Functional-Environmental Evaluation of Pocket Parks in Urbanized Areas - The Case Study of Gliwice

Abstract The article presents the role and importance of creating new green areas in the areas of urban agglomerations. Particular attention was paid to the processes of creating new green areas in post-industrial areas and urban wastelands and their restoration for cities. The issue of the formation of pocket parks is raised and the results of the detailed research carried out by the authors in 2020 are briefly discussed. The article presents a comparative analysis of several selected examples of pocket parks, describes the role they play in cities. The purpose of the research was to determine what elements of pocket parks play an important role for the microclimate of cities and their communities. An example of the creation of a new pocket park in the city center of Gliwice, Poland is presented. The conclusions of the research and the evaluation of the experiment carried out by the authors can be useful for the creation of urban policies, planning of green areas in cities and the creation of utility-functional programs for new green areas.