‘Green axis of the city of Lublin’. Parks along the Bystrzyca River over 100 years (1919–2019). Plans versus realisations

Kamila Boguszewska

doi:10.37190/arc240205

Abstract

The system of green areas in Lublin is associated with river valleys. The Bystrzyca Valley is the main compositional and natural axis of the complex, therefore its development was one of the priority planning activities both in the interwar period and after the war. The aim of the article was to analyse local plans and provisions for parks designed in the Bystrzyca Valley in the 20th and 21st centuries. The issue was identified on the basis of literature and archival research, and after conducting a comparative analysis of the studied parks and the current state of land use, the evolution of the assumptions adopted in the interwar period was presented. A detailed analysis covered the designs of three riverside parks, which were to constitute a “green axis” within the city’s administrative borders in the immediate vicinity of downtown Lublin. The work carried out allows the conclusion that the authorities of interwar Lublin, whose area in 1916 was seven times smaller than today and amounted to 26.9 km2, treated the development of river valleys as an important reservoir of green areas. A similar vision was close to the planners of the post-war period. Currently, with the significant expansion of the city, maintaining the recreational function of green areas in river valleys and protecting them from development is crucial from the point of view of the health and quality of life of residents.

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2024

2(78)

Kamila Boguszewska*

“Green axis of the city of Lublin”.

Parks along the Bystrzyca River over 100 years (1919–2019).

Plans versus realisations

DOI: 10.37190/arc240205

Published in open access. CC BY NC ND license

Abstract

The system of green areas in Lublin is associated with river valleys. The Bystrzyca Valley is the main compositional and natural axis of the com-

plex, therefore its development was one of the priority planning activities both in the interwar period and after the war.

The aim of the article was to analyse local plans and provisions for parks designed in the Bystrzyca Valley in the 20

and 21

centuries. The issue

was identied on the basis of literature and archival research, and after conducting a comparative analysis of the studied parks and the current state

of land use, the evolution of the assumptions adopted in the interwar period was presented. A detailed analysis covered the designs of three riverside

parks, which were to constitute a “green axis” within the city’s administrative borders in the immediate vicinity of downtown Lublin.

The work carried out allows the conclusion that the authorities of interwar Lublin, whose area in 1916 was seven times smaller than today and

amounted to 26.9 km

, treated the development of river valleys as an important reservoir of green areas. A similar vision was close to the planners

of the post-war period. Currently, with the signicant expansion of the city, maintaining the recreational function of green areas in river valleys and

protecting them from development is crucial from the point of view of the health and quality of life of residents.

Key words: Lublin, park, Bystrzyca River, spatial planning, city environmental system

* ORCID: 0000-0002-1513-2490. Faculty of Civil Engineering

and Architecture, Lublin University of Technology, Poland, e-mail:

k.boguszewska@pollub.pl

Introduction

The system of green areas in Lublin is related to the

Bystrzyca River valley, which is the main compositional

and natural axis dividing the city into two parts – eastern

and western [1]. In addition to the Bystrzyca valley, Lub-

lin’s green areas are enriched by two other river valleys

– Czerniejówka (meridional course) and Czechówka (lati-

tudinal course) and a system of 84 dry erosion-denudation

valleys within the administrative borders of the center [2].

The relief of the land, and in particular the ravines and

dry valleys, were one of the factors that determined the cre-

ation and shaping of the Lublin urban organism [3]. Cur-

rently, these formations are part of the Ekologiczny Sys-

tem Obszarów Chronionych – ESOCh [Ecological System

of Protected Areas], in which the priority is to maintain

the integrity and continuity of ecological and spatial struc-

tures. This is of great importance in the context of the ae-

ro-sanitary conditions of the city, rainwater retention and,

therefore, the health and well-being of its inhabitants [2].

The key issue in this context is the development of the

Bystrzyca Valley, which was one of the priority planning

activities both in the interwar period and later, after World

War II. It can be argued that the authorities of Lublin,

whose area in 1916 was seven times smaller than today

and amounted to 26.9 km

, treated the development of river

valleys as an important reservoir of green areas. A similar

vision was close to the planners of the post-war period.

Cur-

rently, with the signicant expansion of the city’s area, main-

taining the recreational function of green areas in river val-

leys and protecting them from development is crucial from

the point of view of the health and quality of life of residents.

The aim of the research discussed in the article was to

show – based on a comparative analysis of projects from

the 20

and early 21

centuries and the current method of

land use – the evolution of the assumptions adopted in the

44 Kamila Boguszewska

interwar period. A detailed analysis covered the designs of

three riverside parks, which were to constitute a “green axis”

within the city’s administrative borders in the immediate

vicinity of downtown Lublin.

The state of research

The issue of Lublin’s spatial development has been the

subject of numerous articles and monographs. Public green -

ery and its place in the city structure have always been

complementary element that is part of spatial planning.

Feliks Bieczyński wrote on this topic in his study on the

development of 19

-century Lublin [4] and Gerard Ciołek,

who focused on monastery gardens and their importance in

the urban tissue [5], [6]. Aleksander Kierek [7] document-

ed the spatial development of the city at the turn of the 19

and 20

centuries, and an attempt to create a full systemat-

ics of the manner and directions of Lublin’s development

from the Middle Ages to the present was made in 1974 by

Henryk Gawarecki [8].

