AGENDA

There are ten million square metres of office space in Poland. The market has doubled over the last decade. According to forecasts, the resources may grow up to 24 million square metres by 2028. What proved to be a success, what failed, what needs to be improved, and what errors should be avoided in the coming decade?

Polish warehouses are a market hit. Price, the availability of assets, the liquidity of transactions, the activity of tenants, the marketing of Poland… What are the major challenges for the sector? How have they been changing?

No, but it faces more challenges than twenty years ago. Retail is at a crossroads, but there is no single appropriate direction for its development. Various signposts show that in the future shopping centre owners and operators will become analysts of digital data, designers of services or creators of media messages. What is the name of
success in retail?

What projects do Polish cities need in an era when time has become a new currency, the quality of life is now a measure of affluence, and buildings merely frame the image of a city, for its essence lies in public space?

The modernist model of an ideal city, with each zone performing a specific function, is becoming obsolete. Small homelands are all the rage now – they are places where the inhabitants follow a weekly programme of living ‘on site’. Today, cities ‘fight’ for inhabitants with the quality of infrastructure offered: housing, offices or cultural facilities. Are Polish cities waiting for new multifunctional projects integrated with the city? The city-forming mixed-use – co-operation between local authorities and business is required for the purpose. What do Warsaw authorities expect and what do they offer? What are the plans of developers?

That machine cannot be stopped. The property sector must invest in new technologies. Which of them are
absolute must-haves and what has become a major challenge?

They have the potential and human resources, but they lack, for instance, prestigious locations and high-quality education. Although medium-sized towns and the largest regional office markets in Poland are light years apart, the distance may shorten in the near future. How should smaller urban centres be supported in attracting new investment projects from the modern business services sector? In terms of accompanying infrastructure like cinemas, theatres or parks, can they compete with the largest centres? The role of the government’s Factory Programme.

Poland’s property market is an attractive target for foreign investment; however, the real challenge is to stimulate domestic investors. To what extent is the lack of an Act on REITs a significant stumbling block to the development of the sector in Poland? What shape should it take?