The article describes the risks for the mental health and wellbeing of urban-dwellers in relation to changes in the spatial structure of a city that could be caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A year of lockdown has changed the way of life in the city and negated its principal function as a place of various meetings and social interactions. The danger of long-term isolation and being cut-off from an urban lifestyle is not only a challenge facing individuals, but it also creates threats on various collective levels. Hindered interpersonal relations, stress, and the fear of another person lower the quality of life and may contribute to the development of mental diseases. Out of fear against coronavirus, part of the society has sought safety by moving out of the densely populated city centres. The dangerous results of these phenomena are shown by research based on the newest literature regarding the influence of COVID-19 and the lockdown on mental health, urban planning, and the long-term spatial effects of the pandemic such as the urban sprawl. The breakdown of the spatial structure, the loosening of the urban tissue, and urban sprawl are going to increase anthropopressure, inhibit access to mental health treatment, and will even further contribute to the isolation of part of the society. In addition, research has shown that urban structure loosening as a kind of distancing is not an effective method in the fight against the SARS-COV pandemic. Creating dense and effective cities through the appropriate management of development during and after the pandemic may be a key element that will facilitate the prevention of mental health deterioration and wellbeing. It is also the only possibility to achieve the selected Sustainable Development Goals, which as of today are under threat.

A large part of spatial planning projects in Polish rural communes deals with landscape issues such as protection and planning. Besides legal regulations extended public consultations (EPCs) on spatial planning processes provide an opportunity to comprehensively address and negotiate landscape arguments. This research aims to identify the understanding and value of the concept of landscape by local communities in the examined EPC cases. This paper explores landscape issues through a systematic analysis (multiple-case study) of six cases of EPCs carried out in Poland between 2019 and 2022. The landscape was negotiated in terms of its various functions to provide value for aesthetics, culture, history, identity, recreation, and economy. In some cases, the landscape was used as an argument to promote a hidden agenda. In the rural communes, aesthetic functions of landscapes were frequently addressed, while natural, ecological, and climatic functions of the landscape were barely mentioned, suggesting that the understanding of landscape remains at a representative, cultural, and visual level, which differs from urban discourses that often focus on climatic and ecological functions of landscape. EPCs are a sound instrument to further integrate landscape as a common asset into spatial planning processes.

Place of living is one of the most important socio-demographic factors which characterizes the lives of older people. The importance of with whom and under what conditions older adults live to a large extent determines their health and standard of living. The goal of the study was to find the relationship between the place of residence and housing condition of older adults in Poland and their sense of coherence and health problems. The 29-item Antonovsky SOC questionnaire was used. In the research 303 people (76% women and 24% men) aged 60–89 were evaluated: 158 lived in their own houses/flats, while 145 resided in Daily Homes of Social Assistance (DPS). The overall result for the sense of coherence was 129.65 for older adults living in their own homes and 126.48 for these living in DPS. Statistical dependence between the place of residence and sense of manageability and meaningfulness was found. There is no dependence between gender and the overall score, nor the three components of the sense of coherence. Statistical dependence was determined in the criterion of age. A higher level of meaningfulness was observed in people aged 60–74. Taking into account the place of residents, 52% of the respondents living in their own houses/flats experience loneliness and among the people living in Daily Homes of Social Assistance, 46% experience loneliness. The type of place of residence is one of the most important personal factors affecting the sense of coherence, chronic health problems, and sense of loneliness. The last factor, especially, can adversely affect community sustainability and undermine social cohesion.

In the face of increasing human impact on the environment, it is necessary to look for new tools for sustainable landscape planning. One of them may be the institution of environmental personhood. The conducted studies based on an analysis of legal texts show that environmental personhood has evolved into a more complex institution. Increasing emphasis is placed on the intangible, cultural, and even spiritual aspects of granting legal personality to natural objects. The first implementations of environmental personhood in Ecuador, Bolivia, Australia, and India did not concern landscape, but the other cases in Colombia, New Zealand, and Canada did and have features typical of a landscape planning tool.

Urban and green public spaces are crucial to the quality of life and competitiveness of cities. They meet the expectations of residents and increase their level of satisfaction with the city. This study examines the relationship between the habits and expectations of residents and contemporary models of urban development in the Upper Silesian–Dąbrowa Basin Metropolis (GZM) in Poland. The aim of the study was to determine the extent to which contemporary models of creating high-quality, competitive cities align with the preferences and expectations of residents. The study was conducted as part of the project titled ‘Challenges of Public Spaces and Social Cohesion of the Upper Silesian–Dąbrowa Basin Metropolis’, which encompasses five related areas. The research presented herein concerns primarily public spaces and landscape. Survey research and a literature review were conducted on a sample of 3,301 respondents using the CAWI method. The results of this study reveal a discrepancy between the preferences and expectations of GZM residents and the values and objectives of spatial policy implemented by professionals and administrators. Residents prioritize direct access to greenery, open spaces, and privacy over the need for integration and city-forming spaces, which are perceived as less important. They focus on green areas irrespective of their quality, whereas urban planners and developers emphasize the need for shared public spaces with an urban vibe. However, the psychological significance of green areas for residents leads to a greater demand for their integration into urban areas, which could advance synergistically with the development of green infrastructure (environmental/nature aspect). This prompts a need for a revised model of transformation and regeneration of GZM cities.

The research problem presented concerns a spatial development model of a small historic town in the context of new opportunities for economic growth. The problem was analysed on the example of the town of Prusice in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship in Poland. The new development conditions are the construction of the S5 express road, which results in the designation of an economic activity zone and increasing demand for housing. The research by design method and a comparative case study approach were applied. The research material consisted of projects carried out at the Academy of Silesia (2021/2022 academic year), which were prepared in cooperation with the municipality of Prusice. Design proposals as various models for the development of the spatial structure of the town of Prusice led to the main conclusions and recommendations regarding the spatial development of the town. It was demonstrated that a multifunctional urban space was required to improve the quality of life in the town. It is important to connect the historical central block-based structure with new mixed-use complexes. As an alternative, a ‘new town’ was proposed with central and residential functions. Also, possibilities for shaping formal entrance areas were indicated, which would enhance the perception of the town’s landscape. The solutions developed mostly represent contemporary urban ideas and respond to main theoretic urban challenges. Prusice utilised the results in a new study of the conditions and directions of spatial development. As a solution to the problem of creating new dispersed residential areas, clear spatial and functional connections were proposed between the historic urban fabric (the centre) and neighbouring areas. This would allow for sustainable development based on the concept of a compact town and protection of the surrounding natural and agricultural landscapes – avoiding urban sprawl.