BETWEEN TOWN-PLANNING AND CONSERVATION PROBLEMS OF SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED TOWNS

The author gives an assessment of historical, town-planning and conservation studies prepared for the revalorization of small and medium-sized towns in Poland. In his view, the hitherto studies o f that kind referred only to historic parts of towns without paying any attention to the environs. An example of the study combining the two elements is provided by the work for Stary Sącz which covers not only historic monuments but also the landscape, green land, transport routes etc. The author goes on to describe small Polish towns and states that being built mostly in wood they underwent numerous disasters such as fires and therefore do not look to attractive and are rather neglected. And only under the coat of negligence their true values are hidden. Other towns represent a rich variety o f styles, to mention only the Middle Ages (Paczków), Renaissance (Zamość), Baroque (Silesian towns). The main question in conservation works is to establish a criterion of the importance of towns to be rescued. When preparing a revalorization program one has to take into account the so-called prognosic, i.e. to specify future function of the town, trends and speed o f its development. This, inter alia, is linked with the proper solution to transport problems, location of services, etc. A key issue in town-planning is tis architecture. New house-building, in rural regions in particular, is a phenomenon negative in respect of both architecture and technology and constitues a threat to old buildings. To illustrate this, the author aives observed by him examples o f negative (Zakliczyn, Krynica) and positive approach (Sopot, Bochnia). In conclusion, the author o f the article says that new architecture should be introduced into old towns but that it must fall in line with old town-development thorugh properly chosen dimensions and details (such as windows and moulds)