During the last 3 decades countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) underwent the transition from the centrally-planned economy and political dependence, becoming EU member states and actors in the globalized market. This transition encompassed cities in several aspects: employment, entrepreneurship, quality of life, infrastructure and architecture. One of the least researched aspects was the interconnection between economic/institutional change and cultural identity, sense of continuity and belonging expressed through and rooted in tangible space. The paper presents the case of Warsaw, Polish capital city, a success story after 1989. Today, new challenges of the climate crisis and growing inequalities require another transition. Lessons learnt during last years turn out to be important, achievements, costs and failures alike. We begin to understand how economic and societal changes are strongly connected to the built environment. As in several CEE countries the question of preserving the space (in terms of aesthetics and use) is not straightforward, burdened e. g. with failing economic models of former regime, newly coined despise for working class, generic lifestyles of consumerism. The study focuses on architecture intertwined with work: from former industrial sites, to the consumption oriented adaptive re-use, to the phenomenon of New Craft: small-scale production of tangible goods. Study followed the findings of the EU funded project OpenHeritage, with topics of People, Places and Potential. Findings encompass innovative models of co-creation and co-funding of adaptive re-use of the built environment which respects the principles of circular economy, support for local entrepreneurship and community involvement.
Architect and economist, specializes in interdisciplinary research on cities, encompassing urban planning, sustainable development, cultural heritage and economics. Advisor for City of Warsaw. Involved in various research projects in Poland and EU, e. g. OpenHeritage project (Horizon 2020); focused on the sustainable economy and architectural heritage. Author of several papers, and the books “Polycentric City. The Experience of Warsaw Local Centers” (2019) about the concept of Warsaw as a 15-minute city and “Evolutionary Urban Development. Lessons from Central and Eastern Europe” (2023).