The conversation is led by Marcin Wandałowski, editor of the publication of the Civic Congress.
What are Gdynia’s most crucial improvement priorities today? What are the pillars of further urban development?
First of all, we must benefit from our heritage; from our coastal character – from what our city has grown on. Gdynia was always connected to the port and the port to Gdynia. If it continues to make – the city will besides develop.
This mechanics best illustrates the example of our neighbour – Gdańsk, who uses the fruits of maritime trade. Over 20 years ago, there was 1 container terminal in Tricity, located in Gdynia, where we were very profitable. However, after the creation of a terminal in Gdańsk, which has developed in fresh years at an improbable rate, the Gdańsk port and the importance of this city on the economical map of Europe have increased proportionately. While the volume of transshipments in the Gdynia terminal present is around 30 million TEU, in Gdańsk – which later started with us – it is 80 million TEU, with real plans to scope 100 million TEU in the close future.
How much impact can the presence of a seaport have on local development?
In fresh years we have seen the tremendous improvement and success of Polish ports, which is reflected in the increase in transhipments (also due to the fresh request resulting from the blocking of black sea ports as a consequence of the war in Ukraine). Tri-city ports besides play an highly crucial function present in providing support, including military, to our east neighbours.
However, responding to your question, seaports are present the key hubs – both in the context of conventional trade, as well as the energy revolution. All elements essential for the construction of wind or atomic power plants are transported by sea. The ports through which they pass supply an excellent location to be a base for companies operating in these industries, which affects the improvement of the full city or even the region. The developing port is besides a large possible from the position of freight, transport or warehouse companies.
I have no uncertainty that further improvement of Gdynia – its nature and pace – will depend on the improvement of the Gdynia port. This lies, in effect, in the DNA of our city, which has always been not only “sea” but besides “buy”. We were, besides in the times of the Polish People's Republic, a connection with the full world, where abroad goods reached, which allowed, among another things, the improvement of the celebrated Świętojanska street nationwide.
How, then, can the improvement possible of the Gdynia port be freed, and what is the consequence – to make improvement opportunities for the full city?
The construction of the alleged Red Road, which is present a key determinant of the improvement of both the seaport itself and a number of investments related to its activities, is simply a decisive precedence in this context. The implementation of this artery would warrant full access to the Gdynia port. I personally heard about the Red Road task for the first time erstwhile I was in college, which was in the early 2000s. After more than 2 decades, it is inactive not built and it is highly worrying.
Seaports are present highly crucial hubs in the context of, among others, the energy revolution. All elements essential for the construction of wind or atomic power plants are transported by sea. The ports they pass through are an excellent location to be a base for companies operating in these industries.
Today the only way to get to the port is de facto Estakada Kwiatkowski, located in a very mediocre method condition. It was built a fewer decades ago, even before the alleged container revolution. As a result, in any places it has a burden capacity of only 30 tonnes, although on average 1,800 TIR carry containers of a weight exceeding 40 tonnes each day. Thus, this road is increasingly degraded. Its further operation requires a thorough renovation, the cost of which may be over PLN 0.5 billion. This money is not available to the municipality, which at most can afford to carry out current, most urgent maintenance work. This, on the another hand, may consequence in serious method problems and the request to shut this road down.
This is simply a origin that limits the improvement capacity of the Gdynia port?
Definitely. At present, no investor, wishing to place crucial resources in the seaport long-term, will be risking that access to its investment will be cut off in any (difficult to determine) timeframe. After all, there have been situations where this road, due to repairs, had to be closed. This means that these areas are not taken seriously as the location of crucial projects, and the city is losing it. As a result, the Gdynia port has not developed for many years, and the Gdańsk port, "equipped" with incomparably better access infrastructure, has been beating transhipment records.
Importantly – without the Red Way, there will surely not be an external port, planned today. Without it, the further improvement of the Gdynia port will be severely threatened. Apart from the fact that the Red Road area has been "reserved" for a long time, we cannot carry out another projects in this area.
How do we get out of the deadlock for this investment?
