Sustainable regeneration through art? Artistic colonisation in the post-shipyard area of Gdańsk, Poland
Sustainable regeneration through art? Artistic colonisation in the post-shipyard area of Gdańsk, Poland

Summary/Abstract: In Western European and North American cities, cultural functions are often deployed in the restructuring of former industrial and harbour sites. When introduced through top-down strategies aimed at domestication and revitalisation, such interventions tend to be temporary, frequently disappearing once an area becomes attractive for commercial redevelopment. In post-socialist contexts, however, the symbolic legacy of formerly collective spaces adds an additional layer that may enable the longer-term continuity of artistic activity. This paper examines the post-shipyard area in Gdańsk, Poland, tracing the induced artistic colonisation that has unfolded since 2001 and identifying factors that support the sustained, independent proliferation of cultural functions grounded in pro-common orientations. The analysis demonstrates that, through evolving adaptive strategies, emerging community-oriented initiatives have increased their capacity to anchor themselves within a rapidly transforming urban landscape.

• Details
• Contents