Recent years have witnessed a growing interest in the architecture focused on ecology and environmental aspects. Architects and urban planners are paying more and more attention to the projects and designs connected with waterfronts, waterfront woonerfs, or multi-functional public buildings located on the river banks as well as by the canals and water reservoirs [1]. To develop waterfront areas in harmony with nature as well as economic and cultural aspects the designers seek after exemplary activities and implementations. In the scope of urban planning, more and more designing activities concentrate on the development of downtown waterfronts. Such activities usually encompass selected fragments of urban tissue. A holistic approach to the proper development of downtown waterfront areas is extremely rare. In Poland, many studies are concerned with degraded post-mining areas or widely-understood post-industrial sites. However, it should not be forgotten that many districts where factories ceased to operate are located on the riverbanks or lake shores. The river flowing through the city means not only enclaves of greenery in unregulated sections, but also flood protection and water retention aspects, which constitute part of the ecosystem services of rivers (discussed further on).
This study concentrates on the research issue of built environment pathologies in Polish cities having strong connection with riverside areas, with the emphasis laid on specific architectural objects located in such areas. First, it was analyzed to what extent Polish voivodeship capital cities are connected with downtown water-fronts. Next, a definition of a downtown area was provided, as this notion is ambiguous in Poland (e.g. in terms of the size of the downtown areas subject to comparison). To determine the typology, a diagnostic technique of functional performance was used. The technique consists of success indicators, such as: economic, environmental and social factors.
The initial phase of analyses made use of the qualitative research, which constitutes an invaluable source of the knowledge of buildings and the surrounding space. The qualitative research enables the improvement of designing processes as well as the adaptation of buildings and their surroundings to the users' needs. The initial qualitative analysis encompassed waterfront (riverside) areas in 14 capital cities of Polish voivodeships (provinces), such as the cities of Białystok, Bydgoszcz, Gdańsk, Katowice, Kielce, Kraków (Cracow), Lublin, Olsztyn, Opole, Poznań, Rzeszów, Szczecin, Warszawa (Warsaw), Wrocław. Two voivodeship capital cities – Łódź and Zielona Góra – were excluded due to their weak connotations with waterfront areas. Having reduced the data scope, special attention was devoted to the water-fronts in downtown areas. The paper explains how the term ‘downtown’ is understood in Poland due to different interpretations. The next phase of the research included investigations into the extent and degree of connection of particular voivodeship capital cities with large reservoirs and main rivers on which they are located.
The cities were listed in the following order: from the most connected with water in downtown areas to the least connected. The subsequent stage of the research was based on a
To find the most appropriate methods of preventive actions with reference to the built environment pathologies in downtown areas, the diagnostic technique of
The main scope of the research described in this paper is the
In the article written by Anne Taufen and Ken Yocom,
In aid of the cities come ecosystem services of rivers and reservoirs bringing measurable advantages for the society, such as supply, regulating and cultural services [5]. People “borrow” riverside areas from the nature. Later, such waterfronts make up a spatial and functional structure of the city, however, they still depend on both advantages (ecosystem services) and disadvantages (risk of flooding). The awareness of the advantages is growing at an international level. As a result, actions aiming at the removal of weirs and re-introduction of natural processes in rivers are being undertaken world-wide.
The notion of the waterfront built environment is very broad and may encompass areas located on the shores of lakes, rivers, marshes or groups of small water reservoirs. Each of the above-mentioned types of reservoirs differs in terms of architectural objects constructed there. The lake shores mainly feature recreational objects, whereas marshes have flora and fauna observation platforms. The author decided to focus on riverside areas due to the fact that they, out of all other waterfront places, feature the biggest number of public utility buildings built in downtown areas.
The initial phase of the research encompassed the analysis of 14 voivodeship capital cities: Białystok, Bydgoszcz, Gdańsk, Katowice, Kielce, Kraków (Cracow), Lublin, Olsztyn, Opole, Poznań, Rzeszów, Szczecin, Warszawa (Warsaw), Wrocław. Two cities, namely Łódź and Zielona Góra, were not included due to their weak connotations with waterfront areas. The fact of narrowing the analysis down to Polish voivodeship capital cities resulted from the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic which banned international travel. In-situ investigations and taking photographs of the current state of architectural objects were possible only in author's home country. A full collection of data, made in the form of a table, encompassed the most interesting architectural implementations and degraded objects located on the riverside. The data were collated with reference to rivers and large reservoirs situated in the areas within urban boundaries. Each object was provided with a short description explaining detailed aspects of the object's connotations with the water-front area. In view of the fact that the collected data were too extensive (around 250 items).
