Karolina Dudzic-Gyurkovich

The presence of sacred objects in the city structure is usually clearly visible. Temples and chapels complete public spaces, making them unique. Apart from the representation of the spiritual dimension and religiosity, all sacred buildings which are functioning as intended belong to the group of public buildings, therefore they should be characterized by good access and logical distribution in the city structure. Currently, research on the availability of service facilities in Krakow is fragmentary and does not create a comprehensive picture. The aim of this study is to fill the existing research gap by explaining the accessibility of religious objects in relation to the housing environment in Krakow. The research method is based on the concept of buffer zones which allow to identify areas with varying degrees of accessibility to the studied objects. The results of the analysis show the current distribution of religious and sacred objects in the city. In addition, the results of the research made it possible to identify residential areas with very good, good and acceptable accessibility, as well as those outside the designated buffers.

One of the directions of development currently proposed for the contemporary city is a return to multi functional structure and the co-existence of several, occasionally contrasting, modes of exploitation. Mono-functional areas, such as expressways, not infrequently become barriers within the fabric of the city, from both a morphological and a functional perspective. Their existence contributes to the degradation of surrounding neighbourhoods and impedes harmonious development. One method to counteract the adverse effect of such a barrier is the creation of a new pedestrian link above or below it. An important emerging element in a new approach to planning is the urban open recreation zone, which may act to attract potential users of urban space while simultaneously integrating with existing pedestrian routes. This article presents and analyses a selection of case studies of such projects, as implemented in Western European cities in recent years.

Over the last twenty years Cracow has been experiencing changes associated with the dynamic spatial development. Together with the demographic growth, mobility patterns, change as well as defining the size and volume of transport. As a result of the process, they are often transformed into the space of the city. Attractive public spaces forming logical, continuous sequences could contribute to a more harmonious, sustainable development and rehabilitation of previously neglected neighborhoods. The article will be presented in the case of the transport infrastructure. These areas will be subject to the availability of the pedestrian public space.

21st century cities, owing to their size, concentration of capital, advanced services and production, are the main centres of the global economy. It is not, however, the domain of exclusively postmodern times. For centuries, cities have played a key role in the development of civilisation, and the processes taking place within them have had an effect on the functioning of entire societies. The urban form we deal with today is a resultant of many determining factors and transformations. This paper presents selected aspects of the urbanisation processes that took place in the past, which even today have their effect on the physical form of towns and cities in Europe. Special attention shall be paid to phenomena, which may influence the coherence of form and the creation of barriers within the urban tissue in a different way.

The architectural forms of buildings erected in cities of Southern and Western Europe are much influenced by climatic conditions. Protection against excessive exposition to solar radiation comprises – without limitations – a specific shape of the building, as well as introduction of blinds and shutters limiting the influx of light. Climatic conditions pertain not only to architecture itself; they also have their effect on the way in which urban public spaces are utilised. All sorts of contemporary shadowing structures and structures filtering sunbeams occur on squares and streets of many cities. Thanks to their characteristic form, and sometimes also thanks to their scale, they contribute to the creation of unique and recognisable places. This paper presents and analyses selected projects of the kind from Italian and Spanish cities. On the basis of the analysis the Author shall propose a typology of the structures and their relations with the surrounding space.