REGIONAL INFORMATION:
Bratislavsky / Slovakia

The pilot case study focused on urban development on the chemical waste dump Vrakuna. The area is currently partly used as commercial-residential area, is partly an abandoned area, and a residential area is planned. Currently construction activities have been stopped. The waste dump belongs to the municipal government of Bratislava city because former owners are not willing to deal with the environmental problems.

Position of the Vrakuna dump site

 
Aerial photo of the Vrakuna dump site

Situation of the test area

Mlynske rameno was originally a dried river branch of the Danube serving as a sink for sewage dilution from a chemical factory since 1966 without any protection measures. The dump site was finally abandoned in 1979 with an estimated volume of 90,000 m3 and a thickness of 1.5-2.5 m. In 1989 it was covered with a 2-3 m layer of inert building rubble. The chemicals reached the
ground water table which was contaminated to a depth of 40 m. After the construction of the large Gabcikovo Waterworks in 1992, the ground water level rose and reached the soil surface. Despite groundwater contamination,
construction activities started on this area.

URBAN SMS activities

Activities aimed at improving the management of degraded urban areas and raising the awareness of decision makers and the public of the environmental hazards of this area. The local municipality and the hydrologist who investigated this area in the past were contacted. Results of the URBAN SMS tools (including the contamination module of the Soil Manager Suite) enabled visualization of how improper the former urban planning on this site had been. A local workshop for stakeholders, developers, municipality decision makers and broad professional public was organized (7th July 2011). At the workshop information about the URBAN SMS Project, the results of investigations on the pilot site as well as solutions for environmentally safe land uses of the site were presented and discussed.

Results and experiences

The case study demonstrates management methods for contaminated sites in spatial urban planning and what is the inevitable prerequisite for correct decisions regarding remediation and land use. Participation at the workshop
encourages consideration of soil as a precious resource in urban land. For the future of Vrakuna the best solution was found: this site joins the EU program for remediation of contaminated sites. Experts from the Soil Science and Conservation Research Institute in Bratislava proposed that the environmental impact assessment (EIA) “Guidance for Soil in SEA / EIA” should be applied for every Brownfield redevelopment without any exception.

Description

This new website for tourists shall encourage European citizens of CENTROPE region to visit their neighbouring areas. This project runs by Slovenský dom CENTROPE and was established in cooperation with regional tourism organisations from 8 federal states, regions and counties in Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, including Slovak capital Bratislava and the municipality of Bratislava.

There are about six and a half million people living in the CENTROPE Central European region. This region is tailor-made for family outings, whether on bikes or other common means of transport. It offers innumerable sights testifying to the common history shared for centuries as well as the best museums, galleries, attractive events and festivals. Thanks to its beautiful nature and opportunities for sport and recreation, the CENTROPE region is an ideal place for weekend family outings or an active holiday just several kilometres away from home.

Implementation & Results

You will find descriptions for 40 cycling paths including their length, difficulty level, and surface composition at www.tourcentrope.eu , more than 60 attractive cultural and leisure events, almost 160 sights and interesting places and even those on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list. There will also be top museums and galleries, valuable temples and churches, unique parks and other singularities that make the CENTROPE region so unique and varied.

Nevertheless, it used to be rather difficult finding information about interesting places and programmes on a single website. The new site will do away with this deficiency soon. It will also contain clear maps, including regular street maps, road and aerial ones. Information will be also provided in English and in the languages of all the participating regions. An application for most smartphones was introduced in 2012.