Abstract

The master thesis report is a closer look into the complex phenomena of developing urban growth and decline in the Upper Silesia region, which faces the change from the industrial to the post-industrial area. The main issue is, as for an urban designer, to develop and test new ways of action in transforming territories, when working on a site-specific case: peripheral city of Bytom. In the wider perspective the discussion of the tendencies and the directions of the development in the Upper Silesia are addressed. The project outcome is also seen as the polemic and contribution to the overall debate on the shrinking cities phenomena and shrinking tendencies in the Upper Silesia. The method of work in the thesis is first of all the work with the design for the chosen territory. The design is to be reached through studying the urbanity of Bytom, the reference cases and the theory on landscape urbanism and urban transformation. The theoretical mindset is framing the analysis and the design, but the theoretical discussion is put aside till the design process is finished. Thus, the outcome of the work on the chosen declining city is discussed in a broader perspective, finally leading to the final overall conclusions on the phenomena. The research and design process have lead into establishing of Five Elements Strategy for the post-industrial voids in order to re-conquer them into the urban structure. The binding and framing element for such strategy is the method of landscape urbanism. The approach of understanding of the city as the urban landscape and working with transforming territories using the landscape process is seen as the most adequate approach towards sites as such. In the overall perspective the design and the chosen cases are contributing to the discussion of the development in general. The main conclusion is that the decline and growth are inseparable and their coexistence and presence defines the global development. In relation to the shrinking cities phenomena, the statement is set, that the Upper Silesia is not shrinking. It is defined as an area in transformation, based on the analysis of the situation, the theory on the topic, as well as is expressed in the project outcome.

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A master thesis from Aalborg University

TRANSFORMING BYTOM: RE-CONQUERING THE POST-INDUSTRIAL CITY