The event consisted of a panel discussion on the Polish government proposals for amendment of the legislation on urban planning and how these changes can bring us "Better City, Better Life". The panel was chaired and moderated by one of the best known journalists in Poland, Jacek Zakowski. He was selected for that role as he has written two articles on the state of urban planning in Poland: one in Poland's most influential daily "Gazeta Wyborcza" and one in Poland's most influential weeklies , "Polityka". The panelists were: Olgierd Dziekonski (Secretary of State in the Chancellery of the President of Poland), Pawel Adamowicz (Mayor of Gdansk and Chairman of the Union of Polish Metropolitan Cities), Jacek Wojciechowicz (Deputy Mayor of Warsaw), Adam Kowalewski (chairman of the state Urban-Architectural Commission), Prof. Tadeusz Markowski (chairman of the Polish Society of Urban Planners) and Jerzy Grochulski (Chairman of the Polish Society of Architects). The discussion was recorded and extracts from it will be printed in the Architects journal "Zawod Architekt". The audience of some 70 people included representatives of local government, central government, academics and urban planning professions. One of the conclusions emanating from this event is a desire to hold a conference on the issue of urban planning in the transition economies. It was felt that such a conference should discuss issues such as: metropolitan governance, urban sprawl and education and professional training for urban planners. |