A rich source of information and cartographic materials

regarding planning of the post-war period is a publication

from 2005, published by the Lublin City Hall, dealing

with the history of the Lubelska Pracownia Urbanistyczna

[Lublin Urban Planning Studio] from its establishment in

1955 to 2005 [9]. It highlights the activities of outstanding

architects and urban planners – Romuald Dylewski and

Henryk Matwiejuk, who had a huge impact on the spatial

development of Lublin. Dagmara Kociuba [10] and Na-

talia Przesmycka [11] also wrote about the history of the

city. In her articles, Kociuba touched upon the issues of the

role of spatial planning in the shaping and development

of Lublin, the natural conditions of Lublin’s pre-location

development, the impact and role of surface water in the

development of the urban centre and the cultural landscape

of Lublin against the background of natural and urban con-

ditions. The topic of post-war planning was the subject of

articles by Izabela Pastuszko [12]. The following wrote in

more detail about selected garden designs in Lublin: Jan

Niedźwiedź about public gardens in Lublin designed by

Feliks Bieczyński [13], Natalia Kot describing the green-

ery in the industrial district of the city [14] and Kamila

Boguszewska, who focused on unrealized garden plans for

the city of Lublin [15].

This does not change the fact that the issue of shaping

green areas in Lublin’s river valleys in the planning context

after World War II has not been studied and described in de-

tail to this day. In this context, it seems important to trace

the

activities undertaken over the last century in order to show

a broader perspective and identify similarities and dier-

ences in the planning approach to the city’s riverside areas.

Test methods

The rst phase of the work was based on literature and

archival studies, which allowed for precise identication of

the issue and posing research questions. A detailed search

of archival city plans was carried out in the resources of

the Lublin Urban Planning Studio of the City Hall and the

State Archives in Lublin. In the second phase, after col-

lecting and selecting the materials, a comparative analysis

of cartographic materials from the 1930s and post-war and

contemporary plans and planning studies regarding the de-

velopment of the Bystrzyca Valley was carried out. This

activity was intended to provide a broad understanding of

the area being the subject of the article and the directions

of its development specied in planning documents.

Then, three riverside parks were subjected to a detailed

analysis – Wyścigi Park, Rusałka Park and Central Park,

which, according to the planners of the Lublin Urban Plan-

ning Studio, were to constitute a “green axis” within the

administrative boundaries of the city, in the close vicinity

of the Old Town Hill and the city centre. The comparative

analysis was based on:

– cartographic materials and studies for the studied areas

from the 1930s, 1950s and 1970s, such as Ogólny plan za-

bu dowania miasta Lublina, strefy 1929–1932 [General

de velopment plan of the city of Lublin, zone 1929–1932]

[16], Ogólny plan zabudowania miasta Lublina, budynki

użyteczności publicznej 1929–1932 [General development

plan of the city of Lublin, public buildings 1929–1932]

[17], Ogólny plan zagospodarowania przestrzennego mia-

sta Lublina [General spatial development plan for the city

of Lublin] (1954) [18], conceptual designs of riverside

parks: “Wyścigi Park”, designed by architect B. Szymczak

(1975) [19], “Dolina Bystrzyca – Rusałka Park”, designed by

architect B. Szymczak (1975) [20], “Dolina Wielkiego Sta wu,

Centralny Park Miejski”, designed by architect H. Ma twie-

juk

(1970) [21],

– currently applicable documents, including: Studium

uwarunkowań i kierunków zagospodarowania przestrzen-

nego miasta Lublin, część I [Study of the conditions and

directions of spatial development in the city of Lub lin,

Part I] (2019) and Miejscowy Plan Zagospodarowania

Prze strzennego Ekologicznego Systemu Obszarów Chro

nio nych Miasta Lublin dla wybranych terenów położonych

w re jonach dolin rzecznych – rejon Podzamcze III, 2016

(7A) [Local Spatial Development Plan of the Ecolo gical

System of Protected Areas of the City of Lublin for se -

lected areas located in river valleys – Podzamcze re-

gion III, 2016 (7A)] [22],

– current state of use.

Development plans of the Bystrzyca valley

in the years 1919–1939

One of the key concepts guiding the activities undertak-

en in the interwar period was the development of Lublin’s

river valleys. In 1924, a decision was made to organize

a competition entitled “Plan of the great city of Lublin”

for a regulatory sketch of the city, where one of the de-

mands was to improve the quality of green areas existing

in the city and to create new publicly accessible parks on

the Bystrzyca and Czerniejówka rivers. The competition

assumptions include guidelines […] drainage and higieni-

zation of riverside lowlands […] development of circular

avenues and […] providing a sucient number of parks

and gardens, connecting forests and excursion sites, reg-

ulating rivers etc. [8, pp. 216, 217]. The functional pro-

gram of the competition assumed a functional division

“Green axis of the city of Lublin”. Parks along the Bystrzyca River over 100 years (1919–2019). Plans versus realisations 45

of the green space on the Bystrzyca River, which was to

be connected by one communication route in the form of

a riverside boulevard.

