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49 (144) 2021

Events Coverage

Developing the potential of Poland’s post-industrial land

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The BPCC's Real Estate and Construction Policy Group met online on 22 June 2021 to discuss brownfield development – the remediation of land that had previously been used for industrial purposes. Given that most Polish cities have large swathes of such land, brownfield sites offer investors excellent locations, though cleaning up contamination is a challenge. The meeting considered the solutions involved in remediating and developing brownfield sites, showing on the basis of several case studies the benefits of such solutions.

The first presentation, by Agnieszka Skorupińska from law firm CMS, considered the legal dos and don’ts for brownfield development, setting the scene from a regulatory point of view – a good starting point for understanding the responsibilities and obligations of developers, and the former owner of the site. A key message was not to cut corners – remediation needs to be done properly, and from the outset.

Tomasz Galoch, from environmental engineering consultancy RSK Polska presented viable scenarios for brownfield clean-up. His case studies showed how to choose the optimal one and how to satisfy the authorities with conclusive arguments. He explained how much can be done on site, and how much contaminated soil will need to be taken away – by hundreds of tipper trucks passing through residential and business districts, and what to do to mitigate that impact.

The technical perspectives of brownfield projects were outlined by Andrzej Kozak, from property and construction consultants Gleeds Polska. He made good points about the need for technology – in particular building information modelling (BIM) when working on old sites or repurposing existing buildings on post-industrial land.

Angelika Jończyk-Adamek and Agata Ormińska from architects Chapman Taylor showed the potential of urban revitalisation on the basis of their work on the 2029 Green Expo Łódź, and how a decaying industrial city is being transformed through environmentally friendly planning that places the citizen at its centre.

The presentations were followed by a panel discussion moderated by the BPCC’s chief advisor, Michael Dembinski leaving time for a Q&A session with participants. One particularly interesting question concerned phytoremediation – where plants selected for their ability to synthesis toxic waste were planted on the contaminated site. This solution takes much longer but is cheaper and more environmentally friendly.

The event was very well received by participants; if you were unable to take part, the recording of the webinar is available to view here.


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