Having reduced the amount of data, the attention was paid to downtown waterfront areas. Having conducted own analysis, the Author ascertained that, in practice, in different voivodeship cities, “downtown” means something different and is interpreted in non-identical ways (Fig. 1). In large capital cities of the voivodeships (provinces), “downtown” means a district which encompasses many housing estates, which have their separate names (e.g. in Bydgoszcz, Gdańsk, Katowice, Szczecin, Warszawa (Warsaw)), whereas in smaller voivodeship cities, “downtown” (in Olsztyn, Rzeszów) or “the centre” (in Białystok, Kielce) means the central areas of these cities. In some cities, two areas have been distinguished, one designated as “old town”, the other as “downtown”(e.g. in Lublin, Opole, Wrocław). In two voivodeship capital cities of strong historic significance, the central municipal area is just called the ‘old town’ (e.g. in Kraków (Cracow), Poznań).
The next phase of the research included investigations into different degrees of connection that individual cities have with larger reservoirs and main rivers flowing through them. The table below (Table 1) shows cities that were segregated according to a degree of their connection with water in downtown areas, from the most connected cities to the least connected ones. The highest place in the table was taken by Gdańsk and Szczecin due to their extraordinary location, at the seaside and on the deltas of the biggest Polish rivers – the Wisła (Vistula) and Odra (Oder) rivers. Further cities with strong connection with riverside areas include: Warszawa (Warsaw), Kraków (Cracow), Wrocław and Poznań. The foregoing cities are characterized by interesting waterfront development and a multitude of water-front buildings. The downtown waterfront areas in Lublin, Bydgoszcz, Olsztyn, Rzeszów and Opole have considerably smaller building development; partly due to the fact that they are relatively smaller cities in terms of urban surface. In Białystok, Katowice and Kielce there are rather small lakes or ponds, whereas rivers, which were canalized in the past, are gradually undergoing revitalization.
Polish voivodeship capital cities in the context of rivers and reservoirs in the downtown areas, elaboration by E. Latusek: downtown areas [6], population density of 31.12.2020 [7]
location on the sea shore |
strong connection |
weak connection |
canalized |
no connection |
Name of (person the City | Density /km3) | Downtown Areas | Areas Neighbouring with Downtown Areas | Rivers and Reservoirs within Downtown Areas |
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Gdańsk | 1787.1 | Przedmieście (Old Suburb), Downtown Areas: Stare GłówneMiasto (Main City) | Spichrzów Island, Ołowianka Island | Motława (New Motława), Stępka Canal, River Motława and River Nowa Radunia Canal, Motława Channel |
Szczecin | 1325.1 | Downtown Areas: Stare Miasto (Old Town), Nowe Miasto (New Town), Dzetowo-Grabowo District | Zielona Island, Kępa Parnicka Island, a part of the Łaszownia Island, Grodzka Island | River Odra Zachodnia (West Oder), Duńczyca (old mouth of the River Oder), Grodzki Canal, Mieleński Canal (Przekop Mieleński) |
Warszawa (Warsaw) | 3469.0 | Downtown Areas: NoweMiasto (New Town), Stare Miasto (Old Town), Districts of Powiśle, Solec, Ujazdów | Districts of Nowa Praga (New Praga), Stara Praga (Old Praga), Kamionek, SaskaKępa | River Wisła (Vistula), Stawy Łazienkowskie (Łazienki Ponds), Staw Belwederski (Belvedere Pond), Piaseczyński Canal, Czerniakowski Port, Praski Port |
Kraków (Cracow) | 2386.3 | Old Town: Stare Miasto (Old Town), Districts of Stradom, Kazimierz | Districts of Dębniki, Ludwinów, Stare Podgórze (Old Podgórze), a part of Zabłocie District | River Wisła (Vistula), River Prądnik |
Wrocław | 2192.2 | Śródmieście (Downtown), Stare Miasto (Old Town) | Districts of Krzyki, Psie Pole | Morskie Oko (Eye of the Sea Lake), River Odra (Oder), Navigation Canal, Flood Canal, River Stara Odra (Old Oder), Municipal Canal, Municipal Port in Wrocław |
Poznań | 2038.2 | Stare Miasto (Old Town), Ostrów Tumski Island | Districts of Święty Roch, Piotrowo, Śródka, Zawady, Winogrady | River Warta, River Cybina |
Lublin | 2302.8 | Stare Miasto (Old Town), Śródmieście (Downtown) | Districts of Kalinowszczyzna, Bronowice, Tatary, Dzielnica za Cukrownią (District behind the Sugar Plant) | River Bystrzyca, River Czechówka |
Bydgoszcz | 1955.2 | Śródmieście (Downtown) | Districts of Babia Wieś, Wilczak, Okole | River Brda, Stary Kanał Bydgoski (Bydgoszcz Old Canal) |
Olsztyn | 1945.6 | Śródmieście (Downtown) | Districts of Grunwaldzkie, Podgrodzie, Kościuszki | River Łyna |
Rzeszów | 1525.0 | Śródmieście (Downtown) | Districts of Mieszka I, Pobitno | River Wisłok |
Opole | 859.2 | Stare Miasto (Old Town), Śródmieście (Downtown) | Districts of Nadodrze, Nowa Wieś Królewska | River Odra, Młynówka Canal, Lake Kamionka Piast |
Białystok | 2907.6 | Centrum (City Centre) | Housing Estates: Sienkiewicza, Bojary | River Biała, Serce Pond |
