Uploaded on 2016-12-17 by Jan Kowalczyk

1. Which are your top livability criteria? First of all it’s worth to mention that all of the criteria from the list are very important when we want to assess the level of city’s livability. However, for me the most important are: a) Job opportunities – the main factor that drives the city are job opportunities. When the city cannot guarantee work for the citizens, they are forced to find other places to live to be able to survive; b) Transportation – mobility is key to make a city livable. Without public means of transport citizens cannot profit from living in a city through e.g. participating in public life, culture, education or recreation; c) Safety – safety was mentioned by Abraham Maslow as the one of the most basic human needs. Without secure place to live, people cannot fulfill their other needs such as love and belonging, esteem and self-actualization; d) Education – In my opinion, livable city should offer good educational opportunities at all levels – from elementary school, or even kindergartens, to the universities. e) Culture – The city should offer the citizens multiple ways of spending free time – recreational areas, cinemas, theatres and other cultural functions that constitute the city culture. 2. Why do we live where we live? For the last 9 years I have lived in the capital and the biggest city of Poland – Warsaw. The reasons why I live here are: a) Education possibilities – I came to the city because of education – I wanted to study in a high school which could help me broaden my horizons, continue the education process at the university and find a job. I continued my education in the city at the University of Warsaw completing two faculties: internal security and social policy; b) Job opportunities – Warsaw can be described as business and financial centre of Poland. The city offers much more work opportunities than other cities and regions in Poland, also average wages are much higher than in other cities. c) Transportation – Warsaw has advanced transportation systems including buses, trams, trains, underground stations and public bikes. Bus lines cover not only the whole city, but also other cities located near the Warsaw. The network of public transport is well planned, which affects the citizens’ mobility. What’s more, comparing to other European capitals, public ticket for all the means of transport is rather cheap and accessible to the majority of the citizens. d) Safety – although capitals are often the most unsafe places, in my opinion Warsaw is a very safe city. So far, there hasn’t been any terrorist attacks, riots or other acts of violence. Also, the number of road accidents is not higher than in other Polish cities. e) Social bonds – Warsaw is the city where the majority of my friends are living, which of course makes the city important for me when it comes to social bonds. 3. To what extend does your own place of residence fulfill your ideal livability criteria? No. Criterion 1-100 rank Explanation 1. Job opportunities 85 All the major international companies have their Polish headquarters in Warsaw, which makes the local job market full of work offers. 2. Transportation 80 Warsaw has an advanced system of public transport including buses, trams, trains, underground and public bikes. 3. Safety 80 For a capital city of a medium-sized country, Warsaw seems to be a safe place to live. 4. Education 75 In Warsaw there are many schools of all types – from elementary to high schools. Also there are more than 20 universities/colleges offering higher education. 5. Culture 55 Cultural offer of the city is something that could be improved. 4. What would you change? In my opinion there’s one thing that should be changed in Warsaw and it’s connected with the city management system. As a citizen, I have a doubt if my opinion is important for the local authorities when creating development policy. For example, when the newest bridge in Warsaw was built, the City organized an internet survey to find a proper name for it. Almost 90% of voters picked the ‘North Bridge’ name. Unfortunately, local authorities decided to name it as they wished – ‘Maria Skłodowska-Curie Bridge’. It may seem an unimportant issue, but it was a proof that authorities ignore the voice of citizens. As a mayor, I would definitely try to improve the quality of cooperation between the local authorities and the citizens. In order to that I’d strengthen the role of participation instruments such as public consultations, local referendums etc. I firmly believe that all important decisions connected with livability level of the city should be made through a consultation process with the local society. 5. Why do we move? First of all, I have to admit that I’m really happy with the place that I live and I wouldn’t change it right now. If I’d have to imagine a situation when I need to move out, I would pick three destinations: a) Tricity (Gdansk, Gdynia, Sopot) (Poland) – I think that Tricity consisting of Gdansk – business centre, Gdynia – the most livable place in Poland and Sopot – tourist destination is the best place to live in Poland. Located near the sea, it provides citizens with better climate conditions (including clean air, water etc.), great culture and architecture and of course work and educational possibilities. Transportation system connecting the three cities is also a big advantage. Especially Gdynia is a perfect place to leave – the phenomenon of the city is connected with its history. Gdynia was built in the interwar period, when Gdansk had a status of independent city. Gdynia was designed as a brand new city, the main port of the Republic of Poland and its link with the sea. Now it’s one of the most livable cities in Poland, winning many prizes and leading in livability rankings. b) Vancouver (Canada) – Although I don’t want to leave Poland, Canada seems to be a perfect place to live, of whih Vancouver is a perfect example. It is supposed to be one of the most livable places in the world. My inspiration for picking Vancouver was a book of written by Charles Montgomery - ‘Happy City. Transforming our lives through urban design’. Vancouver is mentioned there as a good example for other cities and a source of good practices. c) Łódź (Poland) – it’s the third biggest city in Poland, in the central part of the country. Łódź is a perfect example of post-industrial city affected by the political and economical transformation in Poland in the 90s. Now it is a city of contrasts; on one hand it has beautiful monuments – old factory buildings, old tenement houses, villas and parks, on the other hand there is a lot of degraded areas. The reason why I picked Łódź is that local authorities are really focused on bringing the city back to its previous magnificence. They pay attention to city development, especially urban renewal and revitalization of the city centre. As first in Poland, they conduct the project of ‘areal revitalization’, trying to renew whole city quarters, not only singular buildings. The best proof that Łódź is trying to regain its past splendor is the EXPO International application. The city wants to organize the EXPO exhibition in 2022, with the main topic being urban renewal. The main motto of the exhibition shall be ‘City Re:invented’. In can be very important event shaping the city’s future. I also recommend you to watch the short movie about Warsaw history: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ejd2rsXoQSI