On November 28, 2025, a public lecture was held by Agnieszka Jaszczak – Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn (Republic of Poland), Professor at Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas (Lithuania), Head of International Projects in the Field of Architecture and Urbanism, NAWA, SAIA, ERASMUS, CEEPUS, DAAD Fellow, and co-owner of BeeGreen on the topic "Toward a Sustainable Future: Innovations in Global Green Design". Professor Agnieszka Jaszczak's lecture was held in a mixed format and in English.
The lecture took place within the framework of the project "EU Global Responsible Leadership: Climate Change, Environmental Protection and Humanitarian Aid" (EU_LEAD) with the support of the Erasmus+ Jean Monnet program, as well as with the assistance of the Tutoring and Mentoring Center, created within the framework of the project "Promoting Professional Education and Active Participation of Students through the Formation of a Comprehensive System of Mentoring and Tutoring in Higher Education" (PROMENT) with the support of the EU Erasmus+ program, KA2, the Departments of Design and Fundamentals of Architecture (IARD), Political Science and International Relations (PMV).
Oleg Tsebenko – a member of the EU_LEAD team, Deputy Director of the Institute of International Relations introduced the speaker to the student youth and thanked the professor for the opportunity to join.
At the beginning of the lecture, Professor Agnieszka Jaszczak drew attention to three important aspects of the issue of innovation in global ecological design, namely: globalization and the resulting trends (unification, uniformity, industrialization, mass information and culture, homogenization, the era of "IKEA and McDonald's"), the main problems (climate change, loss of biodiversity, green areas, transformation of landscape and identity), as well as ideas and trends (green/sustainable/ecological urbanism; smart urbanism, smart cities, natural solutions (NBS); garden cities, satellite cities, the Cittaslow movement; participatory design). The professor focused particular attention during the lecture on the interpretation of the term "Green Urbanism", which is defined as the practice of creating spaces for communities for the benefit of people and the environment. This is the idea of forming more sustainable places, communities and lifestyles, as well as reducing the use and consumption of natural resources. " The lecturer also mentioned its main theorist – Timothy Beatley – a world-renowned scientist in the field of green urbanism, whose interests are related to ecological planning and environmental policy, coastal zone planning, protection of natural landscapes, protection of ethical values in the environment, and conservation of biodiversity since the 1980s. Green and sustainable cities open up major opportunities for the implementation of new technologies in the field of public transport, ecological construction, ecological design, as well as for changing the lifestyle of residents by switching to walking and cycling and reducing the use of non-renewable energy sources. This approach to planning leads to an improvement in the state of the environment in the context of climate change and biodiversity loss. The theoretical assumption is based on the belief that nature is better able to cope with the negative consequences of urbanization than architecture, said Agnieszka Jaszczak. The concept of “green urbanism” is based on the interdependence of ecological, social and technological systems, and the professor presented the dynamic interaction between three fundamental pillars of sustainable urban development, namely: (1) energy and materials, (2) water and biodiversity, (3) urban planning and transport. The first pillar, energy and materials, focuses on reducing the ecological footprint of construction and urban metabolism through renewable energy systems, circular material flows and life-cycle thinking. The second pillar, water and biodiversity, emphasizes the preservation and restoration of natural ecosystems in urban structures, addressing stormwater management, ecological corridors and biodiversity-friendly design. The third pillar, urban planning and transport, provides a spatial and functional framework that connects other systems, contributing to the development of compact cities, active mobility and low-carbon infrastructure.
During the lecture, Professor Agnieszka Jaszczak demonstrated to the students interesting examples of successfully implemented innovative projects in eco-design in different parts of the world, explained their originality and value, as well as the modern functions of such cities: for tourism, recreation and relaxation, gastronomy and commerce, as well as for culture and art.
The information about the originality of the concepts of "Garden Cities", "Green Cities", "Slow Cities (CITTASLOW)" was extremely interesting and valuable. Sir Ebenezer Howard was an English urban planner and founder of the garden city movement, known for his publication Tomorrow: A Peaceful Path to True Reform (1898), in which he described a utopian city in which people lived in harmony with nature. This publication became the impetus for the establishment of the “garden city” movement and the construction of the first garden city. The main goal of this concept is a park in the city center, low-rise buildings and a large area of green spaces. The professor gave examples of cities in Poland that are built according to the “Garden City” concept, such as: Konstancin-Jeziorna, Podków Lesna, Komorów, Miłanówek.
The main components of the “Green City” concept are improving the quality of life, pro-environmental measures, green “buffers”, increasing the area of urban greenery. Examples of “Green Cities” in Poland are Sopot, Gdynia, Chorzów.
The “CITTASLOW” concept is also original, the main goal of which is to improve the quality of life, pro-environmental measures, sustainable urban planning, a slow and healthy lifestyle, and green form in the urban structure. The goals of the “CITTASLOW” concept include: introducing green forms into the structure of the city; programs to improve the health of the elderly and people with disabilities; use of natural landscape values with a therapeutic function; "Fitness for life", social integration and improvement of the quality of public spaces; improvement of the quality of transport. According to Agnieszka Jaszczak, such Polish cities as Biskupiec, Bartoszyce, Morong, Gurowo Ilawiecske fit into this concept of "CITTASLOW". The lecturer also focused on such a concept as social planning/participatory design, when communities are put at the center of urban development, ensuring that public spaces and green areas reflect the needs and values of residents. In the context of urban greening, these approaches involve local stakeholders in making decisions about the location, type and management of parks, gardens and green corridors. This is also influenced by large infrastructure projects, from newly created parks to all types of public infrastructure, which have undergone important social evolution in recent years or decades, including in the direction of design. By involving citizens, emphasized Agnieszka Jaszczak, planners can create spaces that are more inclusive, safe and socially active, and also encourage a responsible attitude towards the environment and its protection. Participatory design promotes co-creation, integrating cultural, recreational and ecological functions into green infrastructure, the professor noted. Moreover, it supports equal access to green spaces, helping to reduce social inequality in urban areas. According to Agnieszka Jaszczak, the combination of social planning with green urbanism leads to the creation of sustainable, livable and community-oriented cities. Professor Agnieszka Jaszczak is not only a theorist, but also an active participant in projects in the direction of "Design for Society and Together with Society" in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship.
Professor Agnieszka Jaszczak developed an author's "recipe / formula for success" for greening the world, and presented its main components to the student youth, namely:
- Create systemic solutions based on sustainable models for the arrangement of settlements, suburban areas and villages.
- Introduce green forms, design traditional parks and green areas with high vegetation in public places.
- In city centers where architecture is dense, introduce Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), but only those that are economically profitable and effective.
- Harmonize with nature and imitate it, rather than introduce foreign species from garden centers.
- Conserve natural resources, especially water, and protect the soil.
- Embrace the so-called “fourth nature,” which spontaneously creates plant compositions on surfaces, buildings, or other unexpected places, including the spontaneous germination of trees and weeds.
- Design with a focus on community involvement, and teach, teach, and teach again.
The participants of Agnieszka Jaszczak’s lecture were 84 students (68 in person + 16 online), including international students and design students, teachers, and participants of the EU_LEAD project.
The meeting took place in the student space “L.I.S.” (Learning Inspiring Space) – a modern location for learning, communication, and development of youth and the academic community, which was opened thanks to the support of Jacob Dalhoff, CEO of MatchOffice Ukraine, and Service Ukraine LLC.
The project team sincerely thanks Agnieszka Jaszczak for an interesting and informative lecture, and the students for their involvement.
More detailed information about the EUSTS project can be found at /eu-lead.
