Therapeutic Qualities and Sustainable Approach to Heritage of the City. The Coastal Strip in Gdańsk, Poland

Abstract

In this paper, the case of the Coastal Strip in Gdańsk is presented. Gdańsk has natural and cultural heritage of great value and is included on Tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage List as “Gdansk—Town of Memory and Freedom”. The Coastal Strip is a rare example of landscape with natural dunes located within walking distance from densely populated residential districts. Therefore, the economic pressure for urban development is extremely strong. At the same time, the rise of social awareness about potential consequences of urbanization brought numerous efforts by local activists and researchers to prevent further development of the Coastal Strip. This study consisted of assessment of therapeutic qualities of The Coastal Strip using a conceptual framework—a universal standard for health promoting places. The results demonstrated that The Coastal Strip is a health-promoting place, thus adding new research-based evidence against plans for urban development of that area.