Hazards: Flood Protection and UNESCO World Heritage Site Protection Strategies in Krakow, Poland

The protection of larger built-up areas that constitute sections of actively functioning urban zones is a challenge, even under favourable political and economic conditions. The case of Krakow’s historical town centre, which is protected as a historical site by national law and it was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites List in 1978, clearly demonstrates how difficult it is to reconcile the passive character of current conservation doctrines with the demands of the free market and growth-oriented economy, when developer pressure is not sufficiently balanced out by public opinion and urban activist movements, when planning tools are incomplete or insufficient, and the criteria according to which strategic decisions are made are of a quantitative rather than a qualitative character. Apart from commonly encountered problems that are associated with the gentrification of town centres or the negative impact of mass tourism, Krakow must also face a growing flood hazard that stems from its specific and unfavourable hydrological and hydrogeological conditions that are compounded by the uncontrolled and uncoordinated expansion of urbanised areas, the decay of the natural environment, and the consequences of climate change. This article presents the multi-aspect site-specific conditions of the historical centre of Krakow, as well as the analysis of its protection as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the context of flood protection, while taking into consideration the environmental, economic, and social dimension of heritage. The critical conclusions that are featured in the work indicate both areas of possible immediate remedial action and the potential directions that new integrated protection strategies would take.

Extension of the Road Network as the Determinant of Development of the Regions on the Example of Cracow (Poland)

The construction and development of the road network determines the economic level of the region and the country. The aim of the publication is to show the relationship between extension of the road network and the development of the warehouse and industrial areas located in the city and the Krakow region. The methodology of research works consisted in the use of data contained in local spatial information systems for the analysis of land development. The research was carried out at the Rybitwy area. It is an area located in the south - eastern part of Krakow. This area is considered to be the logistic center of Krakow and has been analyzed in the aspect of the impact of the construction of the eastern bypass of the city, on the development of facilities with a warehouse and industrial function. The eastern bypass of Krakow is located along the S7 expressway connecting southern Poland (Zakopane) with its northern end (Gdansk). The conducted research proved that over the period of the investment (2010-2018), more than 19,000 m2 of warehouse and production space were built in the area of Rybitwy. The increase in interest in the analyzed area is also confirmed by a significant increase in the degree of lease in this area. Before the construction of the bypass, the vacancy rate was equal 30% of the area intended for rent, while on the date of analysis (2018) already only 10%. This shows the development of the studied area and its attractiveness for entrepreneurs. In addition, the development of the road infrastructure in the form of the eastern bypass of the city of Krakow (along the S7 route) has contributed to the creation of a special economic zone in the area of the Wieliczka commune. This commune is adjacent to Krakow. The Wieliczka Economic Activity Zone, due to its location in the vicinity of the Krakow agglomeration and direct access to the S7 expressway, encourages entrepreneurs to locate their businesses in this area. At the date of the analysis over 30, 000 m2 of warehouse and production space were built there. Therefore, the development of the road infrastructure is an important factor determining the location of industrial or warehouse facilities, which contributes to the economic development of the region, as well as to the increase of the competitiveness of the Polish economy.

Public Space and Shop Windows

The paper summarises the results of research on the role of the transparency of shop windows in public space upon the example of selected streets in the centre of Krakow. Shop windows played a crucial role in the traditional public space of city centres, offering passers-by an opportunity both to look at the shop’s offer and to see the shop interior. For those inside it gives a sense of the movement in the street. The shop’s quality depends on that of the street, and vice versa. In this sense, transparency is crucial for the relationship of public space with the functions inside the buildings on the edge of the space and for generating and maintaining a vital public domain. With the development of large-scale retailing and the prevalence of advertising covering various ranges of public media, the situation of shop windows has been changing radically. The internal organisation of stores focuses on the internal arrangement of goods so that the largest possible quantities of them are available to the buyer. Shop windows seem to be unimportant and the retail space in the contemporary city tends to be centripetal in its layout. The research measures this phenomenon in the public space of the inner city of Krakow. The study includes a sequence of streets radially extending from the city centre westwards (Szewska, Karmelicka, and Królewska Streets). The streets have diverse characteristics, but within each of them, there is an active space for pedestrians and edges of volumes with various types of services. The study presents the basic characteristics of the streets and their urban blocks, the density of the structure, types of functions of ground floors, the amount of shops, as well as the degree of window transparency.

