Warsaw Old Town Landscape

April 2011. I was in Warsaw, Poland over Easter, to visit my wife’s family. Very hot, at 28 degrees and very dry air. Most of Warsaw was rebuilt after the Germans destroyed it whilst fleeing at the end of the Second World War. As they left, they drilled holes in the buildings to place dynamite in an attempt to destroy everything. In its haste to rebuild, very little of the old character was put back apart from a meticulous reconstruction of the central old town. Signs are now there of Landscape Architects aiming to improve things, thanks to an impressive stable economy over the last few years (while others suffered) and the hosting of the European Cup in 2012. The main tourist street, Nowy Swiat, leading to the Old Town has been re-laid with granite cobbles, stone pavers and opposing granite colours to highlight pedestrian crossings. In addition, many street trees have been thoughtfully planted in open tree pits with cast iron grates, but more are need for summer shade. One interesting fact about Poland, is that it does not have any European standard motorways. Funds have been allocated, but very little has been done, which is a real concern considering the large amount of goods which are moved by truck across Poland every day. This is a real opportunity for Landscape Architects to work with road builders to use modern sustainable design methods.