Brand strategy

When you look at Szczecin from above, you see a city surrounded with water and greenery. It is located between the broads of the Oder River with an open perspective on the Szczecin Reservoir and Lake Dąbie, and the sailing route to the Baltic Sea. This view inspires the Szczecin Floating Garden 2050 project.  This is the way in which Szczecin has been communicating with the world since 2008.

The Floating Garden 2050 vision refers to the abundance of nature around Szczecin; to the surrounding forests, parks and water – numerous canals, rivers and broads. The idea is not to lose the natural treasure of the environment when thinking about development.  With that in mind, in line with the floating garden concept, Szczecin is to combine the characteristics of a city with those of a place good for living and at the same time prove that a modern metropolis does not need to be overwhelming.

This is why a responsible approach to natural resources management is so important in Szczecin, thus the city’s return to the water and care for the environment and projects to improve the quality of life.  With this in mind, Szczecin is becoming a more and more environmentally friendly (the construction and launch of the Eco Generator waste incineration plant), open (road construction projects, redevelopment of Szczecin's main thoroughfares), and water-oriented city (the North East Marina yacht port).  The city creates resident-friendly spaces by revitalising parks and squares to serve the leisure function. This concept encompasses the original, uniform City Information System and the consistently implemented branding of urban transport.

Another assumption of the brand’s strategy is openness and readiness for change rooted in Szczecin's identity. Thanks to that original projects have a potential for success in Szczecin, such as the Szczecin Philharmonic, which in 2015 was acclaimed the best piece of European architecture.

In line with this strategic approach, in its fulfilment of the Floating Garden 2050 vision Szczecin should redefine itself using its natural assets, i.e. greenery, water and space. 

This redefinition involves a new approach to the previously industrial areas of the Łasztownia Island located in the central part of the city, which is gradually being restored, becoming the new heart of the city.