From the heap to the park – reclamation and adaptation of degraded urban areas for recreational functions in Poland

Wherever they lived, humans for centuries have contributed to a dramatic transformation of the environment and landscape, frequently resulting in biological devastation of many areas (Simpson, Dugmore, Thomson & Vésteinsson, 2001; Holm, Cridland & Roderick, 2003; Bell & Treshow, 2004; Bobál, Šír, Richnavský & Unucka, 2010; Čech & Krokusová, 2017). In the second half of the 20th century, eco-awareness was raised suffi ciently to highlight the problem of degraded areas and concerted (often large-scale) efforts aimed at restoring the ‘lost’ space were initiated (Gasidło, 1998; Jiasheng et al., 2011; Chen, Wong, Leung & Wong, 2017). In Poland as early as in the 1950s considerable re-vegetation plans have been implemented, especially in industrial areas, but also country-wide, albeit on a local scale, e.g. through intensive tree planting (such efforts peaking in the 1960s and 1970s) in areas such as wastelands and any lands diffi cult to restore (Strzelecki & Sobczak, 1972; Siuta, 1978; Koda, Pachuta & Wojarska, 1999; Bell & Treshow, 2004; Pancewicz, 2007; Pluta, 2014). At various times and to a varying extent soil restoration was initiated in multiple locations, mostly by using suitably selected vegetation. Silesia Park is a good example of such effective operations. Located in Silesia, until recently a heavily polluted region, this huge, about 600 ha PRACE NAUKOWO-PRZEGLĄDOWE Research review papers