Revitalising the Peripheries
In this project, Spolka focused on abandoned industrial areas which, in many cities across Central and Eastern Europe, are sources of environmental, social, and economic challenges, while at the same time representing significant untapped potential. In partnership with organizations from the V4 countries, we worked on developing fairer and more sustainable approaches to their regeneration, grounded in local experience, collaboration, and knowledge sharing.
These sites are marked by environmental degradation, declining investment, and long-term social marginalization. Despite their historical importance, they have often remained outside mainstream planning processes. The project built on the Postindustrial Urban Periphery initiative and sought to shift the perception of post-industrial peripheries - from problematic areas to places with strong potential for future transformation.
The main objective of the project was to co-create a transnational framework for the assessment and transformation of brownfields in Central and Eastern Europe, based on the principles of social justice and environmental responsibility. The project develops a regional knowledge base aimed at supporting municipalities, urbanists, planners, experts, civil society organizations, and investors in adopting a more strategic, coordinated, and long-term approach to the regeneration of post-industrial areas.
Within the Slovak context, we focused on sites such as the Košice–Šaca district, the former mill complex in Veľký Šariš, and the Istrochem site together with the nearby Žabí Majer garden colony in Bratislava.
Project outcomes:
- A shared framework and practical tools for working with brownfields in the V4 region
- An online platform responding to the absence of a common database
- Case studies focused on adaptive reuse and social, economic, and institutional innovation
- Strengthened cooperation and exchange of experience between cities and professionals
The project was co-financed by the governments of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia through Visegrad Grants from the International Visegrad Fund.
