The fourth issue, No. 4/2
Marek Ślusarski 
Harmonisation of the EGIB, GESUT and BDOT500 conceptual models with the BDOT10k database in terms of data quality and supply
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15576/GLL/2023.4.235
The main source of supply in the process of creating and updating the BDOT10k database is data from the official EGIB, GESUT, and BDOT500 databases. For this reason, the degree of harmonisation of these datasets is crucial. The study of the level of harmonisation of the EGIB, GESUT, and BDOT500 datasets with the BDOT10k database in terms of data quality and supply was performed by analysing the conceptual models of the discussed spatial data registers. The study of the degree of harmonisation of datasets was performed by classifying the analysed object classes into one of three groups, characterising the consistency of the attribute values: full, partial, and none. Analysing the degree of harmonisation of the conceptual models in terms of spatial data quality, it was found that the possibility of feeding quality properties from the EGIB, GESUT, and BDOT500 databases into BDOT10k is limited. BDOT10k has definitely richer characteristics regarding data quality. Analysing the extent of harmonisation of conceptual models in terms of feeding the data of the BDOT10k database with data from EGIB, GESUT, and BDOT500, significant inconsistencies were found. The data supply from these databases is limited especially in terms of descriptive attributes. Acquisition of geometric axes of linear and surface objects does not pose major technical problems. Potential difficulties will arise from, among others, topological and geometrical errors, such as close proximity of vertices or different segmentation. Correcting the conceptual model of the EGiB, GESUT and BDOT500 databases in order to achieve a high degree of harmonisation with the BDOT10k model is feasible. All that is needed are appropriate institutional formal and legal actions.
Keywords: spatial databases • data harmonisation • data integrity
Ahmed Chetti
Simulating transient flow in unsaturated porous media using finite-difference modeling
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15576/GLL/2023.4.247
The purpose of this study concerns the establishment of numerical model of transient flow in a variably saturated porous medium. Groundwater flow can only be studied adequately if one considers the fluxes between the saturated and the unsaturated zones through the free surface. However, this water table undergoes variations in level resulting either from losses of mass by gravity drainage or evaporation or from an excess of mass by infiltration from the surface of the porous medium. This describes the various phenomena that groundwater flow can undergo, such as gravity drainage, infiltration and evaporation. The adopted model is based on the Richards equation, which is a parabolic and strongly non-linear equation. The h-based form of the Richards equation is solved numerically by using the 1D upwind finite difference method. Referring to published experimental work and comparing our numerical results with their results, we have obtained a good fit. The importance of this model lies in its simplicity and its generality in treating the different flow states in a variably saturated porous medium, and therefore its usefulness in practice for a wide range of applications, contributing significantly to the understanding of transient flow phenomena in variably saturated porous media. Its capacity to address the complexities of groundwater movement, including gravity-driven drainage, infiltration, and evaporation, underlines its versatility and its potential to make meaningful contributions to various scientific and engineering fields.
Keywords: transient • partially saturated • hydraulic head • drainage • infiltration
Bogusława Kwoczyńska , Kinga Nowak, Krzysztof Woźniak
3D modelling of historic buildings based on integrated data from airborne and terrestrial laser scanning
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15576/GLL/2023.4.259
Currently, the modelling of historic buildings is most often performed on the basis of data obtained by terrestrial laser scanning. It ensures both the speed of information acquisition and the high accuracy of the final elaboration. However, there are situations in which the terrain layout or the structure of the building limits the possibility of obtaining full information on its shape. In such situations, the solution is to integrate data from various measurement devices. In the case of creating a full 3D model of large buildings, one of the ways to supplement the data, especially the roof of the building, is to use data from airborne laser scanning. The research used the integration of airborne laser scanning data with data recorded with the Leica ScanStation P40 terrestrial laser scanner. Combined point clouds were used for 3D modelling of two different historic buildings in Krakow. Modelling was performed with the Bentley CAD software and in Leica Cyclon 3DR and 3DReshaper. The accuracy of data integration was determined and the advantages and disadvantages of using the above-mentioned software for 3D modelling of architectural objects were shown. The result of the study is a 3D model of St. Florian’s Gate and the Palace of Art in Krakow.
