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Working Group 1A Working
Groups Working
Group 1A -
Message Board June 02 -
notes DRAFT PAPERS for discussion Working Group
1A:
Ecological Issues Warsaw Greenspace
Study Warsaw &endash; basic data for greenstructure
study MAPS TO BE ADDED Area: 494,3 km2 Population: 1 625 000 (city), 2 100 000 (with
suburbs) Density: 3268 p. per km2 (1999) Location Warsaw &endash; the capital of Poland is located
on the Vistula River in the central part of
Mazowian Lowland. According to the administrative
division it belongs to the Mazowian Voivodship. Administrative structure The present Local Government structure in Warsaw
has been in place since 1990 is unique among Polish
cities. Warsaw has been divided into 11 communes
each with their own individual legal status and
self&endash;government (the Commune Council) (Fig.
1. Warsaw-administrative division). Each commune
develops its own policies and implements them
independently. The commune is Warsaw Centrum
Commune, which consist of 7 districts each governed
by District Council. This complicated
administrative structure makes it difficult to
achieve stabilisation a factor which also
influences greenstructure. In addition to the 11
communes Warsaw has also has an independent
Municipal Council (the Capital City Council) with
its own responsibilities (Niemczyk 1998). MAIN NATURAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES which have influenced the greenstructure pattern
of the city Geomorphologic forms Warsaw is located on two main geomorphologic
forms: the plain moraine plateau and the Vistula
Valley with its asymmetrical pattern of different
terraces. (Fig. 2 Warsaw &endash; geomorphology).
The Vistula River is the specific axis of Warsaw,
which divides the city into two parts, left and
right. The left one is situated both on the moraine
plateau (10 to 25 m. above Vistula level) and on
the Vistula terraces (max. 6,5 m above Vistula
level). The significant element of the relief, in
this part of Warsaw, is the edge of moraine plateau
called Warsaw Escarpment. It is 20-25 m high in the
Old Town and Central district (Fig. 3. Old Town
Escarpment) and about 10 m in the north and south
of Warsaw (Fig. 4. Green Escarpment). It goes
through the city and plays an important role as a
landmark. The magnificent historical parks and
gardens, sports and recreational areas have been
located on the Warsaw Escarpment. Thanks to it the
natural and semi natural green areas come to inner
city. They form rather narrow but almost continued
structure. Its south and the north part are
connected with the large forest's paths. Both of
them are protected because of their environmental
value as national park (northern one) and natural
preserve (southern one). They play natural
resources of alimentation. The plain moraine
plateau has only few natural and artificial ponds
and also groups of clay-pits. Some of them are
within the parks and recreational areas but some
are still as an abandoned areas or wasteland. The
other small ground depressions or valleys have
disappeared during urban development because of
having been levelled. The pattern of the Vistula
terraces is unsymmetrical. The left side consist
mainly of two levels: the highest one former
flooded terraces and the lowest one the flood plain
terrace. The contemporary flooded terrace has still
visible valleys and ground depressions with water
systems coming from Vistula old - riverbed. They
consist of still quite natural streams (Fig. 5.
Wilanowka River) and lakes (Fig. 6. Czerniakowskie
scan) as well as the pattern of drainage ditches.
The right side of Warsaw has different pattern of
geomorfological forms. There are several levels of
the plain Vistula terraces (flooded as well as
former flooded once) and only small part and not so
visible moraine escarpment. Aolian sand with number
of dunes parted by peat swamps or small ponds cover
the highest terrace. These are mainly forested
areas (pine forest). The contemporary flooded area
has been limited by flood embankments since 30s in
XX century (Fig. 7. High water level of Vistula
River). Hydrological system Vistula River is the most important element of
Warsaw natural environment. (Fig.8 . Warsaw - open
water) It goes from south &endash; east to north -
west. Its valley, more precisely proglacial
(marginal) stream valley is unsymmetrical. The
right part is much extensive (several kilometres
wide) then left one, which is very narrow in the
Central district, especially in Old Town (few
hundred meters) and becomes much wider in south of
Warsaw (few kilometres). Northern and southern
parts of Vistula valley are quite natural and
Vistula has there some typical features of braided
river e.g. sandbars (forested mainly by riparian
forest with Salix, Populus etc and unforested as
well). Its bed is 1 kilometre wide there and
becoming narrower in the central district (about
350 meters). Vistula River with its naturalness
plays very important ecological as well as
hydrological role and because of it has been
recognized as the transregional European Ecological
Corridor according to Econet-Pl network (Fig. 9.
