Block 39, Szczecin

Block 39 in Szczecin, covered by this study as part of a model urban revitalization program, is currently a chaotic space between buildings, with the internal layout of outbuildings partly preserved. The primary task was to fill in the spatial, functional, and technical gaps that prevent the courtyards from being used effectively. Ultimately, the measures will improve residents’ quality of life and fill the gap in the space by creating an organized circulation layout and forming intimate, semi-private courtyards. The planned changes are not just about renewed, refreshed paving or creating a few squares.

Green areas, meeting places, and private front gardens are spaces that create the conditions for informal, grassroots activities that bring residents together. Given the wide range of possible solutions, the measures adopted in the concept can be seen as a catalog of obvious, basic interventions. Their simplicity comes from being matched to the financial realities of implementation — the costs will likely have to be covered partly or entirely by the residents themselves. At the same time, in our assessment, these means are sufficient to remedy the current mismatch of solutions, or the complete absence of revitalization efforts, in the block.