The article describes the risks for the mental health and wellbeing of urban-dwellers in relation to changes in the spatial structure of a city that could be caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A year of lockdown has changed the way of life in the city and negated its principal function as a place of various meetings and social interactions. The danger of long-term isolation and being cut-off from an urban lifestyle is not only a challenge facing individuals, but it also creates threats on various collective levels. Hindered interpersonal relations, stress, and the fear of another person lower the quality of life and may contribute to the development of mental diseases. Out of fear against coronavirus, part of the society has sought safety by moving out of the densely populated city centres. The dangerous results of these phenomena are shown by research based on the newest literature regarding the influence of COVID-19 and the lockdown on mental health, urban planning, and the long-term spatial effects of the pandemic such as the urban sprawl. The breakdown of the spatial structure, the loosening of the urban tissue, and urban sprawl are going to increase anthropopressure, inhibit access to mental health treatment, and will even further contribute to the isolation of part of the society. In addition, research has shown that urban structure loosening as a kind of distancing is not an effective method in the fight against the SARS-COV pandemic. Creating dense and effective cities through the appropriate management of development during and after the pandemic may be a key element that will facilitate the prevention of mental health deterioration and wellbeing. It is also the only possibility to achieve the selected Sustainable Development Goals, which as of today are under threat.

The role of the marketplace in a city changes from decade to decade. They lose their significance or followings clients’ demands they expand their range of services, creating a unique character and brand. These are places of culture-creating potential, not only of fulfilling basic shopping needs. Six marketplaces of distinct character and impact on the community have been analyzed in order to present their development potential as well as occurring problems. The challenge for many marketplaces, especially smaller ones and those in small towns is the effective development strategy, taking into account current social expectations and consumer trends. When left without a clear vision of the future they often succumb to the competition. On the other hand, when properly developed and transformed they influence the identity of a district or city increasing its multi-functionality. Marketplaces may play a significant role in social integration processes and revitalization of the urban environment in the post-Covid-19 city of tomorrow.

Place of living is one of the most important socio-demographic factors which characterizes the lives of older people. The importance of with whom and under what conditions older adults live to a large extent determines their health and standard of living. The goal of the study was to find the relationship between the place of residence and housing condition of older adults in Poland and their sense of coherence and health problems. The 29-item Antonovsky SOC questionnaire was used. In the research 303 people (76% women and 24% men) aged 60–89 were evaluated: 158 lived in their own houses/flats, while 145 resided in Daily Homes of Social Assistance (DPS). The overall result for the sense of coherence was 129.65 for older adults living in their own homes and 126.48 for these living in DPS. Statistical dependence between the place of residence and sense of manageability and meaningfulness was found. There is no dependence between gender and the overall score, nor the three components of the sense of coherence. Statistical dependence was determined in the criterion of age. A higher level of meaningfulness was observed in people aged 60–74. Taking into account the place of residents, 52% of the respondents living in their own houses/flats experience loneliness and among the people living in Daily Homes of Social Assistance, 46% experience loneliness. The type of place of residence is one of the most important personal factors affecting the sense of coherence, chronic health problems, and sense of loneliness. The last factor, especially, can adversely affect community sustainability and undermine social cohesion.

The Hażlach Municipality is located in the Silesian Voivodeship surrounded by the mountain landscapes of the Silesian Beskids and outside the industrial and mining zones. It is a rural municipality and is characterized by „everyday landscape”. Such a landscape is for the Municipality one of its endogenous potentials, although it has not always been appreciated. Generally, it is neither spectacular nor degraded. However, the developed identity of the inhabitants of the villages within the Municipality and their social activity on behalf of shaping common areas confirms the significance of landscape for the residents. Thus, its understanding stretches beyond issues of scenery and terrain formations. That is why particular emphasis was put on the significance of landscape for the Hażlach Municipality as a strategic element of building its competitive advantage and forming the strategy of municipality development. The present monograph was developed based on field studies, consultative workshops, in-depth individual interviews, and the “research by design” method, as well as analysis of literature regarding the landscape of the Municipality itself. Two different approaches were presented: static and dynamic. The static approach presents selected elements and features of the landscape of the Hażlach Municipality in comparison with the European Landscape Convention, national legal regulations, and theoretical arrangements developed within the academic community. It was observed that despite natural and esthetic values there is an ongoing process of dispersion of buildings and degradation of the landscape. Furthermore, the post-COVID pressure to settle in the area is a critical threat to the landscape of a suburban municipality such as Hażlach. Preventive measures in many areas including landscape will halt the decrease in the quality of life of future generations of Municipality residents. However, this requires the awareness of the irreversibility of spatial and landscape changes as well as an effective spatial policy and operational activities as far as landscape. On the other hand, the dynamic approach presents a sequence of activities implemented in the Hażlach Municipality between the years 2020-2021. They included actions of the Municipality government, grassroots initiatives, and studies on landscape conducted by the University of Technology in Katowice. Their aim was to develop innovative solutions for landscape protection, management, and planning on the municipal level. One of the effects was the formulation of a concept of development of ethno-tourism in Cieszyn Silesia, which took its roots from the newly established vineyard near the palace in Kończyce Wielkie. In November of 2021, the association of winemakers “Cieszyn Wine Route” was established, which is also involved in the shaping of the landscape. From the perspective of the fourth decade of the XXI century, the activities regarding landscape undertaken presently by both the local authorities and communities are significant for the sustainable development of the municipality and raising the competitiveness of individual locations as places of residence. Keywords: Hażlach Municipality, Cieszyn Silesia, everyday landscape, landscape management, spatial planning, landscape planning, landscape design, ethno-tourism, research by design, social participation, grassroots initiatives.

In the face of increasing human impact on the environment, it is necessary to look for new tools for sustainable landscape planning. One of them may be the institution of environmental personhood. The conducted studies based on an analysis of legal texts show that environmental personhood has evolved into a more complex institution. Increasing emphasis is placed on the intangible, cultural, and even spiritual aspects of granting legal personality to natural objects. The first implementations of environmental personhood in Ecuador, Bolivia, Australia, and India did not concern landscape, but the other cases in Colombia, New Zealand, and Canada did and have features typical of a landscape planning tool.