Ryszard Grobelny, the Mayor of Poznan, currently the Polish city with the fastest growing property prices, talks about the city's attractions.
Ryszard Grobelny, Mayor of Poznań, talks to Józef Djaczenko.
Poznań frequently tops league tables of the best developing Polish cities that attract investors. How has the city earned this status? Poznań owes its position to its modern infrastructure and sustainable development, which is becoming our trademark. The city does not have any dominant industry or business sector. The fastest developing branch are small and medium-sized enterprises, which are the most stable and valuable part of the economy. I have to say the city also benefits from the stability and predictability of its authorities. Every investor and every resident knows what they can expect of the authorities in both the near and distant future.
What are the characteristics of Poznań's residents? I am one and so this is the most difficult question for me. I know the rest of Poland regards us as honest, well-organized, resourceful and order-loving people. Poznań residents are trustworthy and predictable. They prefer a solid future to seizing the day.
This profile could suggest that life in Poznań is boring.
It is not. Come to Poznań and find for yourself that it is far from boring, with vibrant excitement at first-division soccer matches at the city stadium and lots of cultural events. Most people you see in the streets are young, as Poznań is a city of 140,000 college students, while its total population is 580,000.
Poznań residents also have the reputation of hard-working people.
That is correct, but not because we like to work a lot. Nobody does, and we are no exception here, but those who live here are very efficient in their work. Investors who operate in Poznań say it is the efficiency and commitment of employees that brings them good results. I believe this benefits the city enormously and has contributed to the rise of Poznań a lot.
Many well-known companies have opened their offices and accounting centers in Poznań and are relocating their production operations here. Is this because of the high quality of the local labor force? Global corporations come to do business in Poznań, and we are earning a reputation as producers of means of transportation. Volkswagen has a factory in Poznań, and the MAN corporation is planning to relocate its German production to Poznań. I believe this is determined by the qualifications of the personnel, including engineers, IT specialists, managerial staff and accountants. College students in Poznań win international competitions, and university graduates may look forward to attractive jobs. Poznań is also the strongest language teaching center in Poland.
Poznań is transforming and gaining new interesting buildings. Architects willing to design projects for Poznań include outstanding individuals such as Daniel Libeskind. What do you think draws their attention to Poznań? The city has its own architectural traditions that draw from those of Prussia and Berlin. Our beautiful Art Nouveau architecture is deservedly famous. What also draws well-known architects to Poznań is the awareness that the city is the cradle of Polish statehood. Anybody who carries out his or her projects here, in the heart of Poland and Europe, remembers that the city has always appreciated good and timeless architecture, whose creators have included foreigners. We have masterpieces by German, Italian and Swiss designers in the city.
Sports are one of the main ways to promote Poznań. How did the idea come about? There are three important reasons. First, we have an exceptional number of wonderful soccer supporters. Matches played by Lech Poznań, our first-division team, have the largest turnout in Poland, and the atmosphere at the city stadium is incredible. For a few years the stadium has been undergoing enlargement; it will host matches of the Euro 2012 European soccer championships that will be held in Poland and Ukraine. Second, the authorities of Poznań acknowledge the role that sports ideals play in community-building. Third, contemporary sports are some of the most efficient vehicles for promotion, and the easiest way to get information on Poznań through to people in other countries is through sports.
The Old Brewery (Stary Browar) high-profile shopping and culture center is becoming a landmark of contemporary Poznań on equal terms with the historic Old Town district.
Downtown areas are the most important parts of every city, creating the character and the overall feel of the place. The center of Poznań keeps expanding and, alongside the Old Town Square neighborhood, it today includes the area with the Old Brewery. The shopping center is a special, beautifully designed structure whose architecture draws from buildings that used to stand in this part of the city. Poznań residents come to the Old Brewery not only to shop and take part in cultural events, but just to be there. The Old Brewery is complemented by the nearby hotel and office center. In the future, the city center will incorporate the "empty tracks" area that awaits redevelopment after the railway company has vacated the site. When that happens, architects will face new challenges, as thanks to the Old Brewery, anybody who wants to design something good will have to outclass the building. The standard has been set very high.
Will Poznań's role as a major academic center be the decisive factor in the city's development? It will, but not just this alone. Poznań will be a city of international contacts, trade and exchange of ideas and know-how. It will grow into a major convention center, in part owing to the Poznań International Fair. While traditional industry is not vanishing, as exemplified by investment in the automotive sector, it will not determine the city's future.
