The title of the 2022 edition is 'Walka o Ulice' (Streetfight) and is borrowed from the book Streetfight: Handbook for an Urban Revolution, in which the American urban activist Janette Sadik-Khan writes: "The basic principle of traffic organisation has been known for a century and has been ignored by planners until now. It proclaims that the effects depend on what you build. More lanes means more cars." At the core of the festival lies the question of how to create a universal street design so that the streets of the Polish capital are accessible, friendly and accommodating to all residents. In the works of art and films presented at the festival exhibition as well as during the festival meetings, various aspects of a lifestyle based solely on cars will be shown in an effort to generate discussion on the effects of congesting the streets with car traffic. An excellent example of this will be a presentation on the history of Warsaw's Aleja Jerozolimskie - a once-lively urban street that has come to resemble an expressway.
The strength of Warsaw Under Construction lies in creative, often unexpected collaborations between the local government and its agencies, activists, city institutions, business and residents. This year's festival audience can visit the tram depot at Kawęczyńska Street to learn about the historical development of Warsaw's public transport network and the daily work of those who operate it. They can also take part in debates over the decline of underground crossings, take guided tours of the festival exhibition at Museum on the Vistula, see film screenings at the Syrena theatre, explore Warsaw's standards of accessible design during city walks and meetings, and attend a lecture by world-renowned urban planning expert Professor Carlos Moreno. The festival will also touch on other aspects of the "fight for the streets," such as name changes that ignite strong identity conflicts, and there will also be a journey through the city's heat islands - places where the capital overheats. In debates and festival meetings, participants will discuss ways forward for cities in the face of the climate crisis, including protecting and planting greenery, retaining rainwater and reducing the role of the car in the city in favour of public transport and pedestrians, as well as safe and ecological mobility.
