THE ROLE OF EDUCATION AND RESEARCH IN CREATING URBAN SPACES ILLUSTRATED WITH AN EXAMPLE OF SELECTED SILESIA VOIVODESHIP POST-INDUSTRIAL AREAS

The article concentrates on the problems of creating urban areas in post-industrial towns and villages presented in the context of scientific research and education at the Faculty of Architecture, Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice. The article objective is to show how the education process and the resulting scientific and research developments may initiate the urban space transformation, change the post-industrial societies' way of thinking, trigger local authorities creativity.

In accordance with the Faculty of Architecture vision, interdisciplinary research conducted within the Faculty provide shaping sustainable environment for the human life. The Faculty mission includes education of high quality specialists in the field of space shaping in various scopes and scales; carrying interdisciplinary research activities oriented at increasing cities and regions competitiveness by means of creating state-of-the-art architecture and urban planning and eventually growth of collaboration with social environment entities, commercialisation of research outcomes as well as knowledge dissemination. The article attempts to present methods of the listed demands implementation in practice.

The article is based on results of three research studies worked out on the grounds of didactic classes conducted at the Department of Urban and Spatial Planning. The studies concentrate on creating urban spaces of selected town and village brownfields of the Silesia Voivodeship: Knurów, Rydułtowy and Pilchowice. Apart from educational and research aspects, they reflect contemporary post-industrial societies and local authorities pursuits and aspirations making up a real impact on planning, urban and architectonic activities undertaken in urban areas.