The city has shown how Freedom Square will soon change. Until now, the square has been a large car park flooded with asphalt, which turns into a heat island in summer. With the changes, the square is to become a green place for relaxation and rest.
Freedom Square is the largest square in the city. The city was thinking of building a car park underneath its surface, but eventually abandoned the idea due to the costs. Instead of an underground car park, the city wants to build multi-storey car parks in other locations, as yet we do not know where they could be built.
It is clear, however, that the car park will disappear from the square itself and be replaced by greenery.
Every resident who uses the city’s infrastructure may be a future user of Freedom Square. That is why we want this project to respond to the very diverse needs of the people of Kielce. We want it to be created in a very broad, multi-stage public consultation,” says the mayor of Kielce, Agata Wojda, who encourages people to submit their opinions on the investment.
New Freedom Square in Kielce
The concept is that after reconstruction, Wolności Square will become a place where cultural events can be organised. The dominant feature of the place is still to be the statue of Marshal Józef Piłsudski. The representative part – along the historical axis – will remain undeveloped. In this way, Kielce will regain a comfortable place where state ceremonies, concerts, performances, re-enactments and larger gatherings can take place.
The square will be divided into several zones. On the northern side, an educational and entertainment area with a playground has been designed. The venue will be used by the Museum of Toys and Play, which is to organise regular events here.
The square BEFORE the redevelopment:

A new feature will be an amphitheatre built into the escarpment with a canopy over the auditorium. A building with toilets will be built, and a recreation zone with a fountain will be set aside in the southern zone. The project includes the installation of new urban furniture, benches, bicycle racks and lanterns. The tree species have been chosen to provide natural noise barriers and at the same time act as air filters.
The project also includes the revitalisation of: Słowackiego Street from Wolności Square to Seminary Street, Hipoteczna Street from Wolności Square to Sienkiewicza Street and Evangelicka Street from Wolności Square to S. Moniuszki Street.
These streets will be designed to provide space for food gardens on Hipoteczna Street, an extension of Sniadeckich Street. A special area will be the northern frontage of Wolności Square, next to the Museum of Toys and Play. In the concept, due to the safety of the people who will use it and the link between this function and the Museum, it is envisaged that it will be excluded from traffic. The organisation of traffic will be one of the most important elements, which we will subject to public consultation,” adds the mayor of Kielce.
Wolności Square. The residents will decide
Public consultations with the inhabitants will begin on 20 January and will last for three weeks. The project to revitalise Plac Wolności has already been included in the Programme Contract for the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. PLN 40 million has been reserved for this purpose in a non-competitive call for proposals.
The value of the project will only be known after the tender is awarded. However, if we manage to obtain a sufficiently low amount, then co-financing from EU funds and the State Budget may cover up to 95% of the costs of the entire investment,’ argues Łukasz Syska, Deputy Mayor of Kielce.
source: Kielce City Hall
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