As the inside of my home gets a bit crazy with the chaos of moving, the surrounding blocks are also completely frenetic with change and construction activity!
I have lived in this neighborhood of Służęwięc, infamously dubbed ‘Mordor’ in the 2010’s, for almost 3 years now. It has been my home and also one of my PhD dissertation case studies.
The area is rich with examples of glossy, contemporary, gated apartment developments (with all the juicy amenities like quality green space, playgrounds etc tucked inside and privatized) but also nearby (over across Obrzeżna & Wincentego Rzymowskiego) a solid example of a socialist era designed neighborhood which has some of the best (and only) quality public green space (with many benches, an outdoor gym, playground, sport facilities) within a 15 minute walk from our neighborhood.
Traffic congestion plagues Mordor- it has for years as a formerly mono-functional business district with many car-based commuters from other districts or out of town for whom public transit is either not convenient or they just don’t want to use it
This chapter of living in an urban quarter transforming from a business district to also highly residential has been rich for me- personally and for my work.
However, I am also often on high alert nearly every time I cross the street on a weekday (weekends, the streets are practically empty).
I live a neighbourhood-based lifestyle most days of the week, but have also relied on buses and trams connecting to the neighbourhood for much of my movement around the district or city.
There is also an urban rapid rail station nearby, which I regret not using more, as the urban rapid rail service here is great. Warsaw is spatially expansive and I’ve also used ride hail services when needing to cover distances quickly, but generally observe (and have relied on) a very dynamic city public transit system (also including metro- which I wrote my first research chapter on: Exploring Warsaw Metro: Subterranean Solutions for Walkability in Cities
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-96-0547-7_3)
In terms of business district transformations- Mordor is a dynamic story in the making….
Also pictured here are some nice elements of biophilic urbanism in parts of the neighbourhood, which I photographed this morning. Tree canopy and shade for walkability as well as the health & well-being of many other species inhabiting this urban space with us.
Greetings from Warsaw’s ‘Mordor’….
-Annika
