Poland: the city of Chrzanów will build an eco-district with the support of the European Investment Advisory Hub

• The agreement will provide a comprehensive package of technical assistance to support the urban regeneration of this former industrial town in Southern Poland
• Housing and connectivity are core elements of the regeneration plan
• The new district will be built using energy efficiency and circular economy principles  

EIB experts funded by the European Investment Advisory Hub, an advisory partnership between the European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB), will advise the Municipality of Chrzanów on developing an innovative eco-district project aiming to offer housing to meet the needs of all social groups, including families, seniors and people with disabilities.

Located in Southern Poland, the former industrial town of Chrzanów has to reinvent itself to address the challenges posed by the rapid transformation of its economic system. The departure of the heavy industry from the region and the growth of small manufacturing, logistics and service industries require the city to redirect its development strategy to meet the current and future needs of the population, not only in terms of available housing but also in terms of spaces dedicated to businesses and retail – the two current driving forces of the city’s economy.

To support the just transition of this area towards a more sustainable economic setup, EIB experts will discuss and provide the Municipality of Chrzanów with a development strategy and design concept to regenerate an area located between the market square and the new railway station. The plan is to create a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable neighbourhood, offering high quality of life while ensuring good connections to neighbouring towns and to the wider region. The new urbanistic and architectural concept, prepared by EIB experts and external service providers as part of this agreement, will include buildings designed for intergenerational co-living, with minimum energy demand, designed with circular economy principles and keeping in mind local architectural and urbanistic traditions.

EIB Vice-President Teresa Czerwińska, who oversees EIB’s operations in Poland, said: “Support for cities in Europe is one of the key objectives of the European Investment Bank in the coming years. Urban centres are increasingly affected by air pollution and climate change. Responding to these challenges requires not only financial investment, in which the EIB, as the EU’s climate bank, has an important role to play, but above all the right ideas and carefully prepared investment projects to address this threat. This is the real added value of the European Investment Advisory Hub, which, together with the EIB, supports the municipality of Chrzanów in building its first eco-district.”

The Mayor of Chrzanów, Robert Maciaszek said: “The project area has enormous potential. It is the very centre of Chrzanów, in the immediate vicinity of the Market Square. That is why I really care about the quality of the residential buildings that will be built there. What's more, as a leading city in improving air quality, we pay special attention to ecological issues. Sustainable, ecological construction is another step towards increasing the quality of life of our present and future residents. The close vicinity of the railway and bus stations as well as direct access to various social services will certainly contribute to the success of this investment. I am glad that the European Investment Bank saw this potential and decided to invest in Chrzanów”.

The assistance provided by the European Investment Advisory Hub, through the URBIS initiative, will also include a feasibility study, a project implementation plan and a financing strategy, which will be key to secure financing for the projects from the EU and/or national sources.

The European Investment Advisory Hub is a partnership between the European Investment Bank Group and the European Commission under the Investment Plan for Europe. The Advisory Hub is designed to act as a single access point to various types of advisory and technical assistance services. It supports the identification, preparation and development of investment projects across the EU. Its advisers work directly with project promoters to prepare a tailor-made advisory package to support investment projects. The Advisory Hub has been active in supporting the transition and economic restructuring of former coal and carbon-intensive regions by supporting environmental remediation, as well as integrated urban and regional development projects. The Advisory Hub's support, often provided through URBIS, can play a key role in ensuring a just transition towards a greener economy for former industrial and mining areas. Hosted within the Advisory Hub, URBIS is an urban investment advisory platform which aims to provide advisory support to urban authorities to facilitate investments projects, programmes and platforms.