Warsaw &endash; external sources of
alimentation). Small natural streams &endash; the tributaries
of the Vistula River have been transformed mostly
because of urbanized process. Some of them have
disappeared (mainly on the moraine plateau) and
only their valleys are partly visible, some has
been sewered. Only few of them, going through
arable land have existed as quite natural streams.
They are in danger too because of the very fast
antropopressure. Network of drainage ditches (Fig.8. Warsaw open
water) has been developed on flood plain terraces
both on the right and left side to keep the proper
hydrological balance through arable land. Despite
of them there are some historical channels built
simultaneously with the palace construction, very
often as a main axis of the park. Together with
urbanized area expansion the storm water sewers
have been built. They fulfil the natural pattern of
surface water. Lakes and ponds &endash; exist both on the flood
plain terraces and plain moraine plateau. The most
significant is the hydrological system consists of
the old riverbeds and drainage ditches connected
with Vistula River. The biggest lake (15 ha) is
protected as bird natural preserve and nearly whole
system as landscape protected areas. Few groups of
ponds are located on the moraine plateau. Some of
them are natural the other clay-pits but both are
nowadays under high antropopressure and as a result
completely isolated. Green open spaces Urban forests (Fig. 9. Warsaw &endash; external
sources of alimentation, Fig. 10. Warsaw -
valorisation of vegetation, Fig. 11. Warsaw -
natural heritage) there are few patches of the
remnants of different natural forests (12% of
Warsaw area). The fertile deciduous forests are
situated on the plain moraine plateau in the south
and north part of the left side of Warsaw. The
northern one is connected with the large forest
protected as a national park and biosphere reserve
because of its high ecological value (Kampinoski
National Park). The pinewoods cover mainly the
highest terrace with number of dunes on the right
side of the Vistula Valley. The characteristic
string of forest underlines the natural relief of
the Warsaw Escarpment but it is partly disconnected
by the urbanised areas in the Central district. The
riparian forests are typical for lower terraces,
flooded as well as former flooded one. They do not
create huge patches but they accompany Vistula
banks, natural streams and some of the lakes. They
play very important role in keeping proper
hydrological balance. Meadows, pastures and wasteland create wide,
open spaces in the suburbs and along stream
valleys. It is mainly spontaneous vegetation (Fig.
10. Warsaw - valorisation of vegetation). Some of
them are still used as an arable land but more and
more have been abandoned. These are potential areas
for urban development, mainly housing and
commercial districts. Parks and gardens were established in different
historical period but they used natural habitat as
a basis for designing. Nowadays they present high
value of naturalness (Fig. 11. Warsaw - natural
heritage, Fig. 12. Warsaw - cultural heritage). The other green open spaces Few old cemeteries, fortification with trees,
create the specific green open spaces located as
patches in inner city. Allotment gardens some of them are intended to
change their function into other green open spaces,
commonly accessible. Sports and recreational area (Fig. 14. Warsaw -
sports and recreational area) these are mostly
stadiums but also horse race ring, ice skating
rings and different kind of the recreational parks.
