In Lviv, at the junction of Lypynskoho and Promyslova streets, business owners have been forced to redo public realm works that were carried out a few months ago without the necessary approvals. The parking area is being reduced, the cycle lane is being moved, recently laid paving stones are being taken up and the roots of mature trees are being freed, while lighting and accessibility elements are also being adjusted. This was reported by the city’s chief architect, Anton Kolomeitsev.
According to him, the developer began work without approved project documentation. During the initial arrangement of the area, the trees were covered with soil and construction waste, and the cycle lane was to be laid directly over the roots, which posed a threat to the greenery.
After the intervention of municipal services, the works were halted, the trees were dug out, and the public realm design was reworked. A section of the already completed works is now being dismantled on the site: the “fresh” paving stones are being taken up, the temporary parking area is being reduced, and the alignment of the cycle lane is being changed. In the revised scheme, according to the architect, full protection of the existing trees has been provided for, along with an updated lighting system, a different arrangement of benches, improved safety at pedestrian crossings and cycle crossings, as well as additional planting.
“All too often, ill-conceived, unconsulted and unapproved public realm works around new builds result in healthy trees being put at risk. At the junction of Lypynskoho and Promyslova, business owners have finally started to put right everything they rushed into building,” said Anton Kolomeitsev.
The official stressed that such situations illustrate why approval of public realm schemes sometimes takes longer than business owners expect: specialists spend a significant amount of time correcting mistakes that have already been made, which is inefficient both in terms of cost and in terms of preserving the urban environment.