Cost Analysis of the Possibility of Securing an Energy-Efficient Building Against Harmful Effects of Vibrations on People

The aim of this article is to check vibrational comfort in near zero energy building (NZEB) which is often neglected for this type of building but could be annoying for residents. Building chosen for analysis is experimental building of Malopolska Laboratory of Energy Efficient Building which fulfils requirements for NZEB. The main advantage of this building is that it was design specially for research purposes and it has fourteen zones independently controlled. These zones give opportunity to ensure thermal, humidity, luminosity comfort, but do not measure vibrational comfort. Building is located in the city center of Krakow and very close to Szlak street on which cars and vans move. In this article the vibrational measurements carried out on the top floor of the building are presented. Results indicate that vibrational comfort should be taken into account in NZEB. Second part of the article describes possibility to ensure vibrational comfort in such a building by floor specially design for these purposes. In the city centres, vibro-acoustic floors could be the only solution when vibrational comfort during day or night is exceeded. Three different types of vibro-acoustic floor with different layers’ configuration are described. Their advantages and disadvantages are also shown. In the end, cost analysis is made for different types of floor solutions and the most optimal solution is chosen. The selection is made not only by economic reasons but, above all, by functional premises. The floor solution chosen to be used in Malopolska Laboratory of Energy Efficient Building first of all should ensure the vibrational comfort during daytime because it is office building not residing in the night. The owners of the building will be offered an economic option that meets the requirements of vibrational comfort during the day and an exclusive option that will ensure that the vibration threshold of perception will be not exceeded.

Historical church diagnostic with regards to impact of traffic included vibrations

In the article problem of a comprehensive diagnosis of a historic building with damages is discussed. Dynamic investigations carried out in the church of St. Nicholas in the center of Krakow are an example of diagnostic tests provided to determine the causes of damage. Because the tested structure is exposed to traffic vibrations caused by wheeled vehicles and train passes, special attention has been paid to the impact of these vibrations onto a historic object. Results of measurements of these vibrations as well as dynamic analyzes obtained using FEM model of the investigated church were given.

Energy performance of the photovoltaic system in urban area - case study

Nowadays, photovoltaic systems installed in urban areas may be essential for distributed generation and lead to increase energy security and improve economy of building exploitation. Unfortunately, in many cases their operation in urban area is not so efficient. It is connected with shadowing by neighbouring buildings, trees or by the HVAC systems installed on roofs (including such elements as fans, compressors, etc). Moreover, HVAC systems often occupy “the best” place on roofs. Level of shadowing varies during a day, and a year, significantly influencing on the power generation from PV installations. It caused serious difficulties in designing such installations (e.g. choosing position, orientation, number of modules etc.). In the paper a PV efficiency analysis was performed for the case of photovoltaic installation located on the roof of didactic building in Krakow centre. The projected power of the installation was 8.48 kWp (total nominal power of panels), and 7.5 kWp at the output of the inverters used for own building demand and car load station. The available area for PV system was strongly limited and achieving of the optimal tilting angle was impossible. Presented simulations have been conducted using two commercially available software: TRNSYS and Polysun. Results of the simulations were used for improving operation parameters of the installation. A three approaches was considered: avoiding the shadow, tilting angle optimization and redirecting of additional light stream.

Impact of dust and temperature on energy conversion process in photovoltaic module

The impact of the photovoltaic module temperature and natural dust deposition on the module front surface on the photovoltaic system performance was investigated. The study was conducted in the city center of Krakow, Poland, characterized by high pollution and low wind speed. The objective of this study was to evaluate the photovoltaic module power output decrease and energy conversion loss as a function of the dust deposition mass and cell operating temperature. The results show a significant decrease in photovoltaic efficiency when the mass deposition or temperature increases. The maximum mass deposition observed for exposure periods of one week on a single module exceeds 480.0 mg and results in an efficiency loss equal to 2.1%. The results that were obtained enable the development of a correlation for the efficiency loss caused by dust deposition which is desired by the system designers.