Keywords: terrestrial laser scanning • airborne laser scanning • data integration • 3D modelling
Barbara Olczak , Natalia Furtak, Angelika Król
Application of a method for the multidimensional assessment of the current state of polish health resorts on the example of piwniczna and Krynica-Zdrój
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15576/GLL/2023.4.275
The presented research concerns a multi-faceted assessment of the existing condition of selected Polish health resorts. The aim of the research was to apply the above-mentioned evaluation in the context of possibilities to improve the condition of the space, attractiveness, and functioning of Polish spas that have been struggling with a number of problems of a political and economic nature, which originated in World War Two. Although intended to improve the functional environment of health resorts, the Health Resort Act contains provisions perceived as barriers to the development of health-related and other associated functions that are necessary for the appropriate operation of health resorts. This leads to a conclusion that the function – however deeply rooted in Polish culture – requires a new approach to health resort functioning in today’s circumstances. The new approach should be founded on a deep, careful, and detailed diagnosis of the condition of health resorts in Poland, which will perhaps enable the application of a multi-faceted assessment of the existing condition (MCSA). MCSA is modelled on a method developed in the 1970s in the United States of America by a landscape architect and spatial planner Ian McHarg. The main idea behind the development and application of this assessment method is to facilitate decision-making for planning, design, and investment activities, with a particular focus on local government. The case study carried out by the authors concerns two Polish health resorts located in the Małopolskie Voivodeship.
Keywords: Polish health resort • Piwniczna-Zdrój • Krynica-Zdrój • multidimensional assessment of the current state • current state diagnosis
Pelagia Gawronek
Assessing the surface corrosion of a steel railway bridge using an active short-range remote sensing system
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15576/GLL/2023.4.287
The idea of assessing the surface corrosion of a steel railway bridge evolved as a response to an industry need for fast and non-manual confirmation of the progress of surface deterioration of monochromatic bridges. Terrestrial laser scanning is a technology for remote acquisition of information about the geometry of an object in the form of a point cloud, in which the coordinates (X, Y, Z) are recorded for each point and information on the intensity of the reflected beam is also recorded. In addition to the accurate representation of changes in the geometry of an ageing object, represented by the three-dimensional coordinates of the bridge, terrestrial laser scanning provided information about the surface properties of the bridge object in the form of the intensity of the reflection beam. Imaging algorithms enable it to indicate the homogeneous surfaces of the bridge and, therefore, suggest whether they are subject to corrosion processes or not. The intensity of the object’s point cloud, through the use of unsupervised classification tools, ensures the detection of changes in the surface properties of a monochromatic railway bridge. The classification method for the unsupervised raster representation of grey-scale reflectance intensity (generated from TLS data), as in classical remote sensing, provides classes of pixels with similar reflectance properties. The concept for the scientific research on the detection of the corrosion progress of a steel railway bridge using an active short-range remote sensing system involved the development of algorithmic advances that allow the comparison of periodic raster classifications from a point cloud. Thanks to the differentiation of the imaging, it is possible to determine changes in the location and extent of corrosion, the rate of its progress in ageing steel objects, the detection of cracks and fissures as structural hotspots, indicating the filling capacity of the object, as provided for in the technical documentation. The study provided an empirical basis for research on automatic corrosion detection.