Katowice | 1772.2 | Śródmieście (Downtown) | Districts of Koszutka, Bogucice, Housing Estates of Paderewskiego-Muchowiec | River Rawa |
Kielce | 1763.9 | Centrum (City Centre) | Housing estates surrounding the city centre | River Silnica, Podzamecki Pond |
Łódź | 2292.2 | Śródmieście (Downtown) | --- | --- |
Zielona Góra | 507.6 | No division into districts | --- | --- |
Quoting the definition: “A degraded area is a site where the state of crisis has been identified. In the urbanized areas on a scale of districts and also of the entire cities there is accumulation of negative phenomena of a social, economic, spatial and environmental nature” [8]. It can be assumed that the state of “degradation” is one of the most frequent pathologies of the built environment. Within the scope of research on the pathologies of such environment, the above-mentioned
The diagnostic technique of
Architectural designs of the new buildings on the island were brought up in broad debate on how such building development should be reconstructed or replicated. At present, the second stage of the regeneration of the Granary Island (Wyspa Spichrzów) is being implemented. The most interesting and the most visible object on the island is a former granary called Daleka Droga (Long Way Granary) (Fig. 2). In 2013, there were only fragments of its outer walls, which had to be secured during the regeneration of the River Motława waterfronts around the island. In 2016, a design of the reconstruction of the granary and the construction of new modern buildings in the closest vicinity was presented. Nowadays, the complex serves the purpose of the hotel [9].
Gdańsk is an extraordinary city, also thanks to its strong connection with the cities of Gdynia and Sopot. The above-mentioned cities form the so-called “Tri-city”. In the city of Gdynia, which is as big as Gdańsk, there are currently major transformations in downtown waterfront areas. Such changes include the construction of Sea Towers in 2009 and a residential complex Yacht Park built in 2020. Due to the fact that they are seashore investments, they were not taken into consideration or elaborated on as the paper focuses on the riverside built environment and accompanying objects.
In the city of Szczecin, the areas located on the riverside embankments of the River Odra, the second longest river in Poland, such as: Chrobry Boulevard (Bulwar Chrobrego), Piastowski Boulevard (Bulwar Piastowski) and the Sailors' Avenue (Aleja Żeglarzy) are worth paying attention. The first of the abovementioned riverside embankments, namely Chrobry Boulevard, still awaits regeneration. On the other hand, Piastowski Boulevard (Fig. 3) is a new riverside investment of the Szczecin authorities. The whole project has been a success and enjoys great popularity [10]. The enterprise has popularized the waterfront as a nice walking area among Szczecin inhabitants and tourists alike. Adequate lighting makes it possible to walk along the promenade also at dusk. Along the whole length of the riverside boulevards there is a paved walking route equipped with benches. There is also a cycling path. The whole area is accessible to the disabled. Piastowski Boulevard is approximately 900 metres long, with many bistros, restaurants and cafes located along it. In addition, the Sailors' Avenue (Aleja Żeglarzy) on the riverside embankment (within Piastowski Boulevard) reminds the passers-by of major sea expeditions and voyages. The creation of additional attractions on the empty riverside promenades contributes to the realization of goals connected with
The capital of Poland, Warsaw, also has interesting riverside embankments in its downtown area, along the street called Kościuszkowskie Riverside (Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie). In 2010, the Copernicus Science Centre (Centrum Nauki Kopernik) (Fig. 4) was opened on the site just in front of the former Powiśle Power Plant (towards the River Vistula (Wisła)). The new building broke the alignment of the building development in this fragment of the riverside embankment. The street of Kościuszkowskie Riverside was concealed underneath the new object and under a part of the embankment. That concept made it possible to avoid collisions of pedestrians and cyclists with vehicles travelling on the road of high traffic capacity. In addition, the city was drawn closer to the river, which was cut off from the city by a dual carriageway “Wisłostrada” in the 1970s. The design of the Copernicus Science Centre by Jan Kubec, the founder of the RAr-2 Laboratory of Architecture (RAr-2 Laboratorium Architektury), was based on a landscape approach. The architect spoke of the assumptions of his design studio in the following way: “we make very conscious decisions as regards the choice of designing projects, both at home and abroad; we choose such projects in which we could meet the challenge of the subject of the utmost interest to us, namely the landscape, the waterfront (where land meets water) and the public space” [12].
