Healthy housing environment in contemporary investments. Contribution to the research on the Mieszkaj w Mieście – Wizjonerów Estate in Krakow

2021

2(66)

DOI: 10.37190/arc210209

Rafał Oleksik*

Healthy housing environment in contemporary investments.

Contribution to the research on the Mieszkaj w Mieście

– Wizjonerów Estate in Krakow

Introduction

The contemporary Polish cities are struggling with the

problem of an insucient number of ats. According to

the Raport. Stan mieszkalnictwa w Polsce [Report on the

State of Housing in Poland] of March 2020, despite the

gradually increasing resources in our country, the hous-

ing decit is a signicant problem. In the structure of new

ats delivered in 2019, the largest percentage (97.8%)

was the real estate development and investments carried

out by individuals [1]. As a consequence, many investors

often assume that the ats they build will be in demand

regardless of their quality. The focus on prot results in

housing estates where it is dicult to nd attractive com-

mon areas. Insolation results directly from regulations

specifying its minimum duration, and green areas are only

a result of the factor ensuring the minimum biologically

active area specied in the Local Development Plan or

Conditions of Development. Some investments are below

an average standard and unclear from the point of view of

shaping the correct space. Some housing complexes are

built without a convenient connection to the rest of the

city by public transport. The lack of public transport and

access to services, small spaces between buildings and

small sizes of ats can be a source of frustration for the

users in the long term. With reference to the issues men-

tioned above, the aim of this paper is to describe certain

features of healthy residential environment as the exam-

ples of issues that could be examined in detail in future in

the context of one of investments in Krakow: Mieszkaj

w Mieście – Wizjonerów Estate in Krakow.

What is a healthy housing environment?

Nowadays, people live longer and want to stay healthy

for a longer period of time, so the environment they live

in is very important. According to the New Athens Charter

of 2003, poor health conditions are a result of pollution,

less biodiversity in cities and lack of open spaces [2]. On

the one hand, active lifestyles are promoted, while on the

other hand, cities limit the possibility of contact with na-

ture by reducing the amount of non-developed green areas

within their borders [3]. Therefore, it is necessary to nd

a balance between the economically justied development

of a city and the provision of adequate living conditions

for its citizens. It is dicult to imagine a healthy residen-

tial environment without taking into account the concept

of a “healthy city”. Only skilful management of environ-

ment and practical application of the sustainable devel-

opment principles can make all cities healthier for their

inhabitants [2].

The World Health Organisation (WHO) uses the term

“healthy housing” in its publication Housing and health

guidelines, pointing out that the housing environment

quality is also determined by its surroundings. Ensuring

physical, mental and social well-being is important in this

context. A healthy housing is a space that ensures a sense

of belonging, security and privacy. The term also refers to

the structure of housing, which guarantees physical health

by means of protection against the elements, excessive

moisture and providing adequate temperature, sanitary

conditions and lighting. A healthy housing is also a com-

fortable space per a single occupant, access to adequate

utilities, and protection from biological degradation and

pests. In terms of the surrounding space and establish-

ing the relationships, a community is important to enable

shared interactions that support health and well-being.

* ORCID: 0000-0001-5607-4402. Doctoral school, Cracow Uni-

versity of Technology, e-mail: rafal.oleksik@doktorant.pk.edu.pl

90 Rafał Oleksik

The following sections of this paper characterise the

above features in relation to one of contemporary multi-

family housing estates, Mieszkaj w Mieście – Wizjo ne

rów Estate in Krakow. The following characteristics are

a contribution to broader research on the quality of con-

temporary housing investment environment, together with

a presentation of proposed research methods for profound

examination of each of the presented issues.

Characteristics of a selected contemporary project

on the example of Mieszkaj w Mieście

– Wizjonerów Estate in Krakow

Mieszkaj w Mieście – Wizjonerów Estate (developed

by Medusa Group) is a multi-stage investment intended

to be a self-sucient part of the city, with multi-family,

single-family as well as oce and service buildings. The

estate is located in the north-western part of the city (Fig. 1)

in the Bronowice district, between Armii Krajowej and

Radzikowskiego Streets, 4.5 km in a straight line from the

Main Market Square in Krakow. The whole establishment

has a graduated scale from the oce, service and residential

buildings of higher intensity located by a busy trac route,

i.e., Armii Krajowej Street, to the two-storey single-fami-

ly houses in the western part of the estate. 2200 ats have

been planned under this undertaking. Currently, some of

the investment stages have been completed, namely: Nau-

kowców, Wizjonerów, Kompozytorów and Aktorów.

