Creating the Green Arteries of Wrocław

• Seven years – from idea to implementation
• The city needs trees.

The plan to turn Legnicka and Lotnicza Streets into a green area, called the 'Green Arteries of the City' includes green belts belonging to the Municipality of Wrocław located along traffic routes: roadways, tram tracks, bus stops, pavements and cycle paths. The idea was first conceived in 2015 at the end of Mayor Rafał Dutkiewicz's last term of office - it was to be finalised in 2018, and Agata Wałek's design was to be modelled on Paris' Les Champs Elysees.

Seven years of preparations

However, the 'Green Arteries' took seven years to complete. The plan was developed in stages, through careful analysis and agreement. Prior to the commencement of planning work, a dendrological inventory, an analysis of the local land use plan, guidelines from the authorities managing the land, the route of underground and overhead infrastructure networks, and an assessment of the capacity of the land for planting, terrain, functional and spatial analyses were carried out to determine the composition of the planned green areas. Inspection wells were drilled to assess the soil for planting, and visibility triangles were analysed. 

A preliminary design outline was initially prepared, taking into account the capacity of the site for planting, as well as design guidelines and analysis conclusions. A breakdown of the projected trees by size and dimensions was used, depending on the area available, the usable space, the function to be performed or the need to maintain normative distances. The number and location of the trees was then adjusted in the course of the agreement and verification of the proposed design solutions. The next step was to select species in relation to the existing vegetation, consistent with the volume and style of nearby developments and adapted to the use of the land. And lastly, in addition to a detailed maintenance plan for the plantings, a number of solutions are envisaged to support the development and acclimatisation of trees in difficult urban conditions, i.e. root screens, replacing soil and soil substrate for trees planted in paved areas, mycorrhisation, hydrogel, water drainage bags and tree bleaching to protect against pests.

Maple, lime and chestnut trees

A total of 932 trees of 16 species will be planted in Szczepin, Popowice and Gądów Mały, exactly 403 at Legnicka Street, and 529 at Lotnicza Street. Field maple Elsrijk, large-leaved linden, ash, Norway maple, Inermis and Skyline triple-thorned acacia, silver birch, small-leaved linden, Turkish hazel, Juneberry, sycamore, red-horse chestnut, American sweetgum, Greenspire small-leaved linden, Schwedleri Norway maple, London planetree and European aspen Erecta were chosen.

The designer, landscape architect Agata Wałek, openly admits that in urban spaces the conditions for green growth are usually challenging. These difficulties include limited space for the development of root systems, poor air and water conditions in the soil, air pollution and salinisation of the soil after winter, with the consequent risk of physiological drought and adverse effects of salt spray on the plants.

– These conditions are typical in urban green spaces, but we all know that the aim should be to increase the number of trees in urban areas. After all, they are a primary source of oxygen, reduce air pollution, provide shade in the summer, and also fulfill a recreational, aesthetic or educative function – emphasises the designer of the 'Green Arteries' Agata Wałek and Prof. Monika Ziemiańska, who provided substantive support for the project.

The first tree – a lime tree – was planted on Strzegomski Square, and another 31 will be planted provided the weather conditions are favourable.

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  Fourth-class invaders

  We wanted to recreate meadows and their biodiversity destroyed by goldenrods – says Prof. Magdalena Szymura. For six years she conducted an experiment with plants that had become an inspiration for poets and a nuisance for biologists.

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  UPWr part of SusPlant international project

  The researchers involved in the project will investigate consumer attitudes and preferences towards innovative food products, including meat substitutes, in the societies of participating countries – Sweden, Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine and Moldova. The joint efforts aim to discern consumer attitudes towards new products on the market and facilitate the composition of a healthy and balanced diet.