the professor. Bogusław Łazarz, Vice Chancellor of the Silesian University of Technology: The idea for this appeared a long time ago. We talked with the Katowice authorities about Krasińskiego Street, but based on ideas. Now, however, the facts have emerged that allow us to act. After all, Katowice will be a UNESCO City of Science in 2024. We started talking to each other more intensely about how to celebrate this year. One conclusion was that universities in Katowice and Silesia should open up. However, it is not just about being open to the business or local government environment, but above all about being open to the population and the city space. Universities in many cities are not only research centers, places to gain knowledge. They are an important part of city life.
the professor. Boguslaw azarz Silesian Technical University’s photo
Do the Katowice departments of the Silesian University of Technology play such a role?
There is a big problem with it near the university. The street as we have it today makes it difficult for the university to participate in the lives of its residents. It is mainly a street for cars. At Krasińskiego University, we have several inner courtyards and a few benches, but the Katowice campus teaches two thousand students. The interiors are unfriendly, they are shady and hard to treat as good meeting places. Our idea is to remain open to the environment. We don’t just want to stay within our walls. We want to go out to Medina, so we want to rebuild the Mujahideen. Krasinski. If we turn an asphalt street into a green park, and if we can get rid of cars in part, we will necessarily create a new place for people.
Residents fear that closing the street to traffic will cause traffic jams in the neighbourhood.
Traffic can be redirected to other streets without any damage, especially in the mujahideen. Artificial. Local residents, our closest neighbors, will surely have no worse access to their homes, and the convenience of parking will not deteriorate. Instead, they will get a well-designed public space. This is a win-win for everyone.
We have carefully examined the traffic on the Mujahideen. Krasinski. The flow of cars will quickly shift to parallel streets, and transit traffic will shift to farther roads. City traffic should not be viewed from a one-street perspective. It is a complex system of mechanisms and various interconnected elements. The people responsible for organizing it know this very well and know what they must do to maintain maximum efficiency wherever possible. Changes require analysis and research, and cannot be presented on the basis of individual incidents or intuition.
During the meeting in the series “Cities of Ideas”, it was said that the Silesian University of Technology wants to develop in Katowice.
I assure. In the building in the ul. Krasińskiego 8 is currently studying about two thousand people. Up to five thousand students can study here comfortably and conveniently. The Faculty of Transportation, Aeronautical and Materials Engineering operates here, but IT students will study here as well. Primarily with them in mind, we’d finish renovating the building across the street, at No. 13. We’d also be educating flight pilots and flight mechanics there. There are also planned classes related to aeronautical engineering. In addition, our School of Architecture will be recruiting for education in Katowice. Soon the number of students in this place will double.
What will the mujahideen. Krasinski, when will all the students and academics come here by car?
We want to do everything so that they do not come here by car. Hence the idea of reducing congestion in this place, keeping vehicles away from vehicles, and making room for people. Please remember that soon new railway stations will be built nearby, which will not only serve our students and staff. Besides, cars are not the only problem. There are very narrow sidewalks here. If we do nothing, it will be cramped, uncomfortable, and dangerous.
During the workshops, residents told us that they were afraid to close the street because they did not want to repeat Marika Street. They are afraid of loud parties.
There will be no party nights in the space between our buildings. It is not possible. There is no place for restaurants or bars in our buildings. Such activities are not an option here. As for security, there are ways to do this. We have examples from other academic venues in Katowice, where there are benches and green spaces, and in fact, some undesirable behavior occurred there. However, when surveillance cameras were installed in these places, the people who could not act disappeared. There will be a watch in Krasiński.
How determined are you to change Krasińskiego Street?
This is very important to us. We know that the decision rests with the Katowice authorities, and we are ready to have further discussions on this subject and to explain our arguments. We believe that the change will be beneficial not only for the university, but also for the neighborhood. A beautiful and friendly piece of the city will be created here. We want to create better conditions for studying. And studying is not only a process of learning, lectures, exercises and exams. It also learns to communicate with people, participates in the creation of the city and is interested in its development.
We want to “grow” in Katowice not only because some students find it easier to get here than Gliwice. We want to be in Katowice to educate, for example, IT professionals who will find work in companies and companies, large and small, located in Katowice. Here they will pay taxes and help the city grow. All these elements are interconnected and interdependent, and begin with good living and study conditions. There is no contradiction here.
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