Polish public space (2013)

Over the 50 years of communism in Poland, there was no such thing as public space.Poles shut themselves in their homes because everything outside belonged to the oppressive state.It was not their property and so they did not look after it.The explosion of freedom in 1989 did not change much ? there are still few who care for public space. In 2008, Poles were asked who, in their opinion, should be responsible for the aesthetics of their surroundings.Over 47% of respondents answered that it should be the local authorities for a given location, nearly 24% believed that it was the task of architects and town planners, barely 12% handed the responsibility to homeowners and members of apartment communities.Among the remaining answers, two catch the eye ? ?a ministry specially set up to do it? (almost six percent) and the government and prime minister (over 1.5%).In 2013, 67 percent of Poles believe that there is too much advertising in Polish towns, but at the same time 77% declare that they would have an advertisement on their home if they were paid to do so.
The result is that there is less and less of public space in Poland.Courts which were until recently public have become shopping malls, ever more parks and green squares are being destroyed under housing developments.