Gdynia is showing how to arrange school streets. The first has been opened

School streets can entertain, educate and stimulate creativity. The area in front of School Complex No. 6 in Gdynia was redesigned in this spirit. The city’s first ‘school street’ was opened there, along with a mural designed to draw the attention of drivers and have a positive impact on safety.

The new arrangement of the street is intended to make traffic calmer and the students of the nearby school will have an attractive place to spend their free time, which will encourage them to be physically active and play. The project was carried out as part of the Asphalt Art Initiative programme and a grant awarded to the city from Bloomberg Philanthropies.

The opening of the street mural on Haller Street took place on 10 September. It was then that the transformed area between Kasztelańska and Wojewódzka Streets was presented. City officials admit that the street arranged in this way is a test. If the solution fulfils its purpose, it is likely that such future streets will appear in other places. The new location can be used by all residents.

The square is also decorated with a mural, which was created thanks to the commitment of members of the Traffic Design Association. Its design was prepared in collaboration with the school, students and the initiator of the project, Adam Chyliński.

Most of the children are driven by car to the school’s front door. Then they go inside, spend time at school, come out and get in the car again. And we wanted the pupils to see that there is a piece of space here that they themselves can use. Our aim was precisely for them to have a real impact on the changes, to do it themselves, for it to be their ideas and not something designed from start to finish by specialists. That’s why the young people helped the artists design the mural. They presented them with a sketch, and the young people gave their comments, suggested different solutions. And what we see is the result of the collaboration between young people and experienced artists,” says Adam Chyliński, initiator of the project, placemaker and expert on children and youth participation.

Several games are woven into the mural. Hell and Heaven, eight or a game of classes. The children are using them, jumping, playing there. For me it’s so doubly satisfying that not only does it look cool, but it still works, inspires and motivates young people to be active, to add their scores and texts. When designing the graphics, I had some concerns in view of the fact that a while earlier a beautiful mural had appeared on the school building, and I wanted both projects to be relatively neutral towards each other,” says Jacek Wielebski of the Traffic Design Association.

The square is complemented by new street furniture – colourful seats and deckchairs finished in wood. In order to give priority to pedestrians, Hallera Street was declared a residential zone. This means that pedestrians may use the entire width of the road and have priority, all intersections in such a zone are of equal importance, i.e. the “right-hand rule” applies, and drivers may drive at a speed of no more than 20 km/h.

Bloomberg Philanthropies is a New York-based foundation that supports environmental, public health, arts, innovation and education. We wrote more about the mural itself adorning the school building HERE.

photos: Karol Stanczak

source: UM Gdynia

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