Keywords: terrestrial laser scanning • TLS • reflectance beam intensity • unsupervised classification • Fuzzy K-Means
Przemysław Leń , Klaudia Maciąg , Agnieszka Słowik , Michał Maciąg
The hierarchy of land consolidation processes in villages of eastern Poland, as exemplified by the Abramów commune
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15576/GLL/2023.4.297
The making of strategic decisions concerning directions for the reconstruction of the spatial structure of rural localities necessitates action based upon current and reliable cadastral data, encompassing the present state and requirements of the commune, poviat, or voivodeship under examination. The prerequisite for effective generation of advancement in the agricultural sector, carried out within the framework of sustainable growth, is responsible planning of the executed alterations and precise execution of the established objectives. The documented need for modernising Polish agriculture, primarily involving changes aimed at the comprehensive development of rural regions, implies an increasing need for undertaking several activities regarding the development of a hierarchy for these works. Land consolidation represents one of the principal measures undertaken to optimise agrarian structures and facilitate an environment conducive to sustainable development. The study’s objective was to establish a ranking of the demand for land consolidation works within the villages of the Abramów commune, Lubartów poviat, Lublin voivodeship, by employing established statistical methodologies utilised in this type of investigation. The study encompassed 11 sołectwos within the Abramów commune. According to available records, the commune under analysis covers an area of 8448.58 ha, constituting 6.55% of the Lubartów poviat and 0.34% of the Lublin voivodeship. To better illustrate the need for land consolidation work, an analysis of the selected area in the village of Ciotcza was conducted, focusing on transformations in the spatial structure over a period exceeding 100 years. The studies developed were based on data relating to land and building records obtained from the Poviat Office in Lubartów and demographic data procured from the Abramów Commune Office.
Keywords: land consolidation • rural areas • cadastre data
Namous Roukia , Louamri Abdelaziz , Khallef Boubaker
A study of vegetation cover dynamics using landsat images: case of the beni haroun watershed (Algeria)
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15576/GLL/2023.4.315
Conducting a diachronic study of vegetation cover helps to assess its transformations over a period of time, allowing for a comprehensive assessment of the factors influencing these transformations. The purpose of this research is to analyze the vegetation cover spatio-temporal changes within Beni Haroun watershed, located in the northeast region of Algeria. Based on remote sensing data, two satellite images for the years 2009 and 2020 from Landsat 7 ETM+ and Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS were downloaded. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index was employed to remotely detect and monitor the changes of the vegetation cover. It was calculated for both chosen dates, and the results were classified into four classes (no vegetation, sparse vegetation, moderate vegetation, dense vegetation), each representing a different vegetation density. The obtained maps showed a regression of the vegetation cover. The NDVI values have decreased from 0.77 in 2009 to 0.58 in 2020. Spatial patterns in the classified NDVI maps illustrated reduced vegetation cover demonstrated by an expansion of the no vegetation class: 35,3479 ha in 2009 and 56,7916 ha in 2020. The final map of the change detection depicted a predominance of the negative change throughout Beni Haroun watershed, in consequence of various controlling factors, including climate and human interventions.
Keywords: Beni Haroun watershed • change detection • NDVI • remote sensing • Vegetation cover
Bogusława Kwoczyńska , Paweł Gudz
Application of TLS and UAV data integration to special object modelling
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15576/GLL/2023.4.329
Contemporary measurement techniques facilitate the rapid and highly precise development of three-dimensional models of any spatial object. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) stands as one of the most precise methodologies. Nevertheless, instances arise wherein restrictions imposed by the terrain configuration or infrastructure design impede the acquisition of comprehensive information regarding its geometry. In such scenarios, the optimal resolution lies in the integration of data sourced from diverse measurement instruments. In the context of working with large objects, the optimal approach to capturing comprehensive data, particularly pertaining to the upper parts, involves utilising an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The high resolution of images acquired at a low altitude enables the generation of a point cloud with remarkable accuracy, delivering a satisfactory outcome. When it comes to the modelling of special objects, such as brine graduation towers, the selection of suitable software that facilitates the creation of realistic three-dimensional models is of paramount significance. The study utilised the integration of data acquired from a low altitude using the DJI Air 2S Fly More Combo unmanned aerial vehicle. Diverse mission types were employed, and the data was subsequently recorded using a terrestrial Leica ScanStation P40 laser scanner. The research was conducted on a brine graduation tower situated above the Nowa Huta reservoir in Kraków. The tower’s dimensions necessitated the incorporation of TLS and UAV data. This study analyses three 3D models of the brine graduation tower in Nowa Huta. The models were generated using various computer programmes, namely MeshLab, Agisoft Metashape, and Cyclone 3DR, each of which demonstrated specific capabilities and suitability for modelling a special object like a brine graduation tower. The accuracy of the constructed three-dimensional model of the tower was determined by comparing sections that were measured in the field on the structure between photographic points marked by discs and the equivalent points on the model. Eighteen sections were measured, yielding a mean error of 0.039 m.
