The Creeping Gentrification of a Street: The Case of the Historic Oval-Shaped Kościelna Street in Poznań

The subject of the research is the attractive Kościelna Street connecting two prestigious districts of the city of Poznań (Jeżyce and Sołacz). The oval ring layout of the street with its characteristic green separation strip sets the tone for the entire district. The urban layout, preserved for almost 300 years, is tied to its pioneers—settlers brought from Bamberg (Upper Franconia, Bavaria). The problems of maintaining the historical identity of the place and its inhabitants as well as the identity of the architecture (transformation from farmstead to frontage layout) are highlighted. The phenomenon of gentrification is the background to the deliberations. A chronicle of events over three centuries allows it to be described as creeping. Nevertheless, three types of gentrification have been examined: economic, social and symbolic (cultural). Research methods in the context of the multidisciplinary nature of the issue, emerging dilemmas and an overview of street attractiveness research are discussed. A method based on the Net Promoter Score has been used as an aid to determine the attractiveness of an architectural structure. The importance of social and symbolic aspects has been pointed out so that gentrification does not become rapacious.