The design of the Copernicus Science Centre (Centrum Nauki Kopernik) obtained numerous awards. Until July 2017, it was visited by over 7 million visitors [13]. The creation of this type of a building proves how big an impact may be exerted on the built environment by the proper implementation of a well-designed space into urban landscape. As far as
The area worth paying attention to in Cracow is the waterfront located on the opposite riverbank in relation to the Old Town and the Royal Castle, namely the district of Ludwinów – Podwawelskie Housing Estate (Osiedle Podwawelskie). This area features a degraded building of the former ‘Forum’ Hotel, which in the 1990s was one of the most modern and most computerized, four-star hotels in Europe (Fig. 5). The system of reservation and service was based on American NCR computers. Hotel guests had at their disposal the following facilities: a swimming pool, saunas, SPA, a solarium, a tennis court, two restaurants and several conference rooms. However, the hotel was closed down in 2002 due to the soaking of the foundations and flooding of the basements and garages as a result of a structural failure [15]. Since that time, the building has been deserted and the surroundings have been gradually deteriorating. The building has changed its owners, but the height of its storeys is too low, according to modern building standards, to once again accommodate hotel rooms there. In 2010, architects were looking for a solution how to protect the building of the Forum Hotel against demolition. The battle for the preservation of this building has been fought by the aficionados of the contemporary architecture of Kraków (Cracow) for quite a few years now and has produced some interesting solutions recently [16].
The former hotel building is inundated with social initiatives. The building is now covered with the largest billboard in Poland and has become a hipster and fashionable place recently. The building houses the Forum of Spaces (Forum Przestrzenie). Next to the building there is, among other things: a hot-air balloon (providing viewing experience), a whotel (hotel on water) [17], an amusement park, a beach, restaurant barges, a vast green riverside area suitable for walking and a view of the Royal Castle on the Wawel Hill (Zamek Królewski na Wawelu) on the opposite riverbank of the River Vistula (Wisła). There are many events organized in the closest vicinity of the Forum Hotel, such as concerts, exhibitions, food trucks rallies, fairs, markets, festivals and even open-air cinema in the summer [15]. In the city of Szczecin, the waterfront boulevards were filled with pre-designed attractions. On the other hand, in Cracow, the surroundings of the Forum Hotel have become fashionable. The area is attracting bigger and bigger crowds and the very object, in spite of its ugliness, has become the icon of this place. The Historic Preservation Officer of the Małopolska region has justly remarked that, currently, on the Vistula riverside embankments – chaos prevails in this particular area [17]. However, such a municipal phenomenon should be seriously taken into consideration as it features
Similarly to the city of Gdańsk, in the city of Wrocław the attention was paid to an island; this time the Słodowa Island (Malt Island). After the Second World War, the Słodowa Island was a place of leisure [18], especially liked by the youth. In the 1990s, the area was tidied up and provided with walking paths. At present, the island plays a function of a recreational place, mainly for the youth and students who like having barbecues there. In addition, the city organizes some open-air events on the island. In 2018, restoration of the only major building on the island began. The object in question was a historic town house located on the Słodowa Island (Fig. 6). Initially, local activists wanted to take it over and create a venue for social and artistic activities. However, the building was sold by the city to Pro Design company from Poznań.