Keywords: point cloud • TLS • UAV • data integration • LIDAR • 3D model
Jan Zarzycki , Joanna Korzeniak , Joanna Perzanowska
The effect of topographic factors and land use history on grassland biodiversity in the Polish carpathians
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15576/GLL/2023.4.343
Semi-natural, extensively managed grassland communities are among the most species-rich plant communities. The species number and floristic composition depend on numerous factors, both natural and associated with human activity, both present and past. In European countries, a system of subsidies for farmers is used to preserve extensive, usually unprofitable management of multi-species grassland communities. The development of specific recommendations requires knowledge of the main factors shaping grassland plant communities. A study was carried out in seven regions of the Polish Western Carpathians, in areas with traditional sheep grazing. Plant species composition (phytosociological relevés) of 517 plots were surveyed in different grassland types. For each plot, topographic parameters, i.e. slope, aspect and altitude, were recorded and land use in the past was read from historical maps. The aim of the study was to a) assess differences in the species composition of grassland vegetation between topographically and historically different regions of the Polish Carpathians, and b) to identify the main factors influencing species composition in each of these regions. Depending on the region, different factors contributed most to explaining the variation in the species composition and species numbers. Topographic factors played a decisive role. The type of past use (arable land or grassland) had little influence on current biodiversity. The results of the study indicate the need for a localised approach to developing principles for protection of grassland biodiversity..
Keywords: human impact • nature protection • grassland management • regional differences
Jacek Gniadek
Regression of the layout of parcels after land consolidation
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15576/GLL/2023.4.357
The results of the research presented in this paper concern the analysis and evaluation of the shape of parcels using the example of a precinct that underwent a land consolidation process in Poland in the 1930s.
The aim of the study was to assess the spatial parameters of the record parcels involved in the cultivation process. The study included the determination of the degree of defectiveness of the present land layout and the estimation of the degree of deterioration of parcel boundaries between the present boundary layout and the boundary layout achieved after the consolidation. It also attempted to answer the following question: can a post-consolidation site from the last century have a land layout that allows for the current level of mechanisation of field work, and to what extent does the gradual fragmentation of parcels over the years reduce the efficiency of agricultural production in their area.
The survey of the shape of the parcels was performed using the ‘Qgis’ software and the ‘SWORG’ Land Configuration Evaluation Support System. Cadastral data was used in the research process.
The evaluation of the land parcel layout in both variants after the consolidation and in the present state was done with a synthetic measure of their layout, the so-called cultivation costs, which depend on the spatial layout of the parcels. The obtained result provided a basis for indicating the defects of the examined arrangement of borders and for determining that the defectiveness of the land parcel layout largely depends on the arrangement of borders designed in the consolidation process and on the degree of changes introduced in the land layout, which in the examined case was estimated at several percentage points.
Keywords: land configuration • GIS systems • land parcel layout
Przemysław Baster , Karolina Topa
Conceptual design for a calligraphy park in the hospital and park complex in Kobierzyn
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15576/GLL/2023.4.371
The hospital and park complex in Kobierzyn is one of the few sites of its kind both in Poland and in Europe. It was designed at the beginning of the 19th century according to the idea of a city-garden. Although there are currently plans for its complete revalorisation, the paper presents the author’s design concept of expanding the hospital park with the area of the neighbouring former arable fields, which, according to the authors, meets contemporary realities and needs. The designed park - together with the neighbouring manor buildings - is harmoniously incorporated into the whole of the hospital-park complex, forming a coherent spatial composition. The design guidelines and solutions are adapted to the existing compositional axes, Art Nouveau aesthetic canons, buildings, trees and even the water reservoir. The project incorporates the design principles of Polish calligraphic parks established at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, whose compositional rules dominated Polish garden art for several decades and continue to resonate today. This little-known style crowned the development of 19th-century garden art of free forms - the apparent naturalness of the forms was in fact a space fully subordinated to the designer’s efforts. It was also the first composite style that combined geometric and free forms, leaving its mark on contemporary works and continuing to fascinate today with its compositional principles. The project proves the timelessness of these principles and the desirability of employing historical solutions in landscape design.
