1. Let's define the problems
Until mid-July 2022, we collected information about problems affecting 11 Listopada Street from entrepreneurs and residents of the area, as well as other Bielsko residents. We collected information via e-mail and at a meeting in early July.
Below we present problems reported by city residents. The most disturbing thing is definitely the empty premises and the lack of interesting events. Residents notice that the street lacks life, there is often no reason to come to November 11, and they would like to have a reason to stay in this space. The respondents admit that they would rather do full shopping in Sfera, in the past they could find everything on the promenade, now they only use specialist services such as a saddler or a shoemaker, which they cannot find in a shopping mall.
People also notice the shortage of places to sit, both in cafes and restaurants and outside, preferably covered and with backrests, among more greenery.
List of reported problems:
- bums, beggars,
- empty premises, no interesting places,
- too many advertisements, empty shops, dead street,
- nothing is happening, the tenement houses are neglected,
- empty shop windows, few gardens, restaurants, greenery,
- the street has become dead, there are no places where you can sit and talk, where you can drink coffee, tea or beer,
- in the evening, a large number of drunk people asking for money,
- bums, not enough cafes,
- there is no place to sit, not enough greenery, the arches on the bridge are ugly, shoddy, they make movement difficult,
- Asia: empty premises, nothing is happening,
- Syl: empty buildings, it's a pity because most of them are nice but not useful,
- Art student: There is no reason to come in the evening, there are lights in December, but in the summer it is empty and sad. There are also no pubs or pubs open at night.
- Ola: The first problem I would point to is the "lack of life" on the street, especially in the form of cafes and restaurants. This problem is getting especially worse
in the evening, when there is actually nothing to do on this street. Another issue is its visual side - I ignore the condition of the facades of the tenement houses, but the signs advertising individual premises sometimes scream vengeance to heaven - there is no sense of aesthetics here, everyone is "from a different parish". For this reason, instead of being the most representative street, in places it looks simply kitsch, without any plan. The last, but in my opinion, most important thing is the lack of greenery. In times of climate crisis, heatwaves interspersed with storms, the lack of any greenery is, in my opinion, extremely irresponsible and irrational. This street heats up, creating the so-called urban heat island, and then does not allow water to pass through during a heavy downpour. Its current appearance is according to in my opinion inconsistent with the city's strategy, which is to be implemented by 2030. It includes a point regarding minimizing the urban heat island phenomenon. During the summer heat, crossing this street is quite a challenge.
Action completed.