**1. Introduction**

Cracow (Kraków), being an important point on the map of Polish historical heritage, is associated mainly with impressive buildings of historic significance well known in Poland and abroad. However, not all city districts have been developing as dynamically as the city centre. Very often the districts of crucial historic importance have been neglected. One of such places was Zabłocie, whose importance has been noticed only in recent years [1]. This area is located in a post-industrial part of the district of Podgórze (Figure 1), in the vicinity of the city's chief arterial roads. There are also two trestle bridges being built at the moment, which are to join the eastern and southern railway exit from Cracow (Kraków). In addition, there is a newly renovated interchange station Kraków Zabłocie adjacent to the

subject-related area from the western direction. Former industrial areas of Zabłocie of some historic importance are being converted into residential areas. As a result, the number of district inhabitants and users has been steadily growing in recent years.

**Figure 1.** Diagrams showing the location of the project-related area: (**a**) Podgórze district area in the context of other Cracow districts; (**b**) Zabłocie area within the scope of Podgórze district and in proximity of the Old Town [2] (elaborated by E. Latusek).

The subject of this work is a fragment of the riverside embankment of the river Vistula (Wisła) in Cracow (Kraków). This riverfront is in many respects a very interesting area, and it has not been properly developed yet. This particular site was selected due to its purpose: in urban planning documents this place is intended for the function of a local centre (Figure 2). It is a socially significant place. This site requires a proper approach to designing with a focus on the creation of architecture. After the research and spatial analyses, it was decided that a multi-functional complex should be designed to meet the needs of Cracow's inhabitants and visiting tourists. This work and investigations concern the area which was designated as a local centre in the Study of Conditions and Directions of Spatial Development of the City of Cracow (Kraków).

**Figure 2.** Fragment of the regeneration area, sub-area Stare Podgórze–Zabłocie, own elaboration by E. Latusek on the basis of the map extract from the Study.

In 2014, a section of Podolski Boulevard (Podolski Bulwar) was given a new name of Boulevard of the Allied Forces Pilots (Bulwar Lotników Alianckich) because of two important anniversaries: 1 August, the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising, and 1 September, the 85th anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War [3]. To commemorate the Polish Air Forces a memorial is planned to be erected there. This fact does not significantly influence the way of development or utilisation of the embankment. Quoting M. Przybyła, "by analysing the course of events connected with the development of the urban space of Zabłocie after 1989, it can be stated that Zabłocie potentially constitutes one of the most important development-prone areas of the city of Cracow" [4].

Everything that is happening around the project-related area shows how interesting and valuable place this is. Two questions arise: Why is this area still neglected? Why has its potential not been used so far? It is worth emphasizing that "one of the crucial, however much delayed, elements of the programme of {Zabłocie regeneration} is the creation of a representative space having functions of a local centre [ ... ] This newly defined showpiece of the area may not only be a magnet attracting tourists interested in the history of technology but also may increase the attractivity of the neighbouring areas" [5].

The main objective of this article is to present methods of the formulation of bespoke concepts of land development in the area of riverside embankment in the downtown zone with a multifunctional complex including the Museum of the Allied Forces Pilots, which will constitute a local centre in the context of the spatial development of a section of the Vistula riverside.
