A NEW PERCEPTION OF FORESTS: IŁAWA FOREST

Iława Forest in northern Poland has been reborn following the interventions of Landscape Architecture Lab. Inviting citizens back to an area that had long been neglected to wilder impulses, this forest restoration has been carefully planned with the help of various experts in order to prevent damage to the broader ecology of the forest. Let’s hear more on the story of the Iława Forest from Marta Tomasiak.

Park Semi (Park): This project set out to restore an urban forest in Iława, northern Poland. Above all, I want to hear about Iława and the preexisting characteristics of the forest in the city. What was the background to this forest restoration project?

Marta Tomasiak (Tomasiak): Iława is a city of approximately 30 thousand inhabitants in a beautiful lakes region. The city is surrounded by spectacular natural scenery, including the longest lake in Poland, Jeziorak. Areas of wilderness are prevalent within this urban context, but for many years there was no particular programming and no proper maintenance. As a result, it is unique from an ecological