Justyna Kobylarczyk

Architecture as an artform is an expression of countless emotions, perceptions and feelings. I t creates an image of a real form and space, which we, the recipients may not only admire, but also use. Through exposing the effects of play with shape, light, colour and detail, architecture draws on the achievements of new technologies that offer increasing opportunities to create architectural shape, taking diverse forms adapted to the prevailing trends and tendencies. More and more visibly, architecture is turning towards nature, using principles of sustainable design and eco-technology; it surrenders to the elements of nature exhibited particularly clearly already in the Secession – the period in which floral motifs dominated both architectural details and painting, sculpture, and ceramics. Art N ouveau generated a new look at the ornamentation of architecture – its detail. Both in the past, as well as today, it is perceived as a distinct work of art – the effect of play with organic shapes, light and colour deciding on their craftsmanship and value. Apart from the detail, the play in architecture is also facilitated by colour, sound and light, as well as interactive forms co-operating with the user.

Attractive city center frequently constitutes its showcase. It is a peculiar place assembling impressive architectural objects with a significant historical importance. That is why this is a place which everyone want to see (tourists and occupants). Sometimes, aesthetic and functional values of the central urban space are connected with the character of the city itself. The size and main functions are different in a further regions. For instance, main promenade in Iwonicz Zdrój health resort looks completely different than the market square in Głogów Małopolski (one of the biggest marketplaces in Poland). Distinguishing features of the marketplaces depend on the regions in which they occur, as well as the size of the city they are situated in. This paper presents characteristic of the selected city centers located in the podkarpackie voivodeship. The main problems faced by the most prestigious urban spaces have been presented, as well as modern requirements of the citizens residing in city centers selected for the analysis.

Ceaseless advancement changes the history of cities and their smaller spatial structures at a fast pace. Public urban spaces are subjected to transformations, as they wish to live up to demands of modern day – they yearn to delight with their novel character, idiosyncrasy, the magic of technology. Large metorpolises of China, which exist within the milieu of mass culture, have dynamically severed the ties with the ambience of traditional orderliness so as to pave way for the creation of new architecture – unpredicted and signifying the modern times. Crowded public spaces prepare the ground for the icons of modern architecture. They serve as places where the very icons can be studied. In that case, do they fulfill their essential function of strengthening social bonds?

The cooperation between the University, local authority and business sets new and already established directions for the development of the higher education institutions. The agreements between various business units and the city authorities are included in the universities’ development strategies. The paper presents the main assumptions of the project commissioned by the Cracow Municipal Office and implemented by the designated team of the Chair of Housing Environment, Institute of Urban Design, Faculty of Architecture, Cracow University of Technology, in cooperation with the Institute of Sociology of the Jagiellonian University. In addition, the interdisciplinary character of the research allows us to gain a broad insight into the issues undertaken in the compliance with the knowledge and experience of experts in various fields.

New trends in sustainable design contribute to prevention of the deterioration of the natural environment and they are focused on the optimisation of the indoor environment for the improvement of the human life quality. There are complementary goals of sustainable design – the comfort of architecture users,proper spatial planning, and, as a priority, taking into account the needs of both contemporary and future generations. These existential needs are connected with both local and global sozological problems. These are related to the continuing growth of irreversible changes to the environment, such as climate change, the disappearance of biodiversity, and the over-exploitation of nonrenewable sources of energy as result of shortsighted economy. These imply the necessity for the sozological education in all subjects of study and transdisciplinary training focused on the solving of problems associated with sustainable development.

The article presents deliberations about a small city as a desirable living environment of a multi-layered character focusing on sociological issues that take into account the lifestyle of the residents and their preferences. Environmental studies, which reflected the expectations of the residents regarding their living environment, proved to be very important for the matter of the paper. Another issue related to small cities is the architecture responsible for the vitality of the place, its character and intimacy. It often determines the attractiveness of the centre, its history and culture. The considerations provided by the authors were supported by urban analyses, interviews, literature studies and own observations regarding selected urban centres located in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship.

The development of particular towns is a factor that determines the economical, social and spatial development of the country. Therefore we turn our attention to it with a critical eye. On 20th October 2015 the government in Poland accepted a bill connected with the Country Town Policy 2023, that is addressed to towns. Its main point is to strengthen towns in their sustainable development, betterment of standards of living and workplace creation. The socio-economical transformation that occurred in Poland in 1989 has caused a lot of changes in the country. In Ukraine it happened in 1991 and it appears that due to various reasons, its transformation seems to be a much longer process and the process has not finished yet. This article focuses on the development of small towns in Ukraine and Poland, which, in currently difficult times, find themselves in a hard and unstable socio-economic situation. This article analyzes the economic, demographic and spatial aspects of small towns in Ukraine and Poland.

Sozology is a newly discovered direction in urban planning stem from the growing threats to the natural environment. A contemporary man pursues close and positive relations with the environment and focuses on the premises of human ecology that directly impact the process of planning and composing urban spaces. The article presents the  influence of climatic conditions on the shaping of housing areas. The problem was presented on the basis of an analysis of a specific example. The assessment included the shading of the buildings by neighbouring buildings, the shading of the common spaces and the issue of ventilation. These phenomena connected with the structure of the  buildings, their scale and intensity have a significant impact on the conditions of the residence. Other factors also affect the housing environment. Their rational use with the help of teams of experts from complementary fields can contribute to raising the standards of the housing environment even at the planning stage, and later to optimising land  use by the community of its inhabitants.