Over a period of one year and a half, the object was expanded, creating thus a new place for local business. The requirements of the tender stated that the building, apart from business activity, should also include cultural, social and gastronomic functions [19]. The new object, called Concordia Design, was designed by architectural studio MVRDV in 2021 and was awarded the title of the “Building of the Year” in a contest organized by the international architectural portal ArchDaily. The investment was deemed the best in the world in the category ‘offices’ [20]. The design studio decided to partially restore and expand the 19th century town house as well as adapt the building to contemporary needs, which is the most desirable designing solution in terms of functional performance. What distinguishes this building from other objects is a huge open terrace with a view over Wrocław. Moreover, the present-day built environment on the Słodowa Island, along with its flagship object of Concordia Design, is simply besieged with young people.
Following the period of two World Wars, Polish cities witnessed the implementation of many extraordinary investments. The cities destroyed in the war became places where ambitious engineers and architects could spread their wings. The city of Poznań had been regularly flooded for centuries, that is why in the 1960s the municipal authorities decided to implement controversial plans of filling in the existing channel of the River Warta. Such plans had existed since the beginning of the 20th century, when Poznań was under Prussian partition. However, it was not until 1964 that the filling-in works began on the Chwaliszewskie river bend and the dredging of the “relief” channel between the area of Chwaliszewo and the OstrówTumski Island was carried out [21].
In 2012, an idea came up that the old channel of the River Warta should be excavated. This is how the whole process was imagined: “Dumper trucks taking away thousands tonnes of soil, ubiquitous diggers and dozens of people committed to the formation and reinforcement of the riverbanks. (...) First, a channel of a depth of 8 metres should be dug on the site of the river bend. Why so deep? Because that is the exact difference between the river bed and the crown of the floodbanks” [22]. A year later, however, a different concept saw light. The design studio “1050 Pracownia Architektury” designed a park called the River Warta Old Channel Park (Park Stare Koryto Warty) (Fig. 7). Since 1908, this area has bordered on the former, no-longer-used Old Gasworks (Stara Gazownia – located on the former Grobla Island on the River Warta). The architects working for the design studio 1050 Pracownia Architektury designed the building of New Gasworks, called currently the Pavilion [23]. This object gave the park a cultural character, whereas the square, being an entrance zone to the park, provided space for holding exhibitions, happenings and artistic events. The former floodbank was adapted and became an amphitheatre with the panorama of Poznań old town in the background. A bicycle route running over the former filled-in river channel was connected with the bicycle route running along the River Warta, called the River Warta “Highway” (“Wartostrada”). The architects designed also some roofing from the side of “Wartostrada”, which provides protection in case of bad weather. The park features many groves, a meadow with flowers, a fountain, a children's playground and gym equipment. All of this, in accordance with the idea of functional performance, has a positive influence on the living environment. In addition, a radical decision of filling in the old river channel protected local residents from regular flooding.
To conclude, repair actions in the selected voivodeship capital cities contribute to the appearance of some indicators of success, which are directly linked to the imperative of sustainable development:
Economic indicator: Gdańsk – regeneration of Granary Island (Wyspa Spichrzów) caused the influx of stakeholders with their own capital, increased the number of tourists and visitors using new hotels and gastronomic establishments as well as stimulated local yacht navigation; Wrocław – the building of Concordia Design, which was awarded the title of the Building of the Year 2021 in the “office” category, has attracted new users to the meeting and conference zone, causing thus a bigger interest in the island in students and other young people; Environmental (ecological) indicator: Warszawa (Warsaw) – Copernicus Science Centre (Centrum Nauki Kopernik) created additional usable spaces (planes) on the riverside embankment, causing no degradation of the existing area; the busy road of high traffic capacity was concealed under the object and the space was claimed back by inhabitants and nature; Poznań – filling-in of the old river channel protected the neighbouring area against regular flooding; a large downtown area was not built in, as a result, a green park area was created; Social indicator: Szczecin – the city created additional attractions and sightseeing routes on the waterfront promenades, deepening thus the relations between the community and waterfront areas; Kraków (Cracow) – the area of the former Hotel Forum has become a fashionable venue which is attracting more and more people; the place has great potential to gradually become an area of hybrid urbanism.
