abstract. This paper deals with chosen aspects of revitalization within the downtown area of Polish mediumsized towns. The author underlines the necessity of introducing a mixed-use offer in the city centre. Not only commerce and services, but also cultural functions and values should be promoted in the contemporary city centre. Therefore the idea is presented of turning the downtown public space into a single, homogeneous and integrated spatial-functional system. The system is to introduce cultural functions on the basis of so-called cultural space, which is defined here as a specific kind of public space of historical or cultural value, or that has the potential to develop this kind of new functions.

Complete place visioning is an idea of designing active places in the city space. It is important part of urban design so as to act in accordance with inhabitants’ needs and provide vivid and socially desired places. In the paper there is presented an idea of complete places visioning introduced into academic learning system within the urban planning course at the Faculty of Architecture of Poznan University of Technology. The presented example of collaborative and problem oriented learning seems to be a useful tool in solving real urban problems and aiming at improving a quality of a city space. In the paper, collaboration is considered also in terms of participatory planning. There is shown the case study of polish commune Tarnowo Podgórne in which the project of civic activity centre together with neighboring public space is designed and realized as the final result of longterm collaboration between academic institutes and municipality.

In the following paper there are presented the projects implemented by the Author, together with the Division of Revitalization of the City of Poznan. The issues were undertaken within a revitalization process – especially in its soft, social aspect. Presented effects are results of a long-term cooperation with Poznan Municipality. The main attention is focused on selected activities related to the issues of renewal and activation of public spaces and those of educational value. These are important tools to start a dialogue with city residents and can have a positive impact on social attitude to revival process.

applying the idea of creativity -creative syntax as a tool of placemaking. Case study of the downtown area of Poznan in Poland Wdrażanie idei kreatywności -creative syntax jako narzędzie placemaking'u. Przykład śródmieścia Poznania AbstractThe aim of this study is to draw attention to the necessity of creating places revitalizing social life within the downtown public space. It is to underline the necessity of creating the scenographic background of the city life, through the creation of specified urban elements which have an impact on the city' s choreography. The study employs a multicriterial, original research method which allows the subject matter to be examined within the following aspects: spatio-compositional, semanto-perceptive, and socio-economic. as a result of investigation, the desired direction of the development activities has been achieved within the scope of the utilization of the trump areas for the creation of a creative public space and within the scope of the utilization of the deficit space for the creation of places -focal points of spatio-social activity contributing to the revitalization of the downtown area.Keywords: creative syntax, public space, spatial and social attractiveness Streszczenie artykuł prezentuje badania dotyczące tworzenia miejsc aktywizujących życie społeczne w przestrzeni publicznej centrum miasta. artykuł przedstawia przeprowadzone przez autorkę badania ścisłego obszaru centrum Poznania z zastosowaniem wielokryterialnej metody dotyczącej aspektów: przestrzenno-kompozycyjnych, semantycznopercepcyjnych i społeczno-ekonomicznych. W wyniku badań sformułowano pożądany kierunek działań rozwojowych w zakresie wykorzystania przestrzeni atutowych do tworzenia kreatywnej przestrzeni publicznej oraz w zakresie wykorzystania przestrzeni deficytowej do tworzenia miejsc aktywności przestrzenno-społecznej. Działania te mogą wpłynąć znacząco na ożywienie przestrzeni publicznej centrum.Słowa kluczowe: syntaksa, przestrzeń publiczna, przestrzenno-społeczna atrakacyjność

The paper deals with the questions of a public space creation through the implementation of art and design. The idea of promotion the cultural features within a public space helps to increase the city space attractiveness. The author presents the case study of a downtown area of a city of Poznan in Poland, Wielkopolska region. As a result of an observation that there is a lack of a public space of culture and art in Poznan city centre, there is presented a proposal of an innovative and attractive functions implementation. There is also presented the research method of public space activization through art and design. The art is understood not only as temporary events but as the pieces of a small architecture and built areas of a cultural function as well. There was created an idea of a MAD city for people -which means searching for meaning, action and design in a city centre space. This idea is to be used as a tool to identify the existing and potential space for art in a city centre and to define whether it is a space of sacrum or of profanum. The tool helps to define what is the best use and purpose of a space in a context of an art implementation. It is also to create a functional system of socially and spatially attractive public spaces within a city centre.