City

1. Air quality

The investment is located in a city where every new and

large construction project arouses huge emotions. This is

why each time the Krakow city ocials must accurately

assess how densely to build the city up and whether the

intensity of development in certain places is not already

too big. At the same time, there is a need to accommodate

incoming population in the city, which developers take

advantage of. Even the notion of “concreting Krakow”

emerged, which – in the opinion of some people – is the

cause of poor air quality in the city. In the case of Miesz-

kaj w Mieście – Wizjonerów Estate, the average value of

Finally, healthy housing conditions depend on the imme-

diate surroundings of the building or estate and what it

can oer apart from the place to live. Here, such issues as

the access to services, green spaces and active and public

transport, as well as protection from pollution or the ef-

fects of natural disasters are important [4].

When dening a healthy housing environment, the safety

of using the common and private spaces should also be taken

into account, including requirements resulting directly from

legal acts, such as protection against falling from heights,

use of protective elements (e.g., canopies at entrances), the

availability of a safe escape route in case of re, or safe

construction of the building in case of a specic location of

the project, e.g., in mining or landslide areas [5]. However,

these are fundamental issues governed by law so, theoret-

ically, the facilities permitted for use should respect them.

The healthy housing environment is a place which in-

tegrates generations and does not discriminate against

anyone because of age or disability. In this respect, it is

important to ask whether the space that is currently com-

fortable and safe for a particular group of residents will be

optimal for the same users in 20–30 years’ time. We live in

times of an ageing population. Taking account of the needs

of senior citizens is necessary because of the demographic

processes we are seeing today. When thinking ahead, we

must take into account, for example, the fear of older and

disabled people of leaving their homes. The mobility re-

strictions and diculties in accessing the homes, such as

the lack of lifts, can lead to an increased isolation. People

with dementia or low vision should be helped to use the

common spaces by applying appropriate visual identi-

cation and colours, so that they are able to recognise the

oor and nd the way to their at much quicker and easier.

When designing the housing environment for older people,

it is necessary to pay attention to solutions that promote

their activity and integration into society [6].

This paper assumes that health and well-being are in-

uenced by any relationships between a person and the

space in which he/she lives. The quality of such space and

its relationship with a person is inuenced by factors that

can be hierarchized and used to evaluate a housing com-

plex, referring to the scale of the city, housing estate and

at, as shown below (Table 1).

City Housing estate Flat

Air quality Access for the elderly and disabled Sense of security and privacy

Access to open spaces Security of the surrounding Usable area per single inhabitant

Connection of the housing estate

with the city by public transport

Access to green and recreational areas

Microclimate quality and protection

against external weather conditions

– Access to services

Ecological quality of materials

and their impact on human health

– Opportunity to build social relationships –

Table 1. Factors influencing the housing environment quality (elaborated by R. Oleksik)

Tabela 1. Czynniki wpływające na jakość środowiska mieszkaniowego (oprac. R. Oleksik)

Healthy housing environment in contemporary investments 91

PM10 particulate matter in 2018 for the measurement sta-

tion located closest to the housing estate, i.e., at Złoty Róg

Street in Krakow, was 43 µg/m

, with the maximum val-

ue being 69 µg/m

[7]. As compared to year 2020 for the

same location, the mean and maximum results were much

lower, namely 30 and 52 µg/m

respectively [8]. As can

be seen, the situation has improved. Several factors may

have contributed to this. Among the most important ones

is the fact that since September 1, 2019 there is a total ban

on solid fuels, i.e., coal and wood, in Krakow. In addition,

the city is trying to put emphasis on reducing car trac

and promoting cycling as an important means of transport.

