On the border with Świdnica, in Witoszów Dolny, a housing estate known on the Polish Internet as Świdnicki Biskupin, the village of Galów, Polish Dubai, is poured into the field of rapeseed. The view is unusual, for some funny, for others sad. However, it is important because it shows who and how our municipalities are planning today. And it reminds us that we all pay for it.

    https://architektura.muratorplus.pl/krytyka/oto-obraz-planowania-w-polsce-swidnicka-wioska-galow-ma-juz-prawie-dekade-aa-vk9V-rxAz-NdfR.html

    Posted by Gamebyter

    Share.

    9 Comments

    1. In Poland, a lot of people look at weirdness and say “awesome, at least I don’t live in a block of flats.”

    2. i really dont see the problem.

      Of industrial scale farm site, used for people benefit. GOOD

    3. Poland doesn’t train urban planners who could handle city planning in local governments. So, cities are planned by pathological developers.

    4. Ok-Cake-4707 on

      “Silver city”, lol. This weird overuse of English proper names outside of English-speaking countries… Is it a common thing, is it post-communistic country thing or is it just Poland? It’s everywhere and I find it riddiculous.

    5. I remember one of my teacher who was on city council once opened his lesson with some city stuff that devolved into complaing about people buying lots in middle of forest, then constantly writing angry complaints about lack or poor infrastructure. I think he even said someone wanted to sue city because they destroyed their car suspension on dirt road leading to newly built home.

    6. Due_Refrigerator3463 on

      The root cause isn’t really developers, it’s that only like 30% of Poland is actually covered by a local zoning plan (MPZP). For the rest you get a permit through “warunki zabudowy” – case-by-case discretionary decision the gmina hands out, with no obligation to deliver roads, schools or sewage. So gmina collects property tax, developer ships the estate, and infrastructure becomes “someday somebody’s problem”. Galów isnt a bug – its the default mode. The 2023 planning reform (mandatory “plany ogólne” by 2026) was supposed to plug this but we’ll see if any gmina actually enforces it.