Newly established parks were to include earlier forms

of land use in their program. It was planned to create a riv-

erside bathing area, design a “sports park”, which includ-

ed pitches, courts and exercise areas, and an “amusement

park” in the form of a people’s park. The area includes chil-

dren’s gardens and exhibition spaces located in the Tatary

meadows near the Old Town Hill [11, p. 244]. In 1932, the

“Building Plan for the City of Lublin” was adopted, and

a year later the Urban Planning Commission of Polish Cit-

ies developed a position in the form of an opinion which

approved the general principles of development of the ex-

pansion of Lublin [15, p. 33]. The implementation of these

plans was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II.

Development plans for the Bystrzyca valley

after World War II

In the post-war period, the Bystrzyca Valley was rede-

veloped and the idea of creating a system of linear parks

connected by a boulevard was revived.

It should be noted that the 2

half of the 1950s was

a time of the “design thaw” characterized by the relaxation

of the government’s repression towards the activities of de-

signers and planners. Architects and urban planners of the

Lublin Urban Planning Studio began to return to the as-

sumptions and planning directions of shaping the city from

the interwar period in the modernist spirit [12, p. 68]. This

was reected in the appropriate functional zoning of the

city while using its natural topography. The key element

in the “new” development and layout of the city were to

be green areas fullling recreational, sports and insulation

functions – accompanying the communication function [23,

pp. 160, 161]. Therefore, the ideas of modernist parks with

a “sports” function (Rusałka Park with the Ludowy Park

and Wyścigi Park) and an “entertainment” function (Cen-

tral Park) were repeated, which had already been envisaged

in earlier plans from 1929–1932 [24, p. 13] (Fig. 1a).

In 1957, in the protocol and expert opinions for the gen-

eral plan of Lublin, it was emphasized that […] Thanks to

the city’s three river valleys and upland areas unsuitable

for development due to large slopes, Lublin has very favor

able conditions for arranging various green and sports

areas

[26, C56]. The priority then was the construction

of the Central Park and Rusałka Park. In the years 1959–

1979, many planning studies were carried out as a basis for

the development of the Bystrzyca Valley. These included:

spatial development plans for Lublin from 1959 and 1969,

which included the implementation of new green areas

building the “green axis of the city of Lublin” [27, pp. 3,

6–8]. It was then noted that the appropriate development of

green areas “will determine the standard of use and further

development of the city of Lublin” [27, p. 6]. Therefore,

the priority for the authorities was to “green” the Bystrzyca

valley. The activity of the Lublin Urban Planning Studio

was crucial in this matter, where in the years 1972–1978

detailed and implementation studies were carried out for

this valley. At that time, concepts for six new parks and

ve implementation plans for recreational complexes were

created. Counting from the southern side of the city, these

were the following parks and recreational complexes:

1) Zemborzyce complex with an area of 2,404 ha with

a reservoir

and the Dąbrowa Forest, whose main function

was sports and recreation [27],

Zemborzycki Reservoir is an artificial water reservoir located in

the south-eastern part of the city. It was created by damming the waters

of the middle section of Bystrzyca Lubelska. The decisive factor in the

decision to build it was the flood of 1964. The project was developed in

1970–1971 by the Hydroprojekt company from Warsaw. Basic construc-

tion works were carried out in 1972–1973. The Zemborzycki Reservoir

was built as a social initiative and put into use in 1974.

Fig. 1. Development plans of the Bystrzyca valley:

a) Lublin city plan, 1931 (source: [25]), b) fragment of the city’s general spatial development plan, 1954 (source: [18]),

1 – Wyścigi Park, 2 – Ludowy Park, 3 – Rusałka Park, 4 – Central Park (elaborated by K. Boguszewska)

Il. 1. Plany zagospodarowania doliny Bystrzycy:

a) plan miasta Lublina, 1931 (źródło: [25]), b) fragment ogólnego planu zagospodarowania przestrzennego miasta, 1954 (źródło: [18]),

1 – park Wyścigi, 2 – park Ludowy, 3 – park Rusałka, 4 – park Centralny (oprac. K. Boguszewska)

a b

46 Kamila Boguszewska

2) Majdan Park with an area of 272 ha with the leading

function of exhibition areas, supplementing the program

with a complex of sports shooting ranges and allotment

gardens,

3) Wyścigi Park with an area of 243 ha, intended mainly

for horse sports enthusiasts, with a race track, a riding club,

a horse riding school, and was ultimately to be enriched

with an amusement park in the area formerly occupied by

a sugar factory,

4) Rusałka – Ludowy Park with an area of 160 ha, dedi-

cated to young people with games and entertainment areas

– of citywide importance,

5) Central Park located in the Wielki Staw valley in the

immediate vicinity of the Old Town Hill, with an area of

317 ha, planned to accommodate the maximum number

of mass events of citywide importance, with a stadium for

70,000 people, exhibition and commercial areas, a chil-

dren’s garden and passive recreation areas [15, pp. 7–17],

6) Kalina-Hajdów Park with an area of 268 ha in the

form of a recreational complex, mainly in the form of open

allotment gardens [27, pp. 3, 6–8], [15, pp. 7–17] (Fig. 2).

The area of the then development covered an area of

3,664 ha, of which 2,392 ha were designated for areas with

a leading recreational function. Below is a summary of the

areas of the newly designed parks (Fig. 2).

