"New life together" - Community Garden in Chopin's Estate

The subject of the study is the area in need of revitalisation in the Arkona Estate, on Chopina Street in Szczecin (Poland) – a housing estate built with industrialised technology in the 1970s. The estate suffers from the lack of places for integration and relaxation. The aim of the project was to create a human-friendly space with community gardens as the main motif, while taking into account climate changes and the need for ecological solutions. In Poland, the idea of community gardens is still in its infancy – the project is designed to promote participation and the community character of the space. Thinking about the different users of the area, the design includes a variety of relaxation areas. In addition, an open-air gym was designed to encourage residents to spend time actively. For younger users, a playground has been planned along with a space for children’s parents. The dog run has also been designed into the project. There is a square with a small restaurant in the centre of the development and that is the heart of the residents’ meetings. Climate changes and frequent droughts have been taken into account in the design. That is why special umbrellas were designed to collect rainwater for watering the crops and to provide the shade for people during hot days. In summary, the adopted solutions result in an improvement in the quality of the current undeveloped space, greater integration of residents and the creation of a friendly space for all users.