STUDIA MIEJSKIE
tom 37 (2020)
INTRODUCTION
This new issue of the Studia Miejskie journal is now at the disposal of our readers, regardless of the disorganizing impact of the global pandemic on most of the manifestations of human activities, not only those of a creative nature. Already after a glance at the table of contents, it is not difficult to notice that the manuscripts received and accepted by the editorial board fit in well with the current social participative cognitive approach to city studies (including quantitative methods), with a particular emphasis laid on the decisive role of residents, i.e. the vital force of any urban “place”.
Consequently, the subject areas of the individual contributions cover a range of issues such as: adaptation of a sociological methodology-derived concept (neighbourhood liveability) to considerations of a spatial nature. Or the influence of space syntax on pedestrian route choices, as well as the relationships between theoretical measures of space syntax and actual pedestrian traffic in relation to urban structures. Further on, one can also find a reflection on the issue of collective benefit, with activities aimed at integrating communities, which stimulate development of agglomerations. There is the issue of restoring social functions and reducing the alienation of the homeless from the urban environment in a comparative study of two differing in cultural conditions and geography cases, and finalny, a look at participatory budgets and their effectiveness in dedicated thematic sections (pro-environmental and as part of counteracting climate threats).
This volume of the Studia Miejskie, now at your disposal, does not deal directly with pressing topics related to the current epidemic difficulties of our civilization, both due to the nature of the treated issues and the time at which the papers were written. However, it is a source of high-quality research knowledge and inspiration. May it also be a glimpse into the “old” times, as well as a contribution to looking with hope into the future when, perhaps like in the past, research subjects topical at the time will not necessarily have to be linked to viruses.
Jan Zipser