Urszula Forczek-Brataniec

Cracow University of Technology | PK · Chair of Landscape Architecture

Information about the conference on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Landscape-Conference-in-Cracow https://www.instagram.com/landscape_conference/ https://twitter.com/Land_MDPI/status/1395675569799319562 https://www.linkedin.com/posts/landoamdpi_climate-landscapes-heritage-activity-6801441394662756352-RuVo/

We have the pleasure of inviting you to take part in the international scientific conference on the art of gardening and historical dendrology. According to last year’s findings, the proposed issue of this year’s meeting, that will take place on 22-23 October, is: Urban ecology and cultural heritage in the city In response to the rapidly changing circumstances associated with the COVID-19 the conference on 22nd and 23rd October 2020 will be organized this year online via Zoom Meeting, restricted to those who register. Please register before 20th September 2020! https://konferencjaogrodowa.pk.edu.pl/en This year we invite you to submit your articles resulting from the conference presentations to the special issue of MDPI Journal Sustainability entitled: "Natural Environment and Cultural Heritage in the City, A Sustainability Perspective" https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability/special_issues/heritage_city_sus (ISSN 2071-1050, IF 2.592). Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI. It accepts original research manuscripts and systematic reviews. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Instructions for authors can be downloaded from the website of the publisher: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability/instructions You can download the publication flyer from here: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability/special_issue_flyer_pdf/heritage_city_sus/web deadline for submission is 28th February 2021 The 21st century urges us to analyse urban problems and revise its components. Cities in the past followed various evolutionary paths depending on the level of development of the society, its ideology, or financial factors. The key was self-reliant and polycentric production, services, commerce, and finance. What is essential today in the effort to improve the quality of life and support residents throughout the transformation is activities aimed at implementing changes to create friendly and climate-neutral spaces. It is the city that is the focal point of human life on our planet and where critical ecological challenges lie. The proposed topical scope combines two basic yet highly relevant issues that affect the cities today, the natural and urban environment viewed from various angles and through different relations. Both are investigated from distinctive perspectives, dedicated sciences: ecology and history, respectively, including heritage and monument conservation. Research focusing on urban and suburban zones will be rather interesting. We propose a new research perspective. On the one hand, it takes advantage of ecological experience, and on the other, it explores historical and heritage conservation problems, to finally combine them using landscape research. We ponder the City, its ecology, past and modern culture, and particularly cultural heritage from the angle of research on the image, aesthetics, form, and function of the urbanscape. In general, the topics of interest include the impact of concepts of urban ecological networks that provide not only a background for the structure but constituting a crucial city-forming factor. It seems vital to search for the right development directions and methods to be used to combine these values, and to propose a statutory and methodological footing for various locations. The cultural value, based on regional inputs through historical structures and components is an indisputable quality important for landscape conservation. Aesthetics, biodiversity, and selection of actions fit for the scale and type of problems are important focuses for research and development in the context of the cultural heritage of historical cities. The effort to combine ecological values with heritage resources to protect landscapes should be systemic to bear the fruit of their preservation for the next generations. We propose to determine guidelines aimed at developing procedural standards in individual groups. Another essential matter will be the international exchange of views and research, which may improve relevant methods. Particularly interesting topics: • urban ecology • urban metabolism • structures of cultural heritage • heritage relationships • historical greenery (gardens and parks) • urban ecological network solutions • urban ecosystems • urban-suburban relation • blue-green infrastructure • conservation activities in urban and suburban zones • urbanscape • suburban solutions • impact of historical conditions on the modern city • urban and suburban regionalism • urban and suburban biodiversity

Development of tree stand management aimed at improving the visibility of the castle and the maintenance of the baroque landscape