Also, the popularisation of renewable energy and stricter

provisions concerning the requirements for thermal insula-

tion in the Rozporządzenie Ministra Infrastruktury z dnia

12 kwietnia 2002 r. w sprawie warunków technicznych…

[Regulation of the Minister of Infrastructure of 12 April

2002 on technical specications for building and their lo-

cation] [5] lls with optimism as regards the inuence of

pollution on the living space of a man. The above informa-

tion may be treated as a starting point for a detailed study

of air quality in the immediate vicinity of the estate as well

as inside individual buildings.

2. Access to open spaces

An important added value of any housing investment is

access to open urban recreational areas with rich biodiver-

sity. The location near a park or a river encourages physical

activity of the residents. It was analysed which green areas

are located within 1.5 km from the investment (Fig. 2), and

thus which, assuming a walking speed of 6 km/h, can be

reached in 15 min (this makes 30 min in both directions,

which is the time recommended for physical activity of

moderate intensity for an average healthy person) [9]. Un-

doubtedly, one of the most attractive recreational spaces

located near the housing estate is the Młynówka Królews-

ka Park located one kilometre to the south. It is an example

of linear park with a length of 8 km running along a non-

Fig. 1. Wizjonerów Estate

in Krakow.

Location of the investment on

the map of Krakow

(elaborated by R. Oleksik

based on www.msip.krakow.pl)

Il. 1. Osiedle Wizjonerów

w Krakowie.

Lokalizacja inwestycji

na mapie miasta

(oprac. R. Oleksik

na podstawie www.msip.krakow.pl)

Fig. 2. Wizjonerów Estate

in Krakow. Distances from

residential area to open spaces

with approximate arrival time

(elaborated by R. Oleksik

based on www.msip.krakow.pl)

Il. 2. Osiedle Wizjonerów

w Krakowie. Odległości od osiedla

do terenów otwartych z podaniem

przybliżonego czasu dotarcia

(oprac. R. Oleksik na podstawie

www.msip.krakow.pl)

92 Rafał Oleksik

existing water channel through two districts of Krakow:

Krowodrza and Bronowice. The Młynówka Królewska

Park is one of the urban river parks which are gaining pop-

ularity worldwide thanks to reducing the heat island eect

and the risk of ooding [10]. Heading west, you can reach

undeveloped, green areas of Bronowice with the attractions

such as the “Bronowice” shelter or the popular “Pod lipą”

(“Under the linden tree”) viewing spot. The 3.15-hectare

park with attractions for residents is to be created in the

immediate vicinity of the housing estate. As it is assumed,

it will include a playground, sports elds, ping-pong ta-

bles and a fountain. In a broader context, it should be men-

tioned that the estate is located in the vicinity of elements

of the “western wedge of greenery” having its beginning in

Błonia with, among others, the Wolski Forest being a part

of the Bielańsko-Tyniecki Landscape Park (Fig. 3). This

part of Krakow is an area of high natural and cultural val-

ues, and due to the characteristic terrain it is exceptionally

important in terms of landscape [11]. The estate oers its

residents a view of the northern slope of the Wolski Forest,

which can be reached by bicycle in 20 min. It takes 20 min

to get to Błonia and Planty Park and 10 min to get to the

Rudawa River Park. Due to the location of the estate in the

north-western part of Krakow in the vicinity of the road

No. 7, the investment can be a good starting point for the

car or bicycle trips to the Krakow Valley Landscape Park

or the Ojców National Park. To sum up, the investment

has access to attractive open areas located within a short

distance from the estate.

3. Connection of the housing estate with the city

by public transport

In the vicinity of the investment there is Krakow Bro-

nowice railway station which connects the housing estate

with the city centre in 10 min by fast agglomeration rail-

way. In the neighbourhood there are also bus stops, in-

cluding Rondo Oar Katynia or Katowicka, which resi-

dents can reach in 5 min on foot, from where they can get

to most important places in the city. Based on the above-

mentioned information, it can be preliminarily assessed

that public transport accessibility is good. However, this

should be further explored as part of further research work

related to this estate.

