Revitalization is a process which takes place simultaneously in many dimensions such as social, town-planning and functional or environmental one. The manner in which the post-industrial, post-military or run-down city quarters are adapted to serve new purposes is of vital importance in the said process. It results in changes in the functions performed by a particular area, the architectural and urban layout and transformations of some parts of the city. One element of the process is the revitalization of green areas. It is even possible to venture a statement that revitalization is not possible without taking into account urban greenery. Greenery is currently referred to as the “green infrastructure” of the city since, in the same manner as the technical infrastructure, it plays a crucial role in improving the living conditions and increasing the comfort of urban life. The regeneration of greenery exerts a very positive impact not only on the image and the aesthetic value of the city, but also on the whole process of reviving degraded spaces. Changes in the city landscape are one of the most spectacular effects of revitalization activities. At the same time, they become a stimulus for taking more intense recovery measures in other spheres which are crucial for the revitalization process, e.g. in the social, economic or legal sector.
The paper is devoted to the revitalization undertakings in the city of Łódź from the point of view of the activities carried out within the framework of the EXPO Horticultural 2024. The paper discusses the vital issue of regenerating urban areas in cities. The issues presented in the paper concern current critical problems, which constitute global challenges, aimed at improving the quality of life in cities by means of modernizing or regenerating recreational areas, i.e. the green fabric. The objective of the paper is to draw the readers’ attention, firstly, to revitalization, including regeneration of urban greenery, as a tool aimed at recovery from the crisis state of the degraded area and, secondly, to the benefits resulting from hosting international events and their impact on the local development. Łódź as one of the pioneering cities in Poland has made an attempt at carrying out comprehensive revitalization. Apart from the rehabilitation of degraded infrastructure, historic tenement houses or post-industrial areas pertaining to the 19th century factories, also the public space including green areas undergoes revitalization. The research methods applied in the paper are based on the study of literature on the subject. They will also encompass a financial analysis concerning revitalization in Łódź in the light of hosting by the city of the International Expo Horticultural 2024.