In accordance with the above-cited article by Anne Taufen and Ken Yocom, the fundamental assumption should be the application of a critical idea of
After years of neglect of the waterfront areas and buildings, ecosystem services of rivers and reservoirs are coming to the cities' aid. The above-mentioned ecosystem services bring measurable advantages for the society by providing: supply, regulating and cultural solutions (Table 2). There is a growing awareness of such benefits at an international level. The communities worldwide undertake actions to remove weirs and reintroduce natural processes into rivers. “The European Union and its member states should also introduce proper legislation and increase the scale of activities aiming at the improvement of the condition of rivers in Europe” [5].
Concurrence of notions: indicators of success within the scope of functional performance, imperative of sustainable development and ecosystem services of rivers and reservoirs, elaborated by E. Latusek
Sustainable Development: | Functional Performance: | Ecosystem Services: |
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Economic aspects | Economic results | Supply services |
Ecological aspects | Environmental results | Regulating services |
Social aspects | Social results | Cultural services |
One of the measurable advantages of the
Economic indicator and related supply services of rivers in downtown areas, elaboration and photos by E. Latusek.
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Rivers flowing through cities are something more than just enclaves of greenery located in unregulated river sections (Table 4).
Environmental indicator (ecological) and related regulating services of rivers in downtown areas, elaboration and photos by E. Latusek.
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The above-listed issues are in concurrence with the social aspect of the
Social indicator and related cultural services provided by rivers in downtown areas, elaboration and photos by E. Latusek
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The most significant success indicators of functional performance on the basis of the conducted investigations, own elaboration by E. Latusek
Functional Performance Success Indicators | ||
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Economic results | Supply ecosystem services |
the provision of municipal transport by water trams, maintenance of harbour activities (e.g. Port Szczecin), designing gastronomic, residential and hotel zones as well as water transport (e.g. marines) in downtown waterfront areas |
Environmental results | Regulating ecosystem services |
the creation of long-term management strategies (e.g. ‘Floating Garden 2050’, ‘Directions of Development and Management of Green Areas in Cracow for the years 2017–2030’), preservation of renaturalised character of river canals and artificial islands (e.g. Stępka Canal, Opatowicka Island), improvement of the accessibility of riverside areas for pedestrians and cyclists (e.g. Wartostrada – the River Warta ‘Highway’) |
Social results | Cultural ecosystem services |
regeneration of the post-industrial building development on downtown islands (e.g. Ołowianka Island), organization of events attracting inhabitants to the waterfronts (e.g. Dźwigozaury – ‘Cranosaurs’ on the Łasztownia Island, Multimedial Park of Fountains, the Xawery Dunikowski Boulevard), reinforcement of cultural identity by erecting iconic buildings (e.g. Cricoteka, The Gate of Poznań – Brama Poznania) |
Application of the diagnostic technique of
There are Polish and international studies related to well-being in connection with waterfronts. These are investigations conducted on different scales with various types of methodology, for instance “The Restorative Health Benefits of a Tactical Urban Intervention: An Urban Waterfront Study” [39]. The described research is based on a small but ever growing number of analyses (conducted mainly in Europe), which show health benefits arising from the contact with waterfronts, rivers and canals – described in the subject literature as “blue health”. The above-discussed indicators of success, developed on the basis of Polish voivodeship capital cities, may be used in the well-being analyses in the context of using urban waterfronts. They may also serve the purpose of creating a certain model for the designing of downtown waterfront spaces.
Applying a more global approach, one can give an example of the study entitled: “The Fit of Urban Waterfront Interventions: Matters of Size, Money and Function”, where a systematic review of unsuccessful interventions on the waterfronts was included [40]. The article entitled “Regeneration Criteria for Adaptive Reuse of the Waterfront Ecosystem: Learning from the US Case Study to Improve European Approach” resorts to similar rhetoric in a contemporary debate on the revitalisation of cities and environment. The researchers took a closer look at weak points of waterfronts, for instance susceptibility to flooding, which provides an opportunity of regeneration of waterfront ecosystems [41]. Application of the diagnostic technique of
This paper is to some extent a response to such a call and invitation to do research on urban waterfronts with reference to functional performance, which constitutes a part of the notion of urban hybridity.
Elimination of undeveloped spaces, may lead to the improvement of safety of downtown waterfronts. Application of the diagnostic technique of functional performance and the search for the indicators of success using the examples of good practice may be treated as opposite research (opposite to the reviews of unsuccessful interventions and weak points of downtown waterfronts) and contribute to the development of the field of architecture and urban planning. The above-discussed indicators of success may be used in the analyses of well-being in the context of using urban waterfronts. They may also serve the purpose of creating a certain model for the designing of downtown waterfront spaces.