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Today, the GCAP project for Wałbrzych was officially closed. The ceremony was attended by representatives of the EBRD, the Embassy of Taiwan, the Ministry of Finance and the Wałbrzych Economic Zone. “It is a pleasure to work with such a well-organized city team. They know what they want and they take decisions and action immediately” Anita says.
The presentation of the completed project took place in Stara Kopalnia in Wałbrzych – a revitalized coal mine, which has become a tourist and local attraction. Now the city is going to implement GCAP, which means that the authorities of Wałbrzych will have to actively seek financing.
“Wałbrzych is tirelessly working to change its image from a polluted industrial city to a tourist attraction and a good place to live for its inhabitants. I hope that it will be able to reverse the demographic trend and attract young people, who will choose it as a place to settle down after graduation or move here from other parts of Poland. The city of Wałbrzych is unique because of its natural surroundings, the proximity of the Czech border, and its historical heritage with Książ Castle and the Old Town. I’ll spend the long weekend in May there, and someday… maybe I’ll move to Wałbrzych” – says Anita.

Green City is comprehensive project of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which is a response to the emerging problems of cities related to climate change and social changes. The strategic document “Green City Action Plan”, developed in a participatory way, integrates urban policies, plans and programs into one coherent whole. It allows for comprehensive identification of environmental, social and infrastructural problems in cities, thanks to which a list of tasks to be implemented in a fixed time can be developed. It is a response to identified social needs and environmental risks. The implementation of specific projects emerging from these in the areas such as energy, transport, buildings, waste, water and sewage management and other sectors are to bring measurable benefits to residents and the environment.
Such a synergy requires joining forces by many specialists. We are proud to have been involved in this process. At the invitation of Arup, in cooperation with the city and its inhabitants, we developed several important documents, such as Smart Maturity Assessment, Technical Assessment Report and Gender Report. This is a continuation of our work for the city of Wałbrzych. Previously, we were involved in assessing the status of two projects: the construction of a bypass and thermal modernization of 52 buildings so that these projects could be financed by the EBRD.
“In cities that undertake the creation of GCAPs and consistently implement the identified goals, life will simply be better,” says Anita.

In Poland, so far only Warsaw and Wałbrzych have met the challenge of developing the GCAP, Wałbrzych being the first city to develop and accept this document.