A huge limitation in the implementation of parks, sig-

nicantly hampering the implementation of activities,

were the so-called conicting functions constituting ap-

proximately 25% of the entire study area (944 ha). The fol-

lowing were considered particularly unfavourable:

– production – sugar renery and tannery with their nui-

sance due to the emission of unpleasant odours in the area

of Ludowy Park and Wyścigi Park, as well as Krause’s

Mill – aecting the area of the Central Park,

– a landll for garbage and production waste from sand

mines – of signicant importance, in particular for the Ka-

lina-Hajdów Park and the Majdan Park,

– degraded residential buildings – aecting the con-

struction of the Wyścigi and Kalina parks [19, p. 5].

Many variables were taken into account during the de-

sign process of parks on Bystrzyca. The key assumptions

were the following aspects:

– environmental in the form of eliminating conict-

ing functions, not disturbing and maintaining the features

of the natural environment, improving water quality in

Bystrzyca and maintaining the functions of green areas,

which play a key role in the city’s ventilation process,

– landscape, including making the slopes of the river

valley visible and appropriate exposure of Lublin’s pan-

oramas, damming rivers for landscape purposes and deter-

mining the maximum height of newly constructed neigh-

bouring buildings,

– functional and programmatic – according to the plan-

ners, the main functional axis of the green areas system

was to be the boulevard on the Bystrzyca River, which was

to enable users to reach individual services within 20 min,

the leading function of the area’s use was sports, recreation

and culture; the program was therefore a recreational pro-

gram of citywide importance,

– communication – the road system was to be intro-

duced to a minimum extent in order to service the urban

structure, full segregation of road and pedestrian trac

was assumed by creating footbridges and tunnels, the axis

of pedestrian communication was to be the boulevard over

Bystrzyca [27, pp. 6–8].

Compositions of parks

in the Bystrzyca Valley

Post-war plans for Lublin’s green areas were in fact

a continuation of the plans from the interwar period. The

concern for preserving the picturesque nature of the city

and appropriate protection of panoramas and exposures,

expressed very strongly in the 1920s when announcing the

competition for a regulatory sketch of the city of Lublin,

was reected more than 30 years later. It clearly proves

this Ogólny plan zagospodarowania przestrzennego mia-

sta Lublina from 1954 [18], which replicated and devel-

oped the organization of green areas based on studies from

the 1930s prepared for the city. This was reected in the

way they were shaped, located and saturated with func-

tions. Moreover, one may be tempted to say that the parks

areas that respected the city’s identity, and the locations

and names were related to their previous functional use;

these elements were strongly emphasized in the post-war

planning of green areas in Bystrzyca.

The designed parks were given the character of a land-

scape park (in the walking and recreational parts). More

geometric arrangements occurred in spaces with functions

complementary to the program (such as in the Ludowy

Park – Rusałka in the spirit of socialist realism, where the

most representative part of the layout was subordinated to

the main axis, or in the Central Park, where the full infra-

structure in the form of pavilions was designed on such

a plan, courts, etc.).

An important element of the newly designed assump-

tions was the renaturalization of the river. The design of

the Central Park and Rusałka Park included articial ponds

in the form of open water, which were intended to appro-

priately expose the views and panoramas of the Old Town

and Castle hills. Until the beginning of the 19

century,

Fig. 2. List of areas of newly designed

parks and recreation complexes in the 1970s

(elaborated by K. Boguszewska, based on [27])

Il. 2. Zestawienia powierzchni nowo projektowanych

zespołów parkowych i rekreacyjnych w latach 70. XX w.

(oprac. K. Boguszewska, na podstawie [27])

“Green axis of the city of Lublin”. Parks along the Bystrzyca River over 100 years (1919–2019). Plans versus realisations 47

the Great Pond operated in the area of the Central Park,

and a summer theatre and a kayak marina were built in the

Rusałka Park.

The utilitarian program of riverside parks was also in-

teresting, with a signicant dependence on the needs and

location in relation to the city centre. The greatest intensi-

cation of functions is planned for the unrealized Central

Park. Community gardens – allotment gardens – played an

important role in the program of the Rusałka and Wyści-

gi, Majdan, Kalina and Sławin parks (Fig. 3). It should be

noted that they were rst introduced into the city space in

the 1930s, and the fashion for creating them came from

Germany [11, pp. 244, 245].

Three planned parks were selected for detailed analysis:

Wyścigi Park, Ludowy – Rusałka Park and Central Park.

Their selection was made based on the following criteria:

– location in relation to the old town hill and the need

to maintain appropriate exposure of panoramas and views

of the city,

– planning history dating back to the interwar period,

–

construction of the functional program and the approx-

imate area of all analyzed parks, approximately 160 ha.

Racing Park

The history of the use of the area intended for equestrian

sports in this area dates back to 1925, when, by the deci-

sion of the Lubelskie Towarzystwo Zachęty do Hodowli

Koni [Lublin Society for the Encouragement of Horse

Breeding], the riding track was moved to the meadows by

Bystrzyca. The foundation in Warsaw’s Służewiec district

was to be an inspiration and model for the new investment.