North beltway of Cracow - selected elements of impact on the environment and the real estate market

The construction of such a large road facility as the city beltway can not have an impact on the environment. In addition to the obvious benefits to transport, attention should be paid to the environment of the area, in particular noise and air pollution. In December 2017, the Minister of Infrastructure and Construction signed the investment program for the implementation of the northern Krakow bypass road. General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways, the Kraków branch has announced an open tender for its implementation into the EU. Today, in our tender for the design and construction of the northern bypass road of Krakow, 8 offers was received. All tenderers give the date of completion of all works within 47 months. The length of the two-lane section of the beltway is about 12 km, each roadway will have 3 lanes. The POK (North Beltway od Cracow) will run mostly in the area of the Zielonki commune, through the towns of: Zielonki, Bibice, Węgrzce, Bosutów, Dziekanowice and Batowice. The analysis carried out show a very large increase in the value of real estates located in the northern part of Krakow and adjacent areas in recent years. According to the authors, the construction of the northern beltway and easier access to the center of Krakow through the modernization of the November 29 avenue will contribute to even greater interest in real estates located in this area. Real estate prices will certainly increase, rather only at the beginning of the investment. Residents will gain the comfort of an alternative transport line, but there will also be an increase in noise and air pollution, which is a particularly important problem in and around Krakow. The article presents the validation of these three issues in relation to changes in the real estate market in the commune of Zielonki.

Concept of logistics services for the city centre of Krakow using an integrated tram and bicycle system

The article discusses the topic of hybrid system of supplies to historical city centres with the use of ecological means of transport: bicycles and trams. The paper presents the current problems of urban logistics in historical urban areas on the example of the city of Krakow. On the basis of previous works, a concept of servicing the strict city centre of Krakow with the use of an integrated tram and bicycle system was developed and presented in the article. The work was summarized with conclusions and a plan of further research.

Improvement assessment of the OSPM model performance by considering the secondary road dust emissions

The paper presents the impact assessment of the secondary dust emission from roads included in the calculations of the OSPM (Operational Street Pollution Model) model to improve the quality of the particulate matter dispersion modelling. The research was conducted on the example of the street canyon of Krasinski avenue located in the centre of Krakow for the non-heating period (1.05-31.08.2012). The calculations of the solid particle concentrations were carried out excluding the secondary emissions, with the secondary dust emissions from roads and with the consideration of the street cleaning influence. Evaluation of the model prognostic accuracy was performed using parameters commonly applied in the statistical validation of the air pollutants dispersion models. Actual data concerning the PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations in the air which were used for the assessment of the model performance were derived from the air quality measurement stations located within the examined street canyon. Conducted research proved, that the consideration of the secondary dust emissions for the silt loading values sL = 0.015 g m−2 results in the increased effectiveness of the OSPM model for the PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations, especially from 10:00 to 24:00. The emission rate adjustment method proposed in the study with the street cleaning induced dust resuspension effect taken into account, contributed to better results of the OSPM calculations during the night and morning hours.

Comprehensive assessment of heavy metal pollution in topsoil of historical urban park on an example of the Planty Park in Krakow (Poland)

The Historic Centre of Krakow is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and includes the Main Market Square, which is surrounded by the historical Planty Park. Soils in the Planty Park are an example of a green area in an urban environment that is particularly exposed to heavy metal-rich pollution. To assess the relative content of heavy metals and evaluate the sources of the contamination, pollution indices were used: Enrichment Factor (EF), Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo), Nemerow Pollution Index (PINemerow), Potential Ecological Risk (RI), and Contamination Security Index (CSI). Pollution indices were calculated on the base of both reference and local geochemical backgrounds. Sources of heavy metals in soils of Planty Park are related to its historic role as a metallurgy centre, as well as the more recent urban and industrial development of Krakow centre and neighbouring areas. It is concluded that increased accumulation of heavy metals is an effect of growing numbers of emission sources. The variation of each element may not unambiguously reflect the natural or anthropogenic effect on the Planty Park soil cover. In general, the present and historical emission of pollutants and heavy metal-rich contamination has led to a mixed origin of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn. Moreover, it can be assumed that the content of Cr and Ni is derived from natural sources. Furthermore, a comparison of the quality of the Planty Park topsoil with the heavy metal content assessment in other urban parks in the world has been presented.