Housing estate

1. Access for the elderly and disabled

Every new investment in Poland must meet the require-

ments of numerous legal acts for a building permit and

then an occupancy permit to be granted. In this context, it

is important to ensure accessibility and adaptation of space

for people with various dysfunctions. Thanks to proper-

ly constructed regulations, the new investments must be

adjusted for all potential disabled users. It is no dierent

in the case of Mieszkaj w Mieście – Wizjonerów Estate.

In the Wizjonerów and Kompozytorów stages the build-

ings have parking spaces, ramps and lifts adapted for the

disabled and facilitating the movement of the elderly as

well as parents with prams and small children. The estate

is provided with the visual identity system that has been

well designed. Its primary function is to help residents and

Fig. 3. Wizjonerów Estate in Krakow.

Wizjonerów stage with view on the northern slope

of the Wolski Forest

(photo by R. Oleksik)

Il. 3. Osiedle Wizjonerów w Krakowie.

Etap Wizjonerów z widokiem na północne zbocze Lasu Wolskiego

(fot. R. Oleksik)

Fig. 4. Wizjonerów Estate in Krakow.

Distinctive colour scheme for common spaces

in the Wizjonerów stage (photo by R. Oleksik)

Il. 4. Osiedle Wizjonerów w Krakowie.

Wyraźna kolorystyka przestrzeni wspólnych

– etap Wizjonerów

(fot. R. Oleksik)

Healthy housing environment in contemporary investments 93

Fig. 5. Wizjonerów Estate

in Krakow. Inner courtyard of

the Wizjonerów stage

(photo by R. Oleksik)

Il. 5. Osiedle Wizjonerów

w Krakowie. Dziedziniec

wewnętrzny etapu Wizjonerów

(fot. R. Oleksik)

their guests nd their way. In the investment, clear colours

for individual stages (Fig. 4) and characteristic graphic

elements in common areas have been used, which may

have a positive inuence on locating one’s living space by

people with visual or memory dysfunctions as well as the

youngest residents of the complex. Based on such obser-

vations as well as analysing the legal requirements, it can

be stated that the estate is adapted to the needs of people

with disabilities.

2. Neighbourhood security

The investment is advertised as an open housing estate

without fences, for people of dierent ages who want to

live according to the idea of a neighbourhood communi-

ty, which is contrary to the idea of building the closed

housing estates that were popular beginning with the late

1990s. The quantitative research carried out in 2006 and

2008 among the residents of enclosed and open housing

estates in Warsaw by Maria Lewicka’s team showed that

fencing o the housing estate increases the residents’

sense of security. At the same time, people living in gat-

ed communities are less socially active and not commu-

nity-oriented, and are more attached to their at than to

the surrounding space [12]. Paradoxically, despite such

results, it seems clear that building a sense of communi-

ty and trust has a greater impact on our health than iso-

lation, as was also proved by the experience during the

Covid-19 pandemic quarantine period. The district where

the investment is located – Bronowice – was considered

safe by about 93% of respondents in 2019 (along with

Zwierzyniec, Prądnik Czerwony, Prądnik Biały and Dęb-

niki) [13]. The available information, such as mentioned

above, applies to the whole district. Ultimately, in order to

obtain reliable results on the sense of security of tenants,

it is proposed to narrow the research area to the group of

estate residents.

3. Access to green and recreational areas

The benecial inuence of greenery on our mental and

physical health is indisputable. Many new housing invest-

ments are based on the principle of maximum amount of

usable at space on the plot. The aim of Mieszkaj w Mieście

– Wizjonerów Estate is to stand out from the competition,

hence the importance of a large amount of green areas in

the project. In the Wizionerów stage, at its widest point,

the distance between the individual wings is 65 m. The

spaces between the buildings are lled with greenery in

the form of plantings and lawns (Fig. 5). This has been

achieved by elimination of vehicular trac. The court-

yard space has been supplemented with small architecture

made of safe materials.

4. Access to services

The housing estate promoted as a self-sucient city

within a city must have services in its immediate vicinity.

As part of the investment, the basic retail and service points

have been developed, including as follows: two nurseries

(public and non-public), kindergarten, paediatrician’s of-

ce, multi-branch shop with healthy food, bakery, café

or car wash. The individual services are implemented in

each stage so that they can full the residents’ needs on an

on-going basis. It is worth mentioning that within 1.5 km

from the investment there is a complex of large-format

shops. The access to public utility buildings is also im-

portant. There is a primary school located directly at the

south-western border of the estate and a church 0.5 km to

the south. Based on this information, it can be assumed

that the estate has good access to basic services and public

buildings located both on the site and in its vicinity.

