A new road surface, refurbished pavements, cycle lanes and more greenery – Yareal Polska has begun upgrading Żupnicza Street between Bliska and Chodakowska Streets. The works form part of a developer-funded programme to modernise three streets surrounding SOHO by Yareal in Warsaw’s Praga-Południe district. This investment in urban infrastructure complements the transformation of a former industrial site spanning more than five hectares into an open, mixed-use neighbourhood, making it easier and safer to get around Kamionek.
Yareal’s upgrade of Żupnicza Street follows on from the works on Bliska Street, which are nearing completion. Along the section between Bliska and Chodakowska Streets, parts of the carriageway will be resurfaced with new asphalt, whilst pavements on both sides of the street will be refurbished. One-way cycle lanes will run along the entire section being upgraded, with one on each side of the road. These will complement the existing cycling infrastructure along Żupnicza Street, making everyday journeys through this part of the district easier.
– From the outset, we have viewed SOHO by Yareal as an integral part of Kamionek. The publicly accessible linear park and pedestrian routes through the development have connected the new neighbourhood with its surroundings, whilst its retail and service outlets have become popular with residents of this part of Praga-Południe. Upgrading the nearby streets is the next step in this transformation. We want the convenient pedestrian routes within SOHO by Yareal to be complemented by safe pavements and crossings beyond the development, with new greenery and cycling infrastructure improving the everyday experience of the wider area – said Kinga Wiśniewska-Marczuk, Senior Project Manager at Yareal Polska.
Measures to improve pedestrian safety will be a key part of the works on Żupnicza Street. A missing section of pavement will be added on the southern side of the street, connecting the junction with Bliska Street to the crossing near the building at 4 Nowińska Street. New pedestrian crossings will be introduced at the junction, whilst the existing crossing near Nowińska Street will be raised on a sinusoidal-profile speed bump to calm traffic. Some of the paved areas along the street will be replaced with greenery. The phase already under way covers the section from Bliska Street to the building at 8 Żupnicza Street. The remaining stretch will be upgraded in subsequent phases.
The works on Żupnicza Street form part of a wider programme to expand infrastructure around SOHO by Yareal, funded by the developer under an agreement with the Warsaw Municipal Roads Authority (ZDM). The programme covers a route of approximately one kilometre along Bliska, Żupnicza and Chodakowska Streets, running from the vicinity of Warszawa Wschodnia railway station to Mińska Street. In addition to road resurfacing, the scope includes a new roundabout at the junction of Chodakowska and Mińska Streets, pavements, cycling infrastructure, bus bays and pedestrian crossings with additional lighting. Underground power cables supplying the streetlights will also be replaced, both along the streets being upgraded and along their continuation on Stanisławowska and Dwernickiego Streets.
The road improvements will be accompanied by new planting. Dozens of trees will be planted along the streets, including horse chestnuts, plum trees and silver lime trees, with some specimens reaching up to five metres in height. The overall programme includes 10,000 shrubs, perennials and grasses, as well as more than 6,000 square metres of lawns. Most of the planting will occupy the spaces between the carriageways and the new pavements and cycle routes. It will complement the green setting of SOHO by Yareal, where more than 100 trees and well over 10,000 other plants have already been planted. At the heart of the development is a publicly accessible, 300-metre-long linear park covering more than one hectare. Vehicular traffic has been removed from the interior of the neighbourhood, creating space for walking, recreation and everyday social interaction. The upgrade of the adjacent streets extends this transformation to the public areas surrounding the development.
SOHO by Yareal was designed in line with the ‘15-minute city’ concept, combining homes, leisure facilities, dining, offices and services with revitalised former industrial buildings. The project has been awarded the prestigious BREEAM Communities certification, which recognises outstanding urban developments. The developer has already completed the four-phase residential component of SOHO by Yareal, comprising nearly 900 flats across 10 buildings. Work is now under way in Warsaw’s Kamionek neighbourhood on SOHO HUB, the final phase of Yareal’s project. Scheduled for completion in 2028, it will add approximately 10,000 sqm of modern office, retail and service space. This phase includes the construction of new commercial buildings J (39 Mińska Street) and J’ (39A Mińska Street), as well as the comprehensive restoration of the development’s only listed heritage building, B.55 (39B Mińska Street).
