Marek Zagroba

Historical town centers have a different layout and functions than do contemporary urban districts. The urban layout and architecture of medieval towns constitute tangible cultural heritage that shapes the local landscape. The aim of this study was to analyze and evaluate historical spatial structures in small towns, and to describe their role in the evolution of the regional cultural landscape.The study examined medieval towns in the region of Warmia in north-eastern Poland. An attempt was also made to explore the impact that historical towns exert on the local cultural landscape. The study demonstrated that a medieval urban spatial layout makes a fundamental contribution to the local landscape and regional identity. The study also revealed that well-preserved historical structurescan drive local development and effectively promote regions.

Motives: The historical urban layout and architectural design of old towns significantly contribute to the cultural landscape of small towns and the region. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the role of historical spatial structures in the development of the local cultural landscape. The study was conducted in small Medieval towns in the Region of Warmia in north-eastern Poland. The extent to which the architectural design of historical urban structures, in particular architectural landmarks, influences the local landscape was analyzed.Aim: The described research goals were achieved with the use of several research methods. The study demonstrated that the Medieval spatial urban layout of old towns, including architectural landmarks, significantly influences the region’s cultural landscape and contributes to a strong sense of local identity. The results suggest that historical architecture and urban layout can contribute to the economic development of small towns.Results: The results indicate that well-preserved historical urban structures can contribute to the economic growth of small towns and effective promotion of regions.

One of the forms of public participation in the local governance system is civic budgeting which actively engages residents in developing projects and voting on the submitted proposals. Civic budgeting aims to involve local communities in deciding how a defined portion of public resources should be allocated by means of a democratic debate. Public spaces are the essence of urban life; therefore, the aim of the study was to analyze civic budget records relating to public spaces. The study was conducted in the largest Polish cities. The research involved quantitative and comparative analytical methods. The analysis focused on community involvement and local community needs, represented by a wide array of public space-related project categories. The analyzed cities were ranked according to their civic engagement, and the resulting classification was compared with voter turnout during polls on the proposals adopted as part of the CB process. The results revealed considerable diversity in both civic engagement and local needs, and they could be used to develop guidelines for designing public spaces in the urban planning process. The present findings are also a valuable source of information for local governments in their efforts to improve the functioning, attractiveness and development of user-friendly spaces in citizen-oriented cities.

Cittaslow International promotes harmonious development of small towns based on sustainable relationships between economic growth, protection of local traditions, cultural heritage and the environment, and an improvement in the quality of local life. The aim of this study was to analyze and evaluate the differences and similarities in the spatial structure of Cittaslow towns in the Italian regions of Tuscany and Umbria and the Polish region of Warmia and Mazury. The study examined historical towns which are situated in different parts of Europe and have evolved in different cultural and natural environments. The presented research attempts to determine whether the spatial structure of historical towns established in different European regions promotes the dissemination of the Cittaslow philosophy and the adoption of sustainable development principles. The urban design, architectural features and the composition of urban and architectural factors which are largely responsible for perceptions of multi-dimensional space were evaluated. These goals were achieved with the use of a self-designed research method which supported a subjective evaluation of spatial structure defined by historical urban planning and architectural solutions. The study demonstrated that Medieval urban layouts can be successfully incorporated into the modern urban fabric to promote sustainable development and slow living.

Public spaces play a special role in the social life, culture, and traditions of historical towns. Public spaces are defined by their urban layout and architectural design and they embody the unique identity of old towns. They integrate local communities and contribute to the formation of social bonds. Urban planning and architecture play an important role in this process. The historical character of public spaces is a prerequisite for social interactions. The aim of this study was to analyze and evaluate historical urban public spaces (market squares) in three small towns in the region of Warmia in north-eastern Poland. Architectural features, urban layout, and the composition of urban and architectural factors, which are largely responsible for synthetic perception of multidimensional space, were evaluated. These goals were achieved with the use of an interpretive historical research method based on original evaluation criteria. The results were used to identify public spaces that require revitalization. Revitalization programs help preserve or revive attractive locations by restoring the right balance between economic and social factors and cultural heritage. The study demonstrated that orderly and harmonious planning of public spaces considerably influences perceptions of space.

This article analyzes the applicability of spatial data for evaluating and monitoring changes in land use and their impact on the local landscape. The Coordination of Information on the Environment (CORINE) Land Cover database was used to develop a procedure and an indicator for analyzing changes in land cover, and the continuity of different land use types. Changes in land use types were evaluated based on land cover data. The results were analyzed over time to track changes in the evaluated region. The studied area was the Region of Warmia and Mazury in Poland. The preservation of homogeneous land cover plays a particularly important role in areas characterized by high natural value and an abundance of forests and water bodies. The study revealed considerable changes in land cover and landscape fragmentation in the analyzed region.

