Importance of medieval urban tissue in the contemporary realities of a rural commune in the Polish Subcarpathia. Cases of Dębowiec, Jaśliska and Osiek Jasielski

Abstract

This study explores historical heritage in the contemporary development processes of small settlement units. The analyses are conducted in the context of contemporary threats, such as unfavorable demographic, spatial, and economic changes. The main aim of this work is to determine the potential of historical spatial structures in regaining previously lost identity. Another objective is to develop the design and programmatic guidelines to carry out an effective spatial policy. The research procedure consists of several stages. The first stage of the study outlines the evolution of three selected examples of historical urban structures in terms of spatial and functional features. The second stage consists of conducting urban and morphological analyses of the investigated spaces and comparing them in terms of social, economic and spatial aspects. Finally, the conclusions are formulated in the third stage. The key finding is that urban tissue, as an element of local identity, can become an essential part of the development strategy of a given town and region. Furthermore, the findings indicate a close correlation with the directions of regional development based on the assumption of creating a polycentric network of territorial units as generators of social and economic development.