In 1927, the rst races took place on the Lublin track. This

tradition continued until the outbreak of World War II

(Figs. 4a, b). The track had three running tracks, two stands

and full equipment [28, p. 4]. The facility operated until

1947, also during World War II. In the 1950s, it was still

visible in the development of the area, and 12 years later,

the care of the area was taken over by the Lublin Riding

Club, which built new infrastructure at the intersection of

Krochmalna and Nadbystrzycka streets.

There are still two family allotment gardens (ROD)

along the Bystrzyca River: “Nasza Zdobycz Wapienna”

(with an area of 10.8 ha) and “Nasza Zdobycz Bystrzyca”

(with an area of 10.9 ha), founded in 1977. Currently, the

development structure of the analysed area consists of cha-

otically arranged residential buildings on Wapienna Street,

which was once considered a conict zone due to its poor

technical condition and complicated formal and legal sit-

uation. From the side of Nadbystrzycka Street, they were

supplemented with newly constructed multi-family build-

ings. The northern part of the area is occupied by the cam-

pus of the Lublin University of Technology (Figs. 4c, 5).

Of the post-war design of the Wyścigi Park [19], only

the riverside boulevard and allotment gardens were built,

which were supposed to be “open gardens”. The recrea-

tional and sports complex on the river in the form of elds

and tennis courts with the necessary infrastructure and

parking lot was never built, just like the amusement park

designed on the site of the former sugar factory. The Arena

stadium for over 15,000 spectators was built in this place

(Fig. 4d).

Exclusion of collision functions was not implemented.

This would involve the expropriation and liquidation of

the chaotic housing development at Wapienna and Dzier-

żawna streets. In 2020, due to nancial reasons, the facili-

ties located in the Wyścigi Park were abandoned by the

tenants, and equestrian sports disappeared from this part

of Lublin.

Currently, the city oce is working on changing the lo-

cal plan for this area. The city is planning a new investment

in the form of a multi-functional sports and recreation fa-

cility with a speedway stadium on the site of the former

Lublin Riding Club. The year-round hall has a capacity of

18.5 thousand viewers. It will be accompanied by the nec-

essary infrastructure.

Rusałka and Ludowy Park

In 1934, on the initiative of the Society of Gardening

Enthusiasts, the rst allotment garden in Lublin was cre-

ated, called “Nasza Zdobycz”, located in the area of the

so-called Rusałka, close to the Old Town. The allotment

gardens covered an area of 6 ha. The main function of this

area was recreational and cultural [8, p. 218] (Fig. 6a).

Fig. 3. Lublin parks:

1 – Zemborzyce complex, 2 – Majdan Park,

3 – Wyścigi Park, 4 – Ludowy Park,

5 – Rusałka Park, 6 – Central Park

(elaborated by K. Boguszewska

based on the map from geoportal, 2023)

Il. 3. Parki Lublina:

1 – zespół Zemborzyce, 2 – park Majdan,

3 – park Wyścigi, 4 – park Ludowy,

5 – park Rusałka, 6 – park Centralny,

(oprac. K. Boguszewska

na podstawie mapy z geoportalu, 2023)

48 Kamila Boguszewska

Fig. 4. Park Racing:

a) fragment Ogólny plan zabudowania miasta Lublina, strefy 1929–1932 (source: [16]),

b) fragment Ogólny plan zabudowania miasta Lublina,

budynki użyteczności publicznej 1929–1932 (source: [17]),

c) Wyścigi Park, architect B. Szymczak, 1975 (source: [19]),

d) satellite photo of the area – current state (source: geoportal lubelski),

1 – race track, 2 – allotment gardens,

3 – recreational areas by Bystrzyca, 4 – Campus of the Lublin University of Technology,

5 – remains of the former race track, 6 – stud farm buildings

(elaborated by K. Boguszewska)

Il. 4. Park Wyścigi:

a) fragment Ogólnego planu zabudowania miasta Lublina, strefy 1929–1932 (źródło: [16]),

b) fragment Ogólnego planu zabudowania miasta Lublina,

budynki użyteczności publicznej 1929–1932 (źródło: [17]),

c) park Wyścigi, arch. B. Szymczak, 1975 (źródło: [19]),

d) zdjęcie satelitarne terenu – stan obecny (źródło: geoportal lubelski),

1 – tor wyścigowy, 2 – ogródki działkowe,

3 – tereny rekreacyjne nad Bystrzycą, 4 – kampus Politechniki Lubelskiej,

5 – pozostałości po dawnym torze wyścigowym, 6 – zabudowania stadniny koni

(oprac. K. Boguszewska)

“Green axis of the city of Lublin”. Parks along the Bystrzyca River over 100 years (1919–2019). Plans versus realisations 49

Fig. 5. Methods of using the newly designed Wyścigi Park

(elaborated by K. Boguszewska based on [27])

Il. 5. Sposoby użytkowania nowo projektowanego parku Wyścigi

(oprac. K. Boguszewska na podstawie [27])

At the turn of the 20

and 21

centuries, the composi-

tion of the park was disturbed by the introduction of new

buildings. In 2004, the hall was built and commissioned.