Historic town quarters, as an area often referred to as the Old Town, used to be and still are perceived as playing the role of the town centre. This is almost invariably true about small towns, as there the Old Town is associated with the site where the town was established and is a manifestation of the town’s historic identity. Therefore, the functional and spacial problems in many small localities face tend to concentrate in their historic centres, where they are compounded by the high density of buildings. The complexity of elements which compose the structure of historic town centres calls for such actions that will ensure a more prominent exposition of the Old Town against the backdrop of the other urban areas. This entails the necessity to solve numerous problems, not only spatial but also economic and social ones. Every town is a living organism, and a place where people live. The key to solving the above problems to by developing revitalisation programmes to improve the quality of space and to ensure sustainable development of centres in historic towns. An example is the historic quarter in Jeziorany, a town with medieval roots which lies in Warmia, a historic region situated in north-eastern Poland. This paper is devoted to a revitalisation project carried out in Jeziorany. Selected aspects are presented of a land development plan designed to revitalise the former moat in Jeziorany, a historic town in Warmia. The moat lies within the Symsarna River Valley Protected Landscape Area. Until recently, it had looked like a belt of untrimmed greenery stretching around the town’s centre. Part of the programme for revitalisation of Jeziorany’s centre, it was the first accomplished stage on the way of giving the town centre a new quality. Once reorganised and improved, this area now contributes to the centre-forming character of the Old Town, enables a better exposition of the Old Town’s historic buildings, has a positive influence on the public urban space and attains a social dimension by improving the local community’s life quality. Revitalisation of the moat in Jeziorany is an example of implementation of some positive spatial solutions in the centre of a small historic town. The process of renewing this area with respect to its functional and visual assets demonstrates that the execution of programmes dedicated to the improvement of urban structures produces a positive impact on the functions performed by town centres and on towns’ economic and social growth. Analogous actions in other towns may have a profound influence on the atmosphere (genius loci) of certain areas in urban landscapes, which can considerably strengthen the bonds within local communities.

Public spaces in many cities of podlaskie province (Poland) were modernized after 2004 (the moment Poland entered EU). Some squares have already been modernized while the others are still waiting to be revitalized. The changes are made in many aspects. One of the most aspects of those modernizations is the exposition of the actual and new symbolization of the space and buildings. The aim of this work is to design the forms and themes of the new buildings, which are now used to build the symbolical programme of the squares in the cities of Podlasie. In that sense they built one of the cultural characteristics of our era. The studies were made in the context of historical conditions. The historical section was presented to approach the placing the symbolical contents in the spaces of the markets in the Podlasie cities. 40 towns were taken into account. The theme of the symbolical content was systematized typical for the objects placed in the markets space in different historical eras. The forms were defined of the present symbolical contents in the following groups: architectonical buildings (the town halls, modern buildings) little architecture (the sculptures, the fountains). Those topic groups and the content were presented and introduced into the market spaces of a group of the cities. The formal groups were set up: the sculptures, the statues, the little architecture, individually designed fountains, content architectonical furniture) and the trace the reminiscence of the historical architecture (e.g. the painting on the tiles on the square). The contents are associated with the history of those cities/towns, the person who set them up and the most important personalities in the history, the fiction characters, building the identity of the town.

Within the borders of modern Poland there are numerous barracks units erected at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries by the invaders from Russia, Austria and Prussia. Former barracks are a clear element of the history of the place. Historical complexes have a strong influence on the urban landscape and on building their former and contemporary identity. The analysis of functional and landscape absorption of postmodern complexes allows for their adaptation and modern use without limiting the readability of historical values. For this reason, their landscape should be protected comprehensively within the scope of subsequent exposure scales. The aim of the work is to justify the conditions of comprehensive protection of the fortified landscape of the former barracks of the former Russian partition in the landscape of contemporary Polish cities. The article contains a review of the literature on the protection, supplement and access to fortified buildings from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries in contemporary Poland. A review of current research conducted at various academic centres in Poland, concerning the exposition of fortified buildings in the landscape, is presented. Particular attention was paid to the scales and forms of exposition, proposed for the fortifications and barracks. The paper presents justification for the protection of barracks complexes from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries in the landscape of Polish cities of the former Russian partition area. Protection of the landscape was proposed in the following scales: superregional, landscape (panorama of the centre), urban (urban structure of the complex in the context of the urban space), architectural and landscape interiors of the complex (WAK) such as alleys, alarm squares, greenery) and detail (view of the building from the outside), interior of the building (characteristic interior spaces, e.g. home chapels, staircases). Taking account of exposures analysis of individual scales should result in appropriate records at all levels of planning documents to protect the fortified landscape of the historic barracks. The article points to the use of greenery as a means to correct barracks exposures and to improve the standard of using historic complexes for new, contemporary functions.