Małgorzata Sawicka

A regulation plan for the city of Bielsko procured in 1899 described ways of arranging the city landscape in the circumstances of a dynamic industrial growth. The following dissertation is focused on the matters concerning municipal parks. Documents from the 19th century are compared with modern planning documents as well as today’s needs and expectations of residents of the city. It also presents the current condition of park greenery.

The discussion contained in the paper highlights the relationship between the process of revitalisation and the specialisation of landscape architecture. This is an artistic, professional and scientific field that is focused on the theoretical foundations of shaping landscapes and the development of practical methods of designing them. Revitalisation, on the other hand, is defined as a process of the internal renewal of degraded urban or rural spaces. In order to develop a proper plan of action, it is necessary to perform various types of analyses with the aim of discovering the source of the crisis that has taken hold of a given area, as well as determining the natural and cultural values which define the identity of an area, on the basis of which, the right decisions regarding the composition of its space can be made. This paper also provides examples of rural areas in the west of Germany that have undergone multi aspect renewal, as well as efforts that are being made in relation to rural areas located in Poland. These examples highlight the interdisciplinary nature of the process of revitalisation and its key issues: those of establishing spatial harmony and the preservation and highlighting of the heritage of the landscape.

The city of Bielsko-Biała is characterised by a rich architectural substance from the late 19th and early 20th century, significantly influencing its current image. In parallel with the then emerging facilities that were associated mainly with industrial development, cultivated green areas were arranged. Despite plans from the end of the 19th century to create a system based on parks, inner lawns, residential gardens and a treed promenade along the river Biała, the present look of the cultivated greenery of Bielsko-Biała is of a mosaic character. Existing and functioning facilities are at risk of many factors leading to their degradation at various grades. This dissertation focuses on the threats to the municipal parks of Bielsko from the end of the 19th century and early 20th century.

Villas with gardens complexes of the 19th and 20th centuries are a characteristic element of the urban planning of Bielsko-Biała. Selected examples illustrate qualities relating to its diversity, art, content and landscape. The contemporary rank of these facilities needs to be articulated firmly. It is necessary to take appropriate action on conservation and restoration of their value. The reasons behind the poor condition of villas with gardens establishments include change of function, loss of exposure due to new developments, neglect of individual elements, and reduction in the areas they initially occupied.