It is exhibition space with an area of 2,500 m

, the shape of

which disturbed the composition of the park and its main

axis leading to Bystrzyca. In 2012, the second part of the

fair complex was completed – a hall with an exhibition

area of 8,000 m

. Thus, the area of the park decreased from

31 ha to 23.5 ha (Fig. 6d). In 2020, the park underwent

revitalization. The investment value amounted to PLN

44.1 million. The main assumptions of the project were to

achieve biodiversity protection, develop recreational and

educational infrastructure and promote pro-ecological at-

titudes. As part of the project, areas for active recreation

were created, including educational trails, playgrounds and

a kayak marina. The modernization of communication in

the park also included a pedestrian and bicycle footbridge

that also serves as an observation deck. The infrastructure

of the Ludowy Park was enriched with an amphitheatre

and a public toilet building. All newly constructed facili-

ties and communication routes have been adapted to the

needs of people with disabilities.

Rusałka Park, designed since the late 1950s, was only

partially completed – only the Ludowy Park and the river-

side boulevard were built. The areas intended for the con-

struction of the park, obtained by the city by liquidating

some allotment gardens, serve as green wasteland. The

saved allotment gardens “Nasza Zdobycz” on the Bystrzy-

ca River still function today

Central Park

The areas intended for the construction of the Central

Park were located on the meadows in the vicinity of the old

town and castle hills (Fig. 9a, b). They consisted of mead-

ows with riparian greenery, allotment gardens of the ROD

“Podzamcze” and substandard farm buildings. By 1965,

Currently, the Rusałka area does not have a valid land develop-

ment plan.

Due to the favourable location near the city centre, in

1957 the Lublin Urban Planning Studio decided to create

a City Centre Park in this area called “Rusałka”, which

was to cover an area of approximately 10 ha (Fig. 6b). The

name was supposed to refer to the wooden summer cin-

ema/theatre designed by Władysław Sieniecki. The facil-

ity operated nearby until 1932 and was accompanied by

a system of ponds and bathing facilities [29, p. 109]. The

newly designed landscape-style park was to cover the area

on both sides of Rusałka Street, which involved the com-

plete liquidation of the allotment gardens operating there

[30, pp. 46–50]. In later years, the previous assumptions

regarding the creation of a park in Rusałka were contin-

ued. This park was to be an element of a coherent green

system over Bystrzyca and, according to the planners, it

would ultimately connect with the Central Park located in

Podzamcze [30, pp. 46–50].

In 1960, allotment gardens in Śródmieście covered an

area of 43.9 ha [31].

“New green investments” included in Lublin’s plans forced

the need to reorganize the layout of allotment gardens

throughout the city. For this reason, the gardens located in

the Bystrzyca valley: in Rusałka, Podzamcze, in the Tatary

meadows near Krause’s mill on the right bank of Czernie-

jówka were intended for liquidation. Instead, new allot-

ment gardens were designed in agricultural areas located

on the outskirts of the city. In the years 1973–1975, the

“Nasza Zdobycz” allotment garden was to be closed down.

A similar fate was to befall the allotment gardens located

in the area intended for the construction of the Central Park

in Podzamcze. Their liquidation was planned for the years

1977–1980 [30, pp. 46–50].

In 1972, the city took over 68 plots of the ROD “Nasza

Zdobycz” for the construction of a boulevard, and part of

the garden on the northern side of Rusałka Street was liqui-

dated. In return, the allotment holders received 6.5 ha of

meadow at Wapienna Street. The construction of the park

in Rusałka, similarly to the Central Park, never took place,

despite advanced and detailed implementation plans every

year [30, pp. 46–50] (Fig. 6c).

Of the entire project, only the Ludowy Park was com-

pleted. The melioration of swampy areas began in 1948. In

1950, a project was created by Władysław Niemiec (Nie-

mirski), a student of Prof. Franciszek Krzywda-Polkows-

ki, responsible for the implementation of numerous green

areas, including the Silesian Park of Culture and Recre-

ation in Chorzów. The park in Lublin was established as

a social initiative in the years 1955–1957 and maintained

in the style of socialist realism. Its main composition con-

sisted of two axes intersecting at right angles, constitut-

ing pedestrian routes and radially shaped communication

routes [10, p. 33]. The Ludowy Park was to be a functional

part of the Rusałka Park (Figs. 7, 8). These areas were to

be further connected to the sports and recreational areas

planned in the area of Wrotków and Zemborzyce. The park

program was dedicated to a recreational function. It creat-

ed opportunities for passive and active recreation. It was

to be enriched with children’s play areas, sports areas and

the necessary infrastructure. Ultimately, however, the full

functional program of the park was not implemented.

