In Poznań, a ‘Green Schools’ initiative is underway to green the space around schools. Concrete and asphalt surfaces will be replaced by trees, shrubs and other plants resistant to climate change. Natural playgrounds and rain gardens are also planned as part of the project. This will provide pupils with a new recreational space conducive to leisure and environmental education. The initiative is also expected to improve water retention and reduce the urban heat island effect.
Green schoolsprogramme – greeninstead of asphalt and paving
One of the first examples of the changes being introduced is the courtyard of the General Education School Complex No. 33 on Wyspiańskiego Street in Lazarus, where asphalt was already replaced with green areas last year. We wrote about the topic HERE.
“Re-paving in the vicinity of Poznan schools is another step we are taking to mitigate the progressive effects of climate change. Such measures are particularly valuable in the inner city, where dense buildings and underground utilities leave little room for new vegetation. Replacing asphalt with biologically active surfaces makes the space more aesthetically pleasing and welcoming. Thanks to the fact that young people are involved in the planning process and can later test the designed solutions in practice, this activity also has an educational value,” says Jacek Jaśkowiak, Mayor of Warsaw – says Jacek Jaskowiak, Mayor of Poznań.
Green solutions around schools
The project plans to introduce nature-based solutions such as permeable paving, new plantings of climate-resilient trees and shrubs, as well as natural playgrounds and rain gardens. Educational facilities will gain a variety of amenities, including wooden seating, ecological playgrounds with willow tunnels, obstacle courses made of stumps and logs or hills made of earth. Schools are also keen to invest in educational features, such as flower meadows, flowerbeds or green walls, which not only insulate the school grounds from traffic noise, but also improve air quality. Several establishments will have playing fields with permeable surfaces to allow rainwater retention.
Which schools in Poznań will get new greenery?
The ‘Green Schools’ programme is being implemented in three phases and will cover nine establishments. In the first phase, the changes will involve Primary School No. 11 on the Wichrowe Wzgórze estate (Winogrady), Primary School No. 20 on the Rzeczypospolitej estate (Rataje), Primary School No. 77 on Dmowskiego street (Lazarus) and Primary School No. 82 (School and Kindergarten Complex No. 16) on Krakowska street (Old Town). In the second stage, the areas at Primary School No. 9 in ul. Łukaszewicza (Lazarus), Primary School No. 23 in ul. Norwida (Jeżyce) and the 3rd General Secondary School in ul. Strzelecka (Stare Miasto) will be greened. The city is seeking EU funding for these projects. The third stage will include Primary School No. 26 on Berwińskiego Street (Lazarus), and possibly additional facilities. Design work is currently underway.
Green schoolsprogramme andEuropean Union support
The ‘Green Schools’ project is supported by the European Union as part of Integrated Territorial Investments. The Office for the Coordination of Urban Revitalisation Projects of the Poznań City Hall is responsible for its implementation. The first effects of the new investments will be visible as early as the end of the year, and subsequent stages will allow more schools to be transformed into green enclaves to foster education, recreation and improve environmental conditions in the city.
Source: UM Poznań
Read also: Poznań | Squares, Squares, Parks | Metamorphosis | City | Ecology | whiteMAD on Instagram
