Representatives of European metropolises shared their experiences with Kraków regarding the integration of modern transportation infrastructure with the preservation of historical heritage. Prof. Jacek Purchla also participated in the meeting.
The seminar, which was opened by Kraków Mayor Aleksander Miszalski, aimed to facilitate the exchange of experiences among cities facing the challenge of balancing modern transportation infrastructure with the preservation of historical heritage. The meeting’s organizers emphasized that what matters today is not only whether a metro is needed, but above all how to design and implement such a project in a sensitive environment like Kraków. They noted that building the metro should not only address growing transportation needs but also serve as a significant step toward development.
Prof. Jacek Purchla also took part in the meeting and discussion, emphasizing that the construction of the metro does not currently pose a threat to the effective protection of cities’ cultural heritage—as evidenced by the examples of Vienna and Prague—and that what is happening above ground is a far greater problem. The expert also spoke about the need to build heritage management systems, for which local governments must take responsibility. Prof. Purchla is not only the ICC Director’s Plenipotentiary for Scientific Affairs, but from 2015 to 2020 he served as chairman of the Polish National Commission for UNESCO, and from 2016 to 2017 as chairman of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. Currently, together with Agata Wąsowska-Pawlik, Director of the ICC, the Professor is also a member of the team responsible for Poland’s membership in the Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (UNESCO World Heritage Committee) for the 2025–2029 term.
The seminar “Digging into Heritage: Metro Systems in UNESCO Cities” also provided an opportunity to meet with experts from other European cities and learn about their perspectives and experiences regarding the preservation of historic areas and the simultaneous development of urban space. Among them were, among others, Andrea Bruschi (Milan), Martin Dunst (Vienna), Gregor Stratil-Sauer (Vienna), Tomáš Tůma (Prague), and Prof. Spyros Vougias (Thessaloniki). In addition, the meeting was attended by Prof. Andrzej Szarata, Prof. Andrzej Kadłuczka, Dr. Klaudia Stala, Prof. Dominika Kuśnierz-Krupa, Anna Biskupska-Sperka and Dominika Długosz.
More about the seminar
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Image – courtesy of The City of Kraków, www.krakow.pl