5. Opportunity to build social relationships

Our mental and physical health is greatly inuenced by

contact with other people. Human relationships prevent us

94 Rafał Oleksik

from loneliness and stress. Human beings are social crea-

tures by nature, so when planning a housing complex, it is

important to provide opportunities for contact with other

people and to create the scenario for building relation-

ships. Here, the appropriate scale of buildings is important.

The idea of a modernist housing estate, according to

which high-intensity point buildings were created, still

has a negative impact on the planning of new residential

complexes today. In this investment we are dealing with

a diversied, multi-stage urban assumption with a bal-

anced scale of buildings with the number of storeys from

2 to 8. The arrangement of neighbourhood spaces lled

with low greenery, places for recreation and rest may have

a positive inuence on the creation of relations. The K

housing estate club (Fig. 6) should be mentioned here,

which is undoubtedly a reference to the clubs in housing

estates in communist times. It is a place for various com-

mon activities and events in which the estate residents can

participate. The club also promotes the activities of local

artists. By oering such spaces, the estate provides ample

opportunity to build neighbourly relationships.

Flat

1. Sense of security and privacy

Apart from the health benets that result from building

relationships, the space is important to provide a sense of

security and privacy, allowing us to completely separate

from the surroundings. Naturally, the residents with ats

located on the ground oor have the biggest problem with

privacy. With the oor level high above the ground, this

is not as much of a problem. Often the building is set so

high that we are not able to see into a at from the street.

However, when the “zero” level is equal to the ground, the

tenant gardens are usually provided, i.e., sections of green

area with a terrace, which belong to the at, separated by

a fence. The second solution gives a substitute of a pri-

vate garden and provides direct access to green areas. In

the Mieszkaj w Mieście – Wizjonerów Estate investment,

both solutions can be found in particular stages. Another

issue worth mentioning is the proximity of buildings. In

case of the rst completed stage of Naukowców estate,

the distance between the ve-storey buildings is about

24 m. In the Wizjonerów stage, in a quarter of buildings

of similar height, as already mentioned, the width of the

courtyard is about 65 m, while the shortest distance be-

tween the buildings is 20 m. The situation is dierent in

the Kompozytorów stage. Here, with eight overground

storeys, the smallest distance between the buildings is

about 13 m [14]. To sum up, the Wizjonerów stage can be

assessed best, while the Kompozytorów stage seems to be

the least “resident-friendly”.

2. Usable floor space per inhabitant

In ats completed in Poland in the 1

half of 2020 in

multi-family buildings, the average oor area of ats was

52.5 m

[15]. For comparison, the average area of ats in

one of the stages of the Mieszkaj w Mieście – Wizjonerów

Estate, i.e., the Kompozytorów stage currently under con-

struction, is approximately 55.67 m

. If the oor area of

all ats in this part of the investment was divided by the

marketing number of beds shown on the dwelling cards,

the result would be approximately 21.9 m

per resident.

Referring to the average living area per person in 2019

in Poland, which was 28.7 m

[16], this is still a much

lower result. At the same time, if the European average is

taken into account, the area per person in a housing estate

should be twice as high. However, it is worth mentioning

that single-family houses contribute to these gures and

signicantly increase the average. It is also necessary to

take into account the economic capabilities of the society

and the fact that in the “old” estates the area per inhabitant

was signicantly lower. Summarising the above data, it

may be concluded that the average at of 55.67 m

having

an area of 21.9 m

per inhabitant is a good result.

