The role of integration of spatial and social effort in the regeneration of residential areas

Regeneration of residential areas, with the main goal to improve the quality of space and life for residents, is often very costly and time-consuming. It is important to direct the regeneration process so that the effort and costs yield the expected results both for those responsible for the actions and residents of the relevant areas. The author has worked in a multidisciplinary team handling spatial and social integration of illegal residential districts in Montevideo Department, Uruguay. It was an opportunity to learn about the governmental scheme and the methods it employed. She participated in several projects at different stages and witnessed the results of the effort. Inspired by the effects of the scheme, she attempted to identify activities that were based on similar assumptions in Poland. The pilot scheme by Ewa Kipta, later transformed into the Lublin Regeneration Scheme, was selected because it reached out to residents at an early stage of implementation. An in-depth analysis indicated that the social factor is important for the identification of the condition of the space and the effort to improve it. Residents took part in determining the directions of activities in their districts when detailed designs were being created and implemented. Regardless of the form of dialogue, the effort led to long-term effects the residents evaluated favourably in both cases.