Keywords: aesthetics • cultural heritage • Krakow • Kobierzyn • calligraphic style • landscape design
Przemysław Leń , Agnieszka Słowik , Klaudia Maciąg , Michał Maciąg
Assessment of the spatial structure of rural areas for hierarchising village consolidation works in the municipality of Trawniki
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15576/GLL/2023.4.385
Sustainable development of many rural areas in Poland requires actions in the field of comprehensive spatial planning, supported by agricultural management works, in particular by land consolidation and exchange. This process stimulates the development of functions performed by these areas, among others in the social, environmental or economic domains. Changes in the ownership and use structure make it possible to separate functional and spatial areas. Work on improving the agricultural production space cannot be undertaken in all villages at the same time due to, for example, economic, technical or social conditions. Therefore, work to change the flawed spatial structure of land should be carried out in the right order, starting in the villages where the need is greatest. The aim of this study is to assess the spatial structure in the villages of the municipality of Trawniki with regard to the necessity of taking measures to improve the rural spatial structure. The scope of this study covers the municipality of Trawniki, located in the Lubelskie voivodeship, Świdnik county. The municipality consists of 11 cadastral districts with a total area of 84.16 km2, which accounts for 17.95% of the entire county’s area. An analysis and assessment of the spatial structure of the land was carried out for all the precincts, which included: the structure of land ownership, land use and land fragmentation, accessibility of parcels to roads and an index defining the geometry of the registered parcels. In order to illustrate the problem of land fragmentation in detail, a land fragmentation index was calculated for each surveyed village. In addition, the productivity index for arable land and grassland was also determined. The analyses provided a basis for further research into determining the urgency of land consolidation and exchange work.
Keywords: land consolidation • rural areas • spatial structure
Agnieszka Chłosta-Sikorska , Szymon Sikorski
Nowa Huta – between the countryside and the city. Part i: the beginnings of the achievement of a socialist utopia
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15576/GLL/2023.4.399
The aim of this study is to introduce the phenomenon that is Nowa Huta, which since 1951 has been one of Krakow’s districts, although in 1949 it was planned as a separate city – a symbol of socialist construction in the People’s Republic of Poland. The plans adopted by the communist authorities to rebuild Poland were centred on the development of heavy industry. Hence, it was decided to build a steel and metallurgical plant northeast of Krakow. This decision was met with protests from the inhabitants of the villages being redeveloped, as they were not only forcibly displaced, but received low compensation for the fertile black soil. The first residents of Nowa Huta were people coming from rural areas. They formed a mixture of habits and views with different, sometimes foreign, traditions and customs. This syncretism of customs, culture and education gave rise to tensions which were also exacerbated by separation from family oversight. This created a phenomenon called ‘double background’. In addition to this was the upbringing in the Catholic faith. The people of Nowa Huta demanded the construction of a temple, which did not line up with the plans of those in power to create a God-free city here. This tension escalated in April 1960, when in defence of the cross they clashed with the security forces. In the end, the church was not built, but the cross standing at the intersection of Mayakovsky and Marx streets remained intact. Nowa Huta is a special place also for its unique architecture, and its self-sufficiency – kindergartens, schools, health centres and shops are all within walking distance. It is also distinguished by the greenery of the parks, meadows and trees growing between the blocks.
Keywords: Nowa Huta • social realism • propaganda • industrialisation • villages prior to Nowa Huta • the clash over the cross • double background • greenery