Revitalization of cities varies depending on the scale of a city, type of challenges, and the socio-environmental context in each case. While revitalization projects carried out in globally known cities are well described, there is still a gap in characterizing revitalization processes that aim to improve quality of life in smaller units like medium-sized towns. This paper fills this gap by the insight from 82 revitalization projects implemented in 14 towns of Warmia and Mazury region (Poland) which are associated in the Cittaslow movement. The study combines a quantitative assessment of statistical data describing these projects with their qualitative evaluation based on interviews with local experts. The results of conducted analyses show that socio-economic development plays a major role as, despite projects which directly refer to the social domain, social elements were found also in projects initially categorized as those targeted to architectural and spatial domains. On the other hand, the authors observed that environmental and ecological as well as cultural issues are treated unevenly or marginally in projects compared to social ones. Interviews with experts show that the least importance was assigned to cultural and historical domain. The obtained results might constitute important knowledge to understand the background of current revitalization processes outside of global metropolises to improve future mechanisms supporting urban renewal.

Blue-green infrastructures (BGI) integrate solutions implemented to enhance water management and landscape values for more climateresilient and livable cities. BGI have created an opportunity to renew the natural structure of water balance in cities through the increase in rainwater retention and enlargement of permeable areas. The review of the literature on BGI development and solutions showed that the most popular BGI elements in terms of urban water quantity and quality were rain gardens, green roofs, vertical greening systems, and permeable pavements. Their structure and effectiveness were presented and reviewed. Despite the consensus between researchers that BGI benefit urban hydrology, differences in runoff decreased (2%-100%) lowering the peak flows (7%-70%) and infiltration (to 60%) or evapotranspiration (19%-84%) were reported. Due to an individual technical structure, each BGI element plays a specific role and there is no universal BGI solution against water-related problems. We inferred that the most effective ones were individually adapted solutions, which prevent from a stressor. The greater variety of solutions in a given area, the more benefits for the urban environment. Our analyses showed that a holistic and co-creative approach to create blue-green networks should be considered in modern water management plans.

The above-ground parts of plants, including leaves, constitute an important part of a human diet. Their mineral and biological composition can be modified by proper preparation of the soil substrate, i.e., supplying it with nutrients. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) at 0, 50, 100 and 200 mg L⁻¹ concentrations on red perilla (Perilla frutescens var. crispa f. purpurea) leaf yield and quality. Plants were grown in 2 L pot under a plastic greenhouse condition. The exposure to ZnO NPs increased leaf fresh and dry weight and leaf Zn content as compared with untreated control. Fresh weight boost was the most pronounced at 50 mg L⁻¹ ZnO NPs. The lowest concentration of ZnO NPs also enhanced the content of total polyphenols, antioxidant activity, and antiradical activity. Treatments with 50 or 100 mg L⁻¹ ZnO NPs boosted the level of total anthocyanins and bacteriostatic activity of 25% extracts. Overall, this study demonstrated that ZnO NPs at low rates is useful as a biostimulant and nanofertilizer for red perilla production.

Stormwater quality in an urban watershed can be influenced by several factors, including land use patterns, atmospheric deposition, and human activities. The objective of this study was to investigate spatial and temporal changes in stormwater quality and heavy metal content during the rainfall–runoff in an urban sub-catchment (30 ha) in the town of Olsztyn (NE Poland). Samples were collected from six locations along the rainfall–runoff pathway, including the following direct rainfall and runoff locations: roof runoff, surface runoff, storm collector, and the river. Parameters such as pH, specific conductivity, fluorescent dissolved organic matter (fDOM), total dissolved solids (TDS), and turbidity were measured in situ, while samples were analyzed for heavy metal content (Cu, Cr, Fe, Ni, Zn, and Pb) in the lab (ICP-OES). The results showed significant changes in water quality along the runoff. The highest concentrations of heavy metals were found in samples from a stormwater collector and surface runoff, particularly in winter and spring, due to the increased deposition of air pollutants and salt washout from roads. This study highlights the importance of monitoring stormwater quality and heavy metals in urban watersheds in terms of impacts on the river ecosystem as a recipient of stormwater. Solutions such as green infrastructure and stormwater management are proposed to mitigate the impacts of urbanization on water quality and protect the aquatic environment.

Soundscape analyses and noise measurements should be a part of pre-design works involved in planning green areas in city centers. The aim of the study was to conduct a multi-criteria analysis of the soundscape of three parks in Olsztyn (Poland) as a part of the landscape planning process to determine the directions of re-design of places most exposed to noise. The research included: 1. functional and spatial analysis of the park surroundings in reference to the city environment, 2. analysis of the acoustic map, 3. measurements of sound pressure levels (SPL) at selected points in two periods (leafless and leafy), 4. analysis of characteristic sounds, 5. interview with park users and preparation of a mental map. The results of research regarding the perception of the soundscape of all three parks by respondents differ slightly from the results of both the acoustic map and SPL measurements. The results also confirm the difference between SPL in the leafless and leafy period. Places most exposed to noise are located at the park boundaries along the main access roads, and at park entrances. Recommendations and sample solutions are proposed, based on two suggested design activities, namely the reduction of undesirable sounds, and introduction of desirable sounds to the parks.

This article deals with the important issue concerning that small towns and villages play an important role in the development of many European regions, not only from the point of view of agricultural function, but also due to the preservation of identity and heritage as well as social relations and management of spatial structures. On the other hand, in small towns and villages, there are growing problems related to the migration of people to big cities, leaving farms and villages. Progressive unemployment is observed, especially in peripheral areas. The research question is: what are the similarities and differences of social and spatial relations between small towns and surrounding villages in the selected countries? The article aims to present the interface between social and spatial relationships in small towns and surrounding villages in the context of analyzing the potential of rural areas and models for their development. Authors compared the specificity of small towns and villages of selected regions of Poland, Lithuania, and Slovakia. The following methods were used in the research: analysis and synthesis of literature and documents (legal and strategic), descriptive method, secondary data analysis, comparative method, visual data representation, case study.