The seaport serves primarily not the city, but the full country. It serves the movement of goods from all over the country, being a window to the planet for it. Ports make immense taxation revenues to the state budget, counted in billions of PLN. Meanwhile, Estakada Kwiatkowski, and so the main access road to the Gdynia port, is maintained by Gdynia. This creates immense costs for the urban budget, as it requires continuous repairs, modernization and, in fact, general renovation. The port should be led by a road that meets the parameters of modern transport. Without that, the Gdynia port will proceed to vegetate. The costs of specified renovation are from the position of the municipality, impossible to bear. For the state budget – on the contrary.
I so believe that the best way out of the current deadlock is to take over the renovation and maintenance of the escapade by the state. An additional argument for specified a solution should be the fact that this road is now strategically crucial for NATO. Most of the goods transported to support Ukraine, but besides the Polish army, are delivered through the Gdynia port.
The only way to get to the Gdynia port is now Estakada Kwiatkowski, located in a very mediocre method condition. It was built a fewer decades ago, even before the alleged container revolution, not being adapted to the truck traffic of containers with a weight exceeding 40 tonnes.
Railways are an crucial transport branch – besides from the point of view of seaports. Will there be a chance of its improvement in Gdynia, as in Gdańsk?
The improvement of the agglomeration railway to the northern districts of Gdynia is 1 of the city's improvement priorities. It is known that rail investments are very costly. For this reason, we have been told over the years that the construction of fresh connections will not be financially tight. However, let us look at what is happening in Gdańsk – not only that the city is utilizing the offer of Pomeranian Metropolitan Railway, it will shortly be the next stage.
At present, no investor, wishing to place crucial resources in the seaport long-term, will hazard losing access to its investment in any time period. As a result, these areas are not taken seriously as the location of crucial projects and the city is losing it.
Gdynia uses PKM to a much more limited extent. As in the case of the Red Road, for over 20 years we have been waiting for the implementation of the thread of the agglomeration railway towards the northern districts of the city. In the erstwhile term, in my opinion, discussions between the authorities of Gdynia and the regional authorities on this subject had insufficient dynamics - deficiency of determination. This is worth considering as a priority, given not only the improvement of Obłuża or Pogórza, but besides the neighbouring towns, specified as Kosakov. The implementation of the metropolitan railway should yet take place throughout the full agglomeration.
What are Gdynia's another improvement priorities for the coming years?
Gdynia is simply a fantastic place to live – located by the sea, with large air and plenty of green areas around. These conditions should constitute a magnet for settling further service investments. We have arguments for this, including – what is the remnant of the pandemic – the available office space, as well as an interesting gastronomic and cultural offer. Our improvement possible is very advanced and I hope it will be decently exploited in the following years
Investors frequently see the Tricity as 1 area, without discrimination between Gdańsk and Gdynia. What does it look like from the position of 2 separate local units – are you competing for investments or "playing to 1 goal"?
Definitely the another one. Gdynia, Gdańsk, Sopot, but besides Wejherowo, Rumia or Pruszcz Gdańsk are 1 well-connected – mostly due to the Fast Urban Railway – agglomeration. By acting together, we can attract more investors to the Tricity, including the very large ones. Whether they will yet be located in Gdańsk or Gdynia, it does not substance that much. After all, people working behind the city can live in our city and commute to the office or work remotely, utilizing local shops, services, culture, etc.
Gdynia, Gdańsk, Sopot, but besides Wejherowo, Rumia or Pruszcz Gdański constitute 1 well-connected agglomeration. By acting together, we can attract more investors to the Tricity, including the very large ones. And whether they will yet be located in Gdańsk or Gdynia is not that important.
From my perspective, it is more crucial where they will pay taxes. At the moment, a major problem for the city is the failure of the PITs by many real residents of Gdynia in the Gdynia taxation offices. This creates a gap of tens of millions of zlotys for the city. This is why we strive to make a unchangeable taxation base, encouraging the country to settle in its city.
What directions of spatial improvement of Gdynia are planned in the coming years?
Because our city borders the sea on the 1 hand, and on the another hand with the Tricity scenery Park, its possibilities for spatial improvement are very limited. The area on which we will focus will surely be the centre of Gdynia, where we inactive have many undeveloped areas (e.g. areas of the erstwhile Dalmor or alleged Interthora). Czarzno will make intensively all the time. As local authorities, we will guarantee that these areas, which are 1 of the last to be utilized in the city, are utilized in an optimal way. I believe we can do this.
