Market Squares of Small Towns as Public Space of Opole Silesia on Selected Examples (Legal Status After 2015)

This paper presents the results of research on the diagnosis of the state of public space in the context of the evolution of its structure, on the example of market squares of small cities. The background to the research is the implementation of the Act on Ensuring Accessibility for Persons with Special Needs (The Accessibility Act, 2019) and the Revitalisation Act (2015), as documents with significant impact on the shape of public spaces in Polish cities. The multicultural and cross-border region of Opole Silesia was chosen as the research area. Six small towns in the region, whose market squares have undergone a revitalization in recent years, were selected for analysis: Biała, Dobrodzień, Korfantów, Otmuchów, Paczków, Ujazd. This article aims to diagnose the condition of public space, on the example of the market squares of small towns, based on the solutions adopted in the revitalization projects. The criteria adopted for the analyses are the identity of the place and continuity of development, accessibility, and adaptation to climate change. The research uses the method of comparative analysis of the morphological structure, the method of analyzing the physical parameters of space, and the analysis of historical iconography and cartography. Conducted analyses will make it possible to formulate an answer to the question of to what extent the introduction of the regulations as mentioned above has changed the approach to the revitalization process as a continuation of the historically formed way of building the urban fabric, and to what extent it has forced the introduction of solutions that violate the continuity of historical development. The result of the research will be a diagnosis of the problems in the revitalization processes of small towns in the multicultural area of the Opole region, in the context of current legal conditions, and sustainable development.