50 Kamila Boguszewska

Fig. 6. Rusałka Park:

a) fragment Ogólny plan zabudowania miasta Lublina, strefy 1929–1932 (source: [16]),

b) fragment Ogólny plan zagospodarowania przestrzennego miasta Lublina, 1954 (source: [18]),

c) Rusałka Park, architect B. Szymczak (source: [20]),

d) satellite photo of the area – current state (source: Lublin geoportal),

1 – Rusałka Park, 2 – sports areas with stadiums, 3 – Ludowy Park,

4 – new hall volumes erected in the Ludowy Park, 5 – green areas with “Nasza Zdobycz” allotment gardens

(elaborated by K. Boguszewska)

Il. 6. Park Rusałka:

a) fragment Ogólnego planu zabudowania miasta Lublina, strefy 1929–1932 (źródło: [16]),

b) fragment Ogólnego planu zagospodarowania przestrzennego miasta Lublina, 1954 (źródło: [18]),

c) Park Rusałka, arch. B. Szymczak (źródło: [20]),

d) zdjęcie satelitarne terenu – stan obecny (źródło: geoportal lubelski),

1 – park Rusałka, 2 – tereny sportowe wraz ze stadionami, 3 – park Ludowy, 4 – nowe kubatury hal wzniesione na terenie parku Ludowego,

5 – tereny zielone wraz z ogródkami działkowymi „Nasza Zdobycz”

(oprac. K. Boguszewska)

“Green axis of the city of Lublin”. Parks along the Bystrzyca River over 100 years (1919–2019). Plans versus realisations 51

Fig. 7. Methods of using the newly designed Rusałka Park

(elaborated by K. Boguszewska based on [27])

Il. 7. Sposoby użytkowania nowo projektowanego parku Rusałka

(oprac. K. Boguszewska na podstawie [27])

Fig. 8. Lublin, non-existent Rusałka theatre

– located at the corner of Wesoła Street and Rusałka,

postcard, 1916

(source: collections of the NN Theater in Lublin)

Il. 8. Lublin, nieistniejący teatr Rusałka

– znajdował się zbiegu ul. Wesołej i Rusałki,

pocztówka, 1916 (źródło: zbiory Teatru NN w Lublinie)

the Lublin Urban Planning Workshop was planning to start

the necessary works for the construction of a park in this

area [15, pp. 7–17] (Figs. 9c, 10).

In 2015, a large-scale shopping centre was opened, lo-

cated in the north-western part of the planned Central Park.

A year later, the Lublin City Hall proposed the concept of

restoring the Wielki Staw together with the park. The Plan-

ning Department then developed the Miejscowy Plan Za

go spodarowania Przestrzennego Ekologicznego Systemu

Ob sza rów Chronionych Miasta Lublin dla wybranych te

re nów położonych w rejonach dolin rzecznych – rejon Pod 

zam cze,

which returned to the concept from the 1970s in

the form of the construction of the Central Park and the

Rusałka Park [15, pp. 7–17], [22].

The plans met with opposition from ROD users locat-

ed in the area intended for the construction of the Central

Park. In order to build Wielki Staw, three allotment gar-

dens had to be liquidated: “Robotnik” (2.71 ha) established

in 1963, “Młynarz” (7 ha) established in 1971 and “Pod-

zamcze” (35 ha) considered to be the oldest allotment gar-

den in this area and were established in 1948. As a result

of protests, the city abandoned this idea. The project was

changed and in the newly developed concept it was decid-

ed to leave the existing green area and its use, introducing

only the necessary interventions [15, pp. 7–17] (Fig. 9d).

The Podzamcze area does not have a local development

plan (land development plan).

Summary

The system of green areas in Lublin is a hierarchical

system subordinated to the Bystrzyca Valley. It is contin-

uous. The river valley connects the basic structural units

of the city with areas of eld crops, forest complexes and

areas with recreational functions. An important link in this

system are city parks, green areas with educational func-

tions and forest parks [22, pp. 12–16].

According to the Najwyższa Izba Kontroli [Supreme

Audit Oce], the share of parks, green areas and hous-

ing estate green areas in the total area of Lublin is 5.3%.

Its spatial structure includes eight public parks, the area of

which is approximately 130 ha. In addition to parks, the

city’s greenery includes green areas (105 ha) and housing

estate greenery (59.83 ha) [32], [33].

The city of Lublin considers the dissemination of eco-

development by creating a “green ring around the city”

and maintaining the continuity of the Ecological System of

Protected Areas as one of the general principles of devel-

opment. Improving the availability of green areas, includ-

ing river valleys and dry valleys, was considered important

to improve the standard of living of residents. The natural

system of Lublin is built by a network of valley areas. Im-

portant ecological nodes are the green areas: Stary Gaj and

the Dąbrowa Forest, as well as the area of the Czechow-

skie Hills. They are complemented by a system of dry val-

leys. They, together with the river valleys, are part of the

ESOCh. Particularly important areas in this natural system

are the Czernijów Protected Landscape Area (Stary Gaj,

Dąbrowa and Zalew Zemborzycki) and ecological nodes.

One of them is located at the mouth of the Czerniejówka

and Czechówka rivers into Bystrzyca in the central part of

the city in the Podzamcze area, in the mentioned location

of the former Royal Pond [32, pp. 12–16].

