Spatial Analysis of Urban Master Plans of Towns in North-Eastern Poland in the Context of Urban Revalorisation

Abstract

The research subject raised in this study is the urban structure of small towns in Warmia, a region rich in history, situated in the north-eastern Poland. This area, together with the neighbouring region of Mazury, is referred to as the Land of a Thousand Lakes. The historical events, such as the conquest of this territory by the Teutonic Order in 13th century, gave rise to the foundation of twelve towns in Warmia, which have survived until our time. Of these settlements, only one, which is Olsztyn, grew to a larger size over the centuries and eventually became the capital of Warmia. The others are still small towns, with a population from a few to less than twenty thousand inhabitants. The policy and economic goals of the Teutonic Order underlay the spread of a uniform type of urban master plan in the entire region. The establishment of urban centres was dictated by military considerations – all towns had fortified castles and were 15-30 km distant from one another, which stemmed from the organisation of the Teutonic State. The location of new towns in Warmia coincided in time with the general urban planning principles governing urban development in the Middle Ages. The medieval towns, which grew on the foundations of ancient cultures, were developed on a regular grid of streets, delineating land lots for compact town houses and a central square serving as a market place. Within this structure, the town’s most significant spatial dominants, such as a town hall, a church and a fortified castle, were situated. The castle often stood on the outskirts of a town, as it had to be connected to the town’s fortifications. The location of medieval towns in Warmia proceeded according to a similar concept. All these towns are distinguished by characteristically medieval, regular urban layouts, which – while being similar – have certain intrinsic features. Differences can be seen in the design of main streets, the size and proportions of market squares, the ways in which land parcels were developed as well as the location of public buildings. However, the space occupied by the old town has remained dominant in all these urban developments. This, to a large extent, explains the synthetic character of the following research. Spatial analysis of urban patterns developed in the twelve towns of Warmia was the principal objective of this study. Another aim was to confirm the hypothesis that medieval urban structures in Warmia (their old town’s area) are the manifestation of the historical identity of these towns and bear some influence on their contemporary development. The conclusions drawn from the investigation, its objectives and the method employed, focus on the connections between the original functions of old towns with the modern-day needs and aspirations to further the towns’ development whilst preserving the historic heritage. Processes designed in line with the above recommendations should eliminate threats to the structure of developed areas and the whole town’s image. Another objective should be to improve the composition-related and aesthetic values of the inner-town space.