Abstract
Lodz is a city in central Poland whose dynamic development falls on the 19th century. Located in the city center, Posiadła wodno-fabryczne (Water and factory estate) is the historical name of the area delineated in 1827 along the Jasień River with the aim of developing the textile industry. In the nineteenth century, the whole area was built up with industrial complexes, which consisted not only of weaving mills, spinning mills, technical buildings and warehouses, but also of houses for workers, residences of industrialists, schools, kindergartens and hospitals. The buildings were accompanied by green areas arranged mostly in the form of gardens. The urban complexes formed in this way constituted a "city within the city", which within its borders met the needs of work, residence and social life at that time. The urban environment of this area, with its clear nineteenth-century layout and with its buildings still retaining the industrial-era brick structure, is located in the very center of the city of Łódź and covers the area of almost 300 hectares, thus constituting currently the largest such complex in central Poland. In the second half of the 20th century, during the communist period, this area was affected by numerous spatial, social and economic problems. In terms of space, they were manifested by a high degree of degradation, in particular by the presence of unused areas and deteriorating buildings, including valuable monuments. The great natural potential of the area was also unused, including the Jasień and Lamus Rivers flowing in canals and the greenery gradually entering the unused post-industrial areas. Faced with these problems, at the beginning of the 21st century the area of Posiadła was recognized by the city authorities as one that needs changes, and the whole area was marked as the regeneration area. This translated into activities aimed at implementing an integrated process leading to a change in the image of this part of the city. The projects of local spatial development plans were prepared, later becoming the local spatial law. On their basis, the process of implementing original urban solutions, tailored to the specificity of the area and using the cultural and natural potential, was started. Thanks to the undertaking of the planning processes dedicated to the entire area, and not only to its individual fragments, the adopted solutions were of a systemic nature and prevented the fragmentation of this extensive historical urban environment. The investment and planning process aimed at filling in the existing building structures and providing a better use of space resources, in order to make it possible to better use the economic value of space. The principle of mixing functions, especially mixing housing and services, was adopted: it improved the residents' access to services, jobs and social infrastructure. The number of public spaces that create coherent systems has been increased: it has made pedestrian and bicycle traffic more efficient, as well as improved communication services in the area. The multifunctionality and expansion of the public space system has contributed to reducing transport needs and shortening the length of journeys. The plans were guided by the principles of universal planning. The number of squares, pedestrian routes and in this way the new "bloodstream" of urban life revived the so-far neglected part of the city. The new zoning rules included the requirement to preserve the historical, post-industrial spatial structure, thus protecting the city's nineteenth-century factories, villas, tenement houses and complementary service buildings together with surrounding greenery. The rules have introduced a balance between the need to build new investments and the preservation of Łódź's heritage for future generations.
