GRAŻYNA KODYM-KOZACZKO

Polish National Exhibition contributed to the widespread popularity of modern methods and design tools in the field of urban planning. Works on the development plans of the city of Poznan, commenced in the 1930s are an example of such contribution. Main inspiration for the plan was an innovative, as far as merit of the case and the structure are concerned, 'General Plan of Development of the capital city of Warsaw" drawn up under the supervision of Stanisław Różański in the Regulation Design Studio at the Technical Department in Warsaw Town Hall, which was approved of in 1931. The plan was part of achievements of the capital city, exposed at the Self-Government Exhibition organized by the Association of Polish Cities, Office of the Associations of Rural Self-Government in Warsaw (poviat self-governments) and regional self-governments of the ex-Prussian area within the National Exhibition staged in area B of the Polish National Exhibition.

Future development of Warsaw was worked out on the basis of partial studies of the city functions. Without doubt Warsaw presentation contributed to the dismissal, in November 1929, of the general plan of development of the city of Poznan, worked out by Sylwester Pajzderski, head of the Municipal Development Department, with the use of traditional method of the regulation plan, the plan was first dismissed by the Association of Architects in Poznan, then by the municipal authorities. In 1930 the Mayor of Poznan Cyryl Ratajski (one of the chief organizers of the Polish National Exhibition, who actively participated in drawing up the concept of the Self-Government Exhibition) organized, in agreement with the Society of Polish Urban Planners, a competition entitled 'Competition for the regulation draft and development design of the city of Poznan' awarded in 1931. Winners of the competition, mostly influenced by the 'Warsaw School of Urban Planners' indicated a number of possible ways of planning the development of Poznan on the basis of the structure of its functionalities: transport system, green areas, centres etc. Limited with the competition required solutions, the general development plan worked out by the team of the Urban Planning Office of the city of Poznan, under the supervision W. Czarnecki applied the most innovative ideas of urban planning of the times. Expansion of the conceptual design, supported with viable, detailed solutions reflected the European aspirations of the city, backed up by the success of the Polish National Exhibition.