Public green spaces (PGSs) have a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of urban residents. However, their accessibility can be limited due to high urbanisation pressures and inadequate or insufficient regulatory provisions. This problem has been recognised for Central European cities, of which Wrocław is an example, where the provision of PGS accessibility has not received major attention in recent decades, and the planning system has been in constant transformation since the transition from a centrally planned to a free-market economy. This study therefore aimed to examine the distribution and accessibility of PGSs in the expanding area of Wrocław today and upon implementation of the plans under the proposed standards. These analyses were performed using the QGIS application, network analysis, and the ISO-Area as polygon algorithm. The findings revealed a conspicuous lack of available PGSs, which includes areas above 2 ha, such as district and neighbourhood parks. New PGSs are now being planned, but even so, part of the residential areas will remain outside their catchment zone. The results obtained provide strong evidence that it is essential that standards should be a tool implemented in urban planning, and that the adopted procedure can be transferred to other cities.

The aim of this article was to present Sectoral Analysis of Landscape Interiors (SALI). This method uses the idea of a landscape interior understood as a fragment of a landscape perceived from the level of a person standing at a given point. The analyses were conducted in two stages: stage I—the quantitative stage, and stage II—the qualitative stage. The first part of the research was the analysis of the percentage share of particular elements of landscape interiors in the images perpetuated in photographs, taking into account their level of transparency. The second part was the assessment of their quality based on expert knowledge. The use of the SALI method in the context of the analysis of greenery changes over time was illustrated on the example of the landscape interior of the main street in the village of Psary in Poland. The research was carried out at a time interval of 10 years—for the years 2009 and 2019. The results of the study indicate very large changes and loss of greenery (especially trees) and the associated deterioration of the landscape. The findings confirm the suitability of the method in landscape research at a human scale.

Suburban areas are often used for large-scale developments such as hypermarkets, warehouses, and logistics zones, which lead to the fragmentation of natural areas and the visual degradation of the landscape. This study aimed to evaluate ways to reduce the negative impact of these developments by introducing green infrastructure (GI) elements. The analysis focused on warehouses in the inner ring of the planned green infrastructure system in the Wrocław Functional Area (GI WFA). This study involved three stages: (1) selecting a landscape-functional unit (LaFU) vulnerable to landscape degradation; (2) analyzing changes from the development of large-scale warehouses between 2004 and 2021; and (3) assessing the effect of new GI elements using the Sectoral Landscape Interior Analysis (SALI) method. Three models of GI implementation were proposed and evaluated both from a plan view and from a moving observer’s perspective. The results showed that large-scale developments reduce biologically active areas and disrupt landscape harmony. Model III, which includes green roofs, trees, and semi-permeable surfaces, significantly increased greenery and reduced visual degradation. It is recommended to apply the model and its variations in other similar developments for the benefit of the natural environment and landscape.

This article presents a study of the elements of green infrastructure in villages located in peri-urban areas. The research focuses on the built-up areas of villages, which together with public and private green areas, are defined as the Cores of the Village (CoV). The research was based on the Wroclaw Functional Area (WFA). The main objective of the study was to identify which sites in a CoV have the potential to increase Green Infrastructure (GI) network connectivity and how these have changed with the development of built-up areas. These sites have been defined as Potential Green Infrastructure Elements (PeGI). The study was conducted over three time periods: the early 20th century, the early 21st century and future plans. The research revealed that, within the historic CoV areas, there existed PeGIs that communicated with external GI elements, but that such connections between PeGIs and GI elements have not been taken into account in future development plans. Furthermore, increases in the area of built-up land have not been matched by an increase in PeGI area. However, through the creation of greenways, among other things, there is potential for shaping PeGI inside a CoV in a way which would strengthen GI structural connectivity.

A playground area dedicated to children is a place, whose attractiveness should encourage various forms of fun that manifests in physical, exploratory or cognitive activities. Based on the research conducted on one of the residential estates in Wroclaw, the authors attempted to evaluate the attractiveness of modern playgrounds for two groups of audiences: children, who are the direct users of these facilities, and designers of green areas. The playgrounds were assessed based on the functionality and aesthetics criteria. The preferences of both groups were analysed with the use of the SBE method, and the perception-based evaluation. The results revealed that for children, the most important factor is the functionality of the playground equipment, but they do not pay much attention to their appearance. As opposed to children, aesthetic attractiveness and functional appeal are equally important for designers. The obtained results allow us to better understand the needs of playground users, while, at the same time, they provide important guidelines for designers. Understanding the perception and the preferences of the youngest users in terms of the development of playground areas is essential for the education process of those, who design them.