According to the audit report of the Supreme Audit Of-

ce, Lublin is implementing its strategic assumptions by

carrying out work on the recreational development of the

Bystrzyca Valley. In 2019, a concept for the development

of the riverside park with beaches and the adaptation of

the ruins of a water mill was created by architect Michał

Fronek and his team. The city also increased the area cov-

ered by local development plans from 47.0% to 53.8%. For

river valleys, four local development plans were adopted

from six river valley areas, which were considered priority

for the quality of life of Lublin’s inhabitants. According to

the Supreme Audit Oce’s report, the lack of adoption of

the local development plan for the two remaining areas of

the river valleys poses a threat to the ESOCh areas. It is

associated with their accidental development and thus dis-

ruption of natural functions. Against this background, the

space of Podzamcze becomes crucial. The Supreme Audit

Oce also found it illegal for the city to change the plan

52 Kamila Boguszewska

Fig. 9. Central Park:

a) fragment Ogólny plan zabudowania miasta Lublina, strefy 1929–1932 (source: [16]),

b) fragment Ogólny plan zagospodarowania przestrzennego miasta Lublina, 1954 (source: [18]),

c) Central Park, architect H. Matwiejuk, 1970 (source: [21]),

d) satellite photo of the area – current state (source: Lublin geoportal),

1 – recreational park area, 2 – old town in Lublin, 3 – artificial water reservoir,

4 – stadium, 5 – allotment garden areas, 6 – large-scale shopping mall

(elaborated by K. Boguszewska)

Il. 9. Park Centralny:

a) fragment Ogólnego planu zabudowania miasta Lublina, strefy 1929–1932 (źrodło: [16]),

b) fragment Ogólnego planu zagospodarowania przestrzennego miasta Lublina, 1954 (źródło: [18]),

c) park Centralny, arch. H. Matwiejuk, 1970 (źródło: [21]),

d) zdjęcie satelitarne terenu – stan obecny (źródło: geoportal lubelski),

1 – teren parku rekreacyjnego, 2 – stare miasto w Lublinie, 3 – sztuczny zbiornik wodny,

4 – stadion, 5 – tereny ogródków działkowych, 6 – wielkopowierzchniowa galeria handlowa

(oprac. K. Boguszewska)

at Przeskok Street (the area of the former stud farm). The

new plan is to enable the location of large-scale facilities

in the Bystrzyca River valley (including a sports stadium),

along with parking lots and services unrelated to the natu-

ral function of this area, which was excluded by the current

study [34, pp. 1–3].

To sum up, it is crucial for Lublin to protect riverside

areas from development and to introduce only recreation-

al and sports functions there. After the tests carried out, it

should be concluded that:

1) post-war planning regarding the development of

green areas was a continuation of modernist plans from

the 1930s, and to this day they have been only partially

implemented (the boulevard on the Bystrzyca River and

the Ludowy Park), functions that conict with the planned

investments have not been eliminated,

2) the existing allotment gardens along Bystrzyca con-

stitute an area reserve, but they are also a barrier dividing

the space of the city centre and the old town hill from the

boulevard over Bystrzyca; allotment gardens were includ-

ed in the functional program of parks, especially those lo-

cated on the outskirts of the city,

3) parks in the Bystrzyca Valley were intended to have

a functional program resulting from their location in rela-

tion to the city centre; the greatest intensication of func-

tions was planned in the Central Park, which has not yet

“Green axis of the city of Lublin”. Parks along the Bystrzyca River over 100 years (1919–2019). Plans versus realisations 53

Fig. 10. Methods of using the newly designed Central Park

(elaborated by K. Boguszewska based on [27])

Il. 10. Sposoby użytkowania

nowo projektowanego parku Centralnego

(oprac. K. Boguszewska na podstawie [27])

been completed; current plans and investments (Arena Lu-

blin Stadium), the newly designed speedway stadium shift

the functional weight towards the south of the city,

4) the city adopted four local plans for six areas of river

valleys considered crucial for the quality of life of resi-

dents, to date there are no local plans for the Podzamcze

area, the Rusałka area, and for the area at Przeskok Street

(former LKJ) work is underway to change the local devel-

opment plan,

5) a characteristic feature of park layouts in the inter-

war and post-war period was the need to build the identity

of the place based on history and its previous use; in the

current perspective, these are no longer priority activities;

much more attention is paid to economic factors and the

possibility of locating new functions depending on needs.

Translated by

Kamila Boguszewska

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Streszczenie

„Zielona oś miasta Lublina”. Parki nad rzeką Bystrzycą na przestrzeni 100 lat (1919–2019). Plany versus realizacje

System terenów zielonych Lublina związany jest z dolinami rzecznymi. Dolina Bystrzycy stanowi główną oś kompozycyjną i przyrodniczą ze-

społu, dlatego jej zagospodarowanie było jednym z priorytetowych działań planistycznych zarówno w okresie dwudziestolecia międzywojennego, jak

i po wojnie.

Celem artykułu było przeanalizowanie planów miejscowych i zapisów dla parków projektowanych w dolinie Bystrzycy w wieku XX i XXI. Na

podstawie przeprowadzonych badań literaturowych i archiwalnych rozpoznano zagadnienie, zaś po przeprowadzeniu analizy porównawczej badanych

parków oraz obecnego stanu użytkowania terenu przedstawiono ewolucję założeń przyjętych w okresie dwudziestolecia międzywojennego. Szcze-

gółową analizą objęto projekty trzech parków nadrzecznych, które stanowić miały „zieloną oś” w granicach administracyjnych miasta w najbliższym

sąsiedztwie śródmieścia Lublina.

Przeprowadzone prace pozwalają na konkluzję, że władze międzywojennego Lublina, którego powierzchnia w 1916 r. była siedmiokrotnie mniej-

sza niż obecnie i wynosiła 26,9 km

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