Over the last couple of weeks, our Project Director Gerard Schuurman participated in several events and spoke about the work that we do at the shipyard, our vision and focus on innovative solutions.
Smart Up Innovation Camp, 10.09.19
This event at the European Solidarity Centre in Gdansk gathered a number of stakeholders from the Baltic Region – international practitioners/academics as well as the local stakeholders and was organized by the Gdansk Metropolitan Area.
Gerard spoke specifically about the topic of temporarily uses of post-industrial spaces and how these short-term activities fit into the long-term vision. Stocznia Cesarska Development is continuously working with local partners, such as NGOs, artists, and entrepreneurs, to activate the area and attract people. These #newstories should leverage the history, heritage and physical attributes of this place. The slides can be viewed here.
ReSITE, 20-21.09.19
ReSITE brings together an international crowd of city planners, builders, thinkers and activists to discuss how we can build better cities.
This 8th edition of the conference, taking place every year in Prague, was centered around the theme of regeneration.
On the first day Gerard took the main stage at the Forum Karlin and spoke the challenges and chances in the revitalization of the Imperial Shipyard, the most historic part of the former Gdansk Shipyard. Known as the birthplace of Solidarność it represents an important chapter in Polish and European history.
From the day we became owner we developed a vision that marries this important legacy with the creation of a 21st-century mixed-use urban neighborhood. Our day-to-day actions show how we expose and celebrate the important history and engage place-making partners that fit this story and this place. With the renovation of the Dyrekcja Building, a key step is taken in the revitalization process and soon the next projects will follow. At the same time, we continue the dialogue with the authorities to further develop and refine our master plan in order to “elevate the history”.
MIT SPURS Alumni Meeting, 10.10.19
As an alumnus from the Sloan Fellows program at MIT, Gerard was invited to the MIT SPURS workshop that took place at the Gdansk University of Technology.
As both universities are exploring the opportunities of closer collaboration through establishing an MIT SPURS regional hub and possibly an urban living lab, Gerard touched upon the research topic that can be relevant from a business perspective and the challenges encountered in the project.
Global challenges around climate change, circularity, mobility, and inclusiveness are relevant topics for Gdansk and our project as well. Especially we see possibilities to research and test innovative solutions for soil remediation, bio-waste utilization, urban agriculture, and water management.
