New Space - how do students see the future of Krakow?
Since 2009, Krakow's universities have been implementing the "New Space" project, where students from different fields jointly design their vision of the Krakow of the future. Every year there is a different guiding theme - and so it has been for 14 editions.
On April 24th, 2023, an exhibition of student works took place at the Krakow Polytechnic Museum, gathering the most interesting projects created in cooperation over the last 8 years. In 2021, the theme was "Spaces of Care." Students jointly worked on concepts related to the new development of Krakow's "Wesoła." Based on a report from public consultations, the students prepared a total of seven proposals that can be found on the ASP website.
The concept is based on creating complementary teams and exchanging experiences. Sociology students teach their peers about spatial sociology, social psychology, or social research methodology. They learn the intricacies of vibroacoustics and the practical implementation of spatial concepts. During the workshops, participants search for answers to questions concerning the expectations of recipients/users regarding the functionality and aesthetics of urban spaces and the relationships between these processes. In this way, workshop participants explore various aspects of designing urban spaces, questioning the importance of function and aesthetics for recipients, the relationship between aesthetic and functional features, and the role of public utility spaces in contemporary urban fabric.
The "New Space" program aims to integrate the professional environment, educate participants in effective collaboration in multidisciplinary teams, and raise awareness of urban public space issues. The program's activities include diagnosing and designing urban spaces, improving professional competencies. Additionally, it promotes developed solutions and their creators through exhibitions, providing projects to city institutions, and publications.