All of them are accompanied by green area with
different ecological value (Fig. 10. Warsaw -
valorisation of vegetation). Forms of legal environmental protection existed
in Warsaw and its surrounding (Fig. 11. Warsaw -
natural heritage) Warsaw and its main development period - which have influenced onto greenstructure
planning According to the other rules the main elements
of the newly urbanised area on the south of Warsaw
were established e.g. star-shaped squares and new
roads with trees planted along them, among others
the King's road to the west direction. The size of Stanislawowska Axis: from the west
(Wola district) to the right bank of the Vistula
River has 10 km in long or to the forest on the
right side of Warsaw - 16 km in long. Warsaw development was stopped thanks to three
partitions of Poland for 123 years; 1832-34 &endash; the beginning of the system of
fortification construction by the Russian Tsar
authorities (Fig. 17. Warsaw &endash; fortification
system). The first part of that fortification was
Citadel constructed in 1832. Whole fortification
system consists of two circles (fortifications,
roads and embankments) had been developed for
years. Some of them have not existed yet, but some
have been turned into historical monuments,
residential areas and recreational sides. Few of
the fortification still have not got clear defined
function (have been under military
competencies). Urban cover type in 1938: 32% building area, 35
%green areas, 7% railways and street, 6,5 % water
and flood - plain area, 19,5 % agricultural area
(Fig. 19. Warsaw 1936) 1939-1945 &endash; the II WW caused almost total
Warsaw destruction on the left side where had been
situated main historical centre and had been
developed financial, cultural and residential
districts before the war. Despite the building
trees in parks and cemeteries were destroyed too
(Fig. 20. Warsaw 1945 &endash; destruction). The
first sketch of Warsaw Plan in March 1945 would
develop quite wide green areas along Vistula Valley
and main railway's line and roads. Warsaw might
have been the city mostly consists of green areas,
but they have never existed (Fig. 21. Warsaw 1945
&endash; plan). October 1945 &endash; private property rights to
land were cancelled according to the Decree on
Municipalization. The owners rights have not been
regulated since then and nowadays influence onto
Warsaw spatial development, greenstructure planning
as well. Literature Niemczyk M., 1998, City Profile &endash; Warsaw,
City vol. 15 No.4, pp. 301-311, Elsevier Science
Ltd. Wilski J. (ed.), 1993, Warsaw Physical
Development, Ratusz, Polish Town Planners
Society Kicinska E., 1993, Cultural landscape of Warsaw
Escarpment &endash; Dominant Macro Spatial
Complexes, Research Documents and Conclusions,
Landscapes No12, The Board for the Preservation of
Historic Gardens and Palaces Maps: Warsaw &endash; geomorphology, Warsaw -
open water, Warsaw - valorisation of vegetation,
Warsaw - sports and recreation areas, Warsaw - Air
ventilation and regeneration system, 2002, Warsaw
City Hall, Department of Land Planning and
Architecture, Warsaw WWW links http://archiwum.warszawa.um.gov.pl/angielski List of figures - to be added to this text 1. Fig. 1. Warsaw-administrative division 2. Fig.2. Warsaw &endash; geomorphology 3. Fig. 3. Old Town Escarpment 4. Fig. 4. Green Escarpment 5. Fig. 5. Wilanowka River 6. Fig. 6. Czerniakowskie Lake coming soon 7. Fig. 7. High water level of Vistula River 8. Fig. 8. Warsaw - open water 9. Fig. 9. Warsaw &endash; external sources of
alimentation 10. Fig. 10. Warsaw - valorisation of
vegetation 11. Fig. 11. Warsaw - natural heritage coming
soon 12. Fig. 12. Warsaw - cultural heritage 13. Fig. 13a. Saska Axis, Fig. 13b. Saska
Axis 14. Fig. 14. Warsaw - sports and recreation
areas 15. Fig.15. Warsaw &endash; defence wall 16. Fig. 16. Warsaw 1794 17. Fig. 17. Warsaw &endash; fortification
system 18. Fig. 18. Warsaw - Air ventilation and
regeneration system 19. Fig. 19. Warsaw 1936 20. Fig. 20. Warsaw 1945 &endash;
destruction 21. Fig. 21. Warsaw 1945 &endash; plan 22. Fig. 22. Warsaw 1965 23. Fig. 23. Warsaw 1985 Working
Group 1A -
Message Board June 02 -
notes DRAFT PAPERS for discussion
All rights reserved - © COSTC11, 2001 |
Meetings Background Meetings Background Meetings Background Meetings Background Meetings Background |
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