The Greenkeys projects

The problem of abandoned and devalued urban areas is common among many European cities. The environmental, economic and social decline, which these areas often entail, requires rapid reconsideration and improvements as the lowering of the quality of life may not only spill over to adjacent neighbourhoods, but also the area itself does not need to be relinquished.

The cities are facing difficulties in finding an adequate solution to the main problem of how to apply methods of sustainable rehabilitation to redevelop and enhance the areas in the long term.

The European Commission has started the EU Community Initiative INTERREG III B CADSES (2005-2008), which focuses on increasing the sustainability of cities by initialising the endowment of green spaces. By means of that, local residents and medium-sized enterprises would benefit immediately, but the scientific and practical experiences gained during the projects are equally important as they will promote transnational cooperation in Europe and bring about further projects.

The key question posed by the GreenKeys project is: What are the tools and methods necessary for increasing the sustainability of urban areas by adding green spaces, given the fact that ecological, social and economical conditions are often mutually dependent?
Greenkeys focuses on the improvement of urban green spaces as a step towards more sustainable cities. The three main objectives are

  1. to provide incentives for structural changes in cities by offering opportunities for the enhancement of green spaces. Its 12 partner cities will, together with local stakeholders, develop a strategic approach for the pilot projects to create new or upgrade existing green areas to achieve more accessibility, social and recreational values and ecological efficiency. By the involvement of local activists, the political attention to the benefits of green spaces to urban environments will be increased. GreenKeys will support the implementation/evaluation of pilot projects in order
  2. to develop a “Pool of Green Strategies” (instruments, methods, concepts and good examples) based on the experiences being made to meet the demands of future needs and
  3. to use the synergies to promote the transfer of knowledge by a transnational network and, thus, foster the exchange of the particular national experiences.

In pursuing these goals, GreenKeys brings together 12 cities in 7 countries, 8 scientific supporters, external experts, design studios and NGOs, which participate through their own networks.

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Polish
Sanok - Municipal Park
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Creation of social, recreational and sport facilities

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Type of green space Area   Users
Park    10 ha   residents and visitors


location and site characteristics

The Municipal Park is located in the centre of Sanok, on the slope of the Park Mount (height 364 meters above sea level), which is essential dominant in the town’s panorama. The park was established in 1909 in a “beautiful located, but completely inaccessible and totally mountainous ground" and donated by Dr. Aleksander Tchorznicki. Nowadays it is one of the most attractive places in the town, it is said to be one of the most beautiful parks in Poland and it is the biggest mountain park in Poland. Besides the object is quite valuable not only because of its nature values, but as important cultural element of the municipal policy of those days.
 
The park’s style is an example of a so-called landscape park, in which nature-orientated shapes predominate and the composition of the park’s interiors allows the visitors to admire spectacular sights. There are also many characteristic places from XIX and XX century like alleys, monuments and the water cascade which is called Chopin’s Spring. After Second World War, the park was renovated from destructions of the war. New trees and bushes were planted and walking ways, benches and lighting were built. The park is located in an area which is high above the building area and this makes the park unique in Europe. The park has mainly recreational functions, but it is also a breeding ground of many interesting protected species of flowers, birds and invertebrates. 

current situation

Nowadays the historical garden shape is disappeared or blurred because of natural ecological succession and improper maintenance in the last dozen years. Mostly the park lost very important vistas.
The municipal park is under revitalization, which aims the restoration of its recreational and leisure functions. It is a very complex and long-term process planned for a few years. Currently the rebuilding of the main entrance has been started and moreover a lot of different maintenance activities have been made in order to prepare the park’s surface for future renovation works. The most important activities are focused on the preparation of a semi-natural environment for the future recreational infrastructure.
For the last two years stock-taking of the park’s flora has been completed, and according to this documentation glades were remade. In the near future we plan to restore the park’s alleys and install new benches and dustbins as well as the park will be equipped with a new lighting system and infrastructure for sport activities. Because in the neighbourhood of the scenic platform a concert bowl is going to be built, the protection of the park against the vandalism will be the priority in the field of park’s maintenance. Therefore in order to improve the safeness, we plan to fence the area and close the park for the night.  

development goals

Located in the centre, the park is an important composed element of town’s structure. It is a recreation area connected with the representative part of Sanok. Basic purpose of its development is the restoration of the recreation and leisure functions of the park. This will lead to the restore of importance of the park as visiting-place of the town, as element of a historical route, as part of the towns green structure and at least as one of the biggest and most pleasant place for leisure in Sanok. Moreover the well maintained park with the scenic platform will be a tourist attraction. Another very important aim is the preparation for ecological education purposes, for which the area is predestined as habitat of many protected flowers, birds and invertebrates. 

how to get involved

Interested stakeholders are involved in the implementation of the pilot project by public opinion poll and press information. All persons who are interested in the pilot project are kindly requested to contact local initiatives and the European Integration Team at the Municipality of Sanok.
 
Forest track in the area
 View on a hill in the park

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