IDEAS FOR SZCZECIN

Key findings from the 1st meeting (October, 13, 2009)

1. Improve the beauty of the city:
• Renovation program for old buildings;
• Limit the number of billboards / ads signs in the city;
• Dog’s mess – make the law executed :
•regulate what animals you can keep in the city centre;
•create the dog toilets;
•educate owners;
•solve the problem of the noise pollution.

2. Create the heart of the city
• New old town – create a “fish market” or any other market instead of parking in the middle of the square;
• Wharf project = floating garden;
• Keep the original spirit of Szczecin - find the features which distinguish Szczecin from other cities and emphasize them;
• Create the relationship between the city and the river:
•develop the river area (housing / offices / shopping / entertainment – an idea for beach bar);
•make possibility to walk around the river;
•the pedestrian bridge in front of the railway station connecting the shores;
•boat river transportation.

3. The information for visitors
• Create a well-known website, incl. a practical guide for tourists and also some useful information for businessmen;
• Organize more events and advertise them outside the city;
• Promote Szczecin in different countries, especially in Berlin.

4. Railway station
• Make the railway station more representative and friendly for visitors;
• Provide information for international passengers (at least in English and German);
• Make the railway station announcements more understandable for passengers;
• Renovate the area around the station (especially the route from the station to the city center (including 3 Maja Str.);
• Make the taxi in front of railway station safer and more friendly;

5. Transport
• Ring road / tunnels;
• Demographics survey;
• Improve public transportation system;
• Improve bus and tram networks schemes and place them at the bus and tram stations;
• Alternative transportation;
• Create more bicycle paths.

6. Education
• Take advantage of the location of Szczecin – close to Berlin and Scandinavia
• Develop an international cooperation between universities, particularly with universities in Germany and Scandinavia;
• Create more exchange programs and new specializations (i.e. the PhD studies in
English);
• Promote higher education of Szczecin;
• Improve the way of teaching (teach students to be more creative rather than delivering tasks and projects, teach them to have goals and how to achieve them);
• Attract graduates to stay in Szczecin (talent leaves!!!);
• Academy of Art.

7. Szczecin, a place to invest
• Develop new core biz for the city in cooperation with universities (skilled labour);
Green technology: i.e. wind farms, science, find success stories (of cooperation)
worldwide;
• Invest in Human Resources and offer skilled labour;
• (still) Cheap labour comparing to other EU countries;
• Take advantage of Szczecin’s location which gives excellent transport connections – motorways to West Europe, ferry connections with Denmark, Sweden and Finland, air connections to practically every place in the world through Berlin airports and Szczecin-Goleniów.

8. Miscellaneous
• Skateboard facilities;
• Children war fun park.