3. Microclimate quality and protection

against external weather conditions

The buildings use triple-glazed windows in tight assem-

bly and 22 cm thick thermal insulation wool [17]. The cur-

rently required U value resulting from the Roz po rządze nie

Ministra Infrastruktury z dnia 12 kwietnia 2002 r. w spra

wie warunków technicznych… [5] is 0.20 W/m

K. To guar-

antee this, it is sucient to use 18 cm of mineral wool with

the thermal conductivity coecient λ = 0.038 W/(m K),

assuming that the wall construction material is reinforced

concrete. Such data may suggest that the thermal trans-

mittance for external walls is better than that required by

the regulations

. Partitions with a reduced thermal trans-

mittance can maintain an optimum temperature in sum-

mer and reduce the energy required to heat the building

in winter. Further research should verify this information

and the eectiveness of materials used, e.g., by carrying

out an energy audit of the building. Also, it will be impor-

Note that in order to verify in detail the thermal transmittance

for individual external walls of an investment, the data on the exact λ

coecients of the individual materials are needed.

Fig. 6. Wizjonerów Estate in Krakow.

Glass case of the K

O housing estate club (photo by R. Oleksik)

Il. 6. Osiedle Wizjonerów w Krakowie.

Witryna klubu osiedlowego K

O (fot. R. Oleksik)

Healthy housing environment in contemporary investments 95

tant to investigate the microclimate in common spaces of

the estate.

4. Ecological quality of materials and their impact

on human health

In the Mieszkaj w Mieście – Wizjonerów Estate, a va-

riety of façade materials were used, such as clinker façade

in the Wizjonerów stage (Fig. 7). This material is natural.

It is resistant to weather conditions and has high mechan-

ical strength, thanks to which it does not require frequent

preservation. It is resistant to re, chemical and biological

corrosion, and to the factors that may cause allergies. In

the subsequent stages, the façades were made using the

ventilated façade system (Fig. 8). The structural walls are

made of reinforced concrete, and on the higher storeys

they are partly brick-built. The ceilings of all buildings

are also made of reinforced concrete. Due to the use of

reinforced concrete in future, it is worth analysing the in-

uence of reinforcement used in the building on the level

of electric eld generated by wireless communication sys-

tems [18]. To sum up, according to the Polish construction

law [19], every new investment commissioned (including

the housing estate discussed here) should meet the basic

Fig. 7. Wizjonerów Estate in Krakow.

Wizjonerów stage with visible clinker façade

(photo by R. Oleksik)

Il. 7. Osiedle Wizjonerów w Krakowie.

Etap Wizjonerów z widoczną klinkierową fasadą

(fot. R. Oleksik)

Fig. 8. Wizjonerów Estate in Krakow. Kompozytorów stage with visible ventilated façade (photo by R. Oleksik)

Il. 8. Osiedle Wizjonerów w Krakowie. Etap Kompozytorów z widoczną fasadą wentylowaną (fot. R. Oleksik)

96 Rafał Oleksik

requirements concerning, among others, hygiene, health

and environment. This applies also to building materials

placed on the market. Additionally, it is worth mentioning

the certicates and attestations used on the Polish mar-

ket, which provide information about the environmental

performance and inuence of building materials on hu-

man health. This topic should be further explored in future

studies due to the long-term exposure of residents to the

technologies and mate rials used in the housing estate and

their impact on health.

Research methods

The characteristic features of a healthy housing envi-

ronment listed and discussed on the example of Mieszkaj

w Mieście – Wizjonerów Estate may be considered ap-

propriate for the future research. Due to the incomplete

view on the issue discussed, further steps should be taken

to complete the data on “healthy” housing environment

in the context of this estate. Detailed research should be

carried out using methods appropriate to particular issues.

At this stage, it is proposed to use the following re-

search methods. When evaluating the criteria related to

ecology and environment, i.e., air quality, microclimate

quality and protection from external atmospheric condi

tions, as well as ecological quality of materials and their

impact on human health, it can be proposed to use the

BREEAM method of assessing buildings for their eco-

logical aspects [20]. The assessment areas addressed by

this certication are related to the above mentioned issues.

