STARY FORDON – A DISCUSSION ON BEAUTY OF PUBLIC SPACE DESIGN AND USERS EXPECTATIONS

K e y w o r d s : Bydgoszcz; Participation; Public spaces; Stary Fordon; Students. 1/2019 A R C H I T E C T U R E C I V I L E N G I N E E R I N G E N V I R O N M E N T 53 A R C H I T E C T U R E C I V I L E N G I N E E R I N G E N V I R O N M E N T The Si les ian Univers i ty of Technology No. 1/2019 d o i : 1 0 . 2 1 3 0 7 / A C E E 2 0 1 9 0 0 5 E . R a c z y ń s k a M ą k o w s k a place [11]. The beauty of a town square is the goal of the hosts and increasingly more often of the local communities. In her work, M. Dymnicka presented the complexity of the public space character, the history of shaping its interpretation and influence [4]. In the era of globalization, the importance of the town square as an identity seal seems particularly important, and the search for ways to obtain this value and clear message is a multi-faceted, difficult task. The space of town squares was shaped over the years. Today it is subjected to various transformations resulting from the city’s policy, original interpretations by urban planners and architects; however, these changes cannot go beyond the historical context. The awareness of a genius loci as a “guardian of memory” during attempts at new interpretations of historical space should inherently accompany the designers. Differences in interpretation and complexity of the problem can be accurately illustrated by the examples in Gdańsk, Wrocław and Gliwice [3]. The town square space is to serve the common good, therefore it should be inclusive. People attract people, and that makes a place attractive. Ever since the classic work by William H.Whyte [13], researchers have been trying to identify factors that attract people. They can make a seemingly attractive space indifferent, “transparent” and another “equipped” more modestly, becomes a favourite place to stay, the city’s “in” place and the pride of the residents.