WILL GREEN WEDGES SUFFICE?
ka Agniesz Osipiuk
Photo: Michał Strokowski
Nature-based solutions in cities
air with humidity. Over the years, the fact that the wedges are tight and connected to the rings led to the creation of wildlife corridors. They contribute to the exchange of animals and plant species in the city and biodiversity. In the meantime, the development of the city and housing has gradually put the system under pressure, especially in the city centre.
Looking at the map of Poznań, it is easy to distinguish a characteristic wedge-ring green system. The description of the way the wedges work and their benefits constitutes a ready-made idea for an innovative, large-scale project on climate change adaptation. Or it would be, were it not for one tiny fact: today green wedges are hardly new and innovative. They have a long, and not always appreciated, history. For a long time, the wedge-ring system, which was designed in the 1930s by Władysław Czarnecki (in cooperation with professor Adam Wodziczko) has been the most fundamental and precious natural resource in our city. The system is comprised of four main wedges and two rings, which seperate city districts from one another, constituting wide walls of trees and small plants between them as well as providing the city with fresh air and the
Establishing new parks and urban forests would definitely improve the existing system. However, it is not always possible. How can we, therefore, ensure good quality of life for the inhabitants of Poznań, which is embodied in the access to the green areas, especially when the buildings are put up so close to one another? The answer lies in the small-scale interventions, which are sometimes called urban acupuncture: pocket parks, green walls and roofs, rain gardens and floating gardens, unsealed natural playgrounds, community gardens 26