Another proven research method that can be valuable for

the criteria related to the inhabitants’ use of the space as

well as their well-being is POE (Post-Occupancy Evalu-

ation). This method is a special one because it takes into

account the point of view of users and not only of experts

in a given eld [21]. This method can be used to assess be-

havioural issues, in particular the accessibility for elderly

and disabled people, as well as other criteria related to the

feeling of safety and quality of the microclimate. For the

issues focusing on accessibility to particular spaces within

the estate and in the city, the observational studies and

surveys can be proposed. For the issue of availability of

green and recreational spaces, it may be valuable to make

a comparative analysis of the “Mieszkaj w Mieście – Wiz-

jonerów Estate” investment and other Polish and foreign

housing estates with similar building intensity parameters

and a similar number of inhabitants. In all examples, their

biodiversity should be analysed and compared. Turning

to the aspect of opportunities for building neighbourhood

relations, it is worth referring to the model example of

a European community-oriented housing estate such as

LILAC in Leeds, UK [22]. To begin with, the dierence in

the scale of the investment may be problematic – LILAC,

which is currently inhabited by 50 people, forms a small

community, whereas the investment discussed in this pa-

per is to include 2200 ats. Nevertheless, for both exam-

ples it is possible to propose a survey of satisfaction with

building neighbourhood relations, the degree of member-

ship in a social group, or general satisfaction with living in

a given space. Other comparative analyses can be carried

out as a part of the study of accessibility of the investment

to services by comparing the estate in question to other

Polish housing complexes which share the same charac-

teristics. It is worth focusing on the projects in cities with

a population of over 500,000 inhabitants, carried out, sim-

ilarly to the investment discussed, outside the very centre

of the city. Also, it would be valuable to check the service

area parameters per one inhabitant, as well as the number

of children in relation to the places available in nurseries,

kindergartens, schools, etc.

Summary

Due to the wide range of issues involved in assessing

the housing environment and the fact that this estate dis-

cussed is currently under construction, it is essential to

carry out reliable studies to address the above-mentioned

features of a “healthy” estate once all the stages have been

completed. The investment is being built gradually, so not

all issues can be reliably assessed now. It may be problem-

atic, for example, to assess the sense of privacy in a at

which currently has no exposure to another building, but

this will change in the near future. It is reasonable to con-

tinue research regarding these issues using the methods

outlined above. Reliable assessment of a housing estate

can also be of great value to the developers.

At the present stage of research, the preliminary con-

clusions may be drawn in relation to the adopted individ-

ual evaluation criteria. On the scale of the city, in terms

of features such as access to open spaces or connection

of the housing estate with the city by public transport,

a great advantage of the investment is its location. How-

ever, it should be borne in mind that these are the features

resulting from a good location and not from the design. In

terms of the air quality factor, the situation has improved

in this part of the city over the last two years. Moving

on to the scale of the estate, Mieszkaj w Mieście – Wiz-

jonerów Estate in the common spaces is accessible to the

elderly and disabled by meeting the regulations dening

these requirements and by using a well thought-out visual

identity making it easier to nd one’s living space. In

terms of neighbourhood safety, the investment is located

in a neighbourhood that residents rate as safe. As it had

been assumed, the tenants were also provided with access

to green and recreational areas through appropriate devel-

opment of the areas between the buildings and exclusion

of the wheeled trac. The added value of the Wizjonerów

stage is a large distance between the buildings, with ve

overground storeys. Comparing this quarter to Krakow’s

standards

, one may assume that the investor could have

obtained more usable space for sale. In terms of access to

services, apart from the basic service premises designed

as part of the assumption, the good rating may be largely

due to the location of this investment. An important added

To put it simply, the distances between buildings in many Krakow

investments are reduced in order to obtain the largest possible usable

area of ats. The Fi estate on Tadeusza Szafrana Street is a good exam-

ple. With seven overground storeys, the distances between individual

buildings range from 20 m to 24 m.

Healthy housing environment in contemporary investments 97

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Abstract

Healthy housing environment in contemporary investments.

