Zabrze – The City as Space for Development
The Norway Grants-funded project has entered the implementation stage. An aquapark, skatepark, brine graduation towers, and a number of interesting meetings and events targeting i.a. young people, students and seniors are just a few of the projects p
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All will be delivered in Zabrze over the next three years thanks to funds secured from the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021, and the state budget. The “Zabrze – The City as Space for Development” project is under implementation in Zabrze in partnership with the Silesian University of Technology and Higher Technical School in Katowice, in collaboration with Association of Polish Cities advisors. All assignments planned as part of the aforementioned project shall be implemented by 30 April 2024 at an overall cost of PLN 15,328,498.86, with Grant funding of EUR 3,371,346.

The project has been designed to boost social-and-economic and institutional development. The former will give rise to an improvement of urban life by enhancing the economic and social potential, natural environment condition, and urban space quality. Institutional development assumes i.a. improved activity cohesion, boosting local residents’ trust in public institutions, and designing state-of-the-art public service standards.

The “Zabrze – The City as Space for Development” project includes efforts to redesign the Metallurgical Park; revitalisation and new small architecture have been planned. This is where the aquapark and skatepark will be developed. The investment will make the Metallurgical Park a wonderful family free time venue.

Norwegian Financial Mechanism funds will make it possible to develop brine graduation towers in Kończyce (Dorotki Street) and Maciejów (Kondratowicza Street, near the “Orlik” stadium) at a cost of nearly PLN 1.5 million. Contracts to develop both facilities were signed on 29 September 2022. The activity will be finalised within a term of eight months as of the contract date, i.e. by end of May 2023. Aforesaid investments will allow a revitalisation of space for graduation towers. Bicycle stands and small architecture will prevail, including benches, dustbins, and ecological lighting.

The Registry Office in Zabrze has been improved already, having been adapted to needs of persons with disabilities. Architectonic barriers in the building have been eliminated, visual communication improved and adapted to meet the needs of target groups with assorted needs (see photo).

First urban events have already been held as part of so-called soft projects. Two “Summer in the City” editions of educational-and-occupational day camps were organised over the previous summer holidays. Children participating in the day camps played, took sightseeing tours of Zabrze, and learned about the specifics of assorted professions. The day camp project was co-ordinated by the Family Development Centre in Zabrze.

In late October, families competed in “The Diamonds of Zabrze”, a field game designed to expand knowledge of the local small homeland. Also in October, an agreement for the delivery of training courses preparing anyone concerned for local start-up development was signed in the Historical Room of the Zabrze Town Hall, as part of the Zabrze – The City as Space for Development” project.

Norwegian Financial Mechanism funds secured by Zabrze will also be allocated to the purpose of organising free-access educational classes, such as open-air and/or ecological events designed to expand local knowledge and promote good practices, thus contributing to the protection of all and any natural environment components indispensable to human life.

The “Zabrze – The City as Space for Development” project will further include the Urban Accessibility Standard, which assumes improved urban accessibility pursuant to the Accessibility Plus programme.


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