Abstract

A decade of experience in implementation of numerous urban modernization projects in Poland resulted in a lively debate on socialization of the planning process, in which the matter of the public space quality has become the center of gravity. In those years, transformation from the classic administrative model of „bureaucracy planning” to the model of „management planning” has not been complete. The socialist primacy of the public interest in planning has been replaced by a neoliberal, progressive privatization of the public space and of the urban functions, which in reality means dominance of strong private investors’ interests over the local community. The modern National Urban Policy adopted in Poland in 2015 introduces legal bases for corrective reforms of the system, allowing the next step – entering the next phase of building another participative model of city management. This important political decision aimed at introduction of the rules allowing realization of modern developmental concepts, i.e. SMART CITY, faces numerous barriers associated with too low competencies of building a social consensus based on modern urban planning knowledge. The article describes experience gained through implementation of the “Quo vadis Gdansk? The residents plan their city” project involving participatory, strategic planning for improvement of the of the public space quality in the districts Gdansk. The innovative technique of cooperation between the planners and the local community – urban mentoring – has been an answer to the major contemporary need for modern methods of cohering (balancing) the knowledge about cities. Finding the middle ground between the primacy of public good and the private capital gain allows development of a predictable and reliable situation, lowering of the investment risk, prevention of destructive speculative practices. Urban mentoring facilitates formation of the platforms of permanent and satisfactory compromise for all the parties involved, based on conciliatory cooperation of the urban planning process’ participants. A reflection on the possibilities of applying the results of planning using the above mentioned technique for creative cooperation of the public sector with the local entrepreneurs and with external private investors constitutes the summary.

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