Contribution to the research on the Mieszkaj w Mieście – Wizjonerów Estate in Krakow

The article is devoted to the contemporary, multi-stage, Krakow-based investment Mieszkaj w Mieście – Osiedle Wizjonerów. The study main-

ly refers to its completed stages, Wizjonerów and Kompozytorów, however, while discussing the individual features of the investment, due to the

context and the multi-stage nature of the estate, information on its other phases was also used. The rst part of this article is devoted to an attempt to

dene the concept of a “healthy housing environment” by formulating its features in relation to the scale of the city, housing estate and apartment. In

value of the possibility to build social relations factor is

the introduction of spaces intended to help build relations

between residents, such as a K

O. Housing Estate Club.

This topic is worth deeper consideration after the return to

the so-called post-covid normality, when it will be possi-

ble to reliably check how this space functions. Turning to

the housing evaluation criterion, it is dicult to comment

on the feature of feeling safe and private until detailed

surveys have been carried out with the residents. How-

ever, it can be assumed that due to the varying distance

between buildings in the dierent stages, the scores may

vary. Based on the data from one of the stages, the ratio of

the average area per inhabitant to the 2019 average area

per inhabitant in Poland of 0.76 can be considered a good

result. The factors such as microclimate quality and pro

tection against external weather conditions can initially

be assessed as good on the basis of the insulation mate-

rials used, while the ecological quality of the materials

and their impact on health is based on the characteristics

of the façade and construction materials used. The assess-

ment of this issue requires an extremely reliable approach

in future research.

If you look at the housing estates being built in Po-

land today, among the many that are mainly prot-orient-

ed, you can see the examples of projects that are carried

out with residents in mind. One of such investments is the

Mieszkaj w Mieście – Wizjonerów Estate in Krakow de-

signed by the Medusa Group. Despite many uncertainties,

the stages of the estate completed so far have the features

of a resident-friendly environment, worthy of imitation by

both investors and architects.

Translated by

Agnieszka Siedlecka

98 Rafał Oleksik

the second part, the characteristics of the investment were made based on the above-mentioned features. This fragment was prepared using available

information about the estate, statistical data, spatial data, existing research on the district in which the investment is located, literature and legal

acts review, as well as our own observations. After performing the characteristics, it was found that the adopted features of the “healthy housing

environment” are appropriate from the point of view of future research. As a consequence, exemplary research methods that can be used to carry out

a detailed analysis of the housing estate were proposed, and a preliminary evaluation of the estate in the context of the issues discussed was made.

Key words: contemporary housing estate, healthy housing environment, Mieszkaj w Mieście – Osiedle Wizjonerów

Streszczenie

Zdrowe środowisko mieszkaniowe a współczesne inwestycje.

Przyczynek do badań nad Mieszkaj w Mieście – Osiedle Wizjonerów w Krakowie

Artykuł poświęcony jest współczesnej, wieloetapowej, krakowskiej inwestycji Mieszkaj w Mieście – Osiedle Wizjonerów. Praca odnosi się głów-

nie do jej zrealizowanych etapów tj. Wizjonerów i Kompozytorów, jednak omawiając poszczególne cechy inwestycji, ze względu na kontekst oraz

wieloetapowy charakter osiedla wykorzystano również informacje na temat pozostałych jego faz. Pierwszą część niniejszego artykułu poświęcono

próbie zdeniowania pojęcia „zdrowe środowisko mieszkaniowe” poprzez sformułowanie tworzących je cech w odniesieniu do skali miasta, osiedla

i mieszkania. W drugiej części dokonano charakterystyki inwestycji w oparciu o przytoczone wyżej cechy. Ten fragment wykonano, wykorzystując

dostępne informacje na temat osiedla, dane statystyczne, dane przestrzenne, istniejące badania dotyczące dzielnicy, w której zlokalizowana jest in-

westycja, przegląd literatury przedmiotu oraz aktów prawnych, a także własne obserwacje. Po wykonaniu charakterystyki uznano, iż przyjęte cechy

„zdrowego środowiska mieszkaniowego” są właściwe z punktu widzenia przyszłych badań. W konsekwencji zaproponowano przykładowe metody

badawcze, jakie można zastosować w celu przeprowadzenia szczegółowej analizy osiedla, a także dokonano wstępnej oceny osiedla w kontekście

omawianych zagadnień.

Słowa kluczowe: współczesne osiedle, zdrowe środowisko mieszkaniowe, Mieszkaj w Mieście – Osiedle Wizjonerów

Healthy housing environment in contemporary investments. Contribution to the research on the Mieszkaj w Mieście – Wizjonerów Estate in Krakow

Rafał Oleksik

doi:10.37190/arc210209

Abstract