Aesthetic and utility values of anthropogenic landforms: a case study of the Silesian Upland, Poland

Abstract

In spite of being generally interpreted as landscape scars, man-made landforms in the urban-industrial areas of Silesia also provide positive benefits to local communities. In case of properly designed and implemented land reclamation can produce attractive aesthetic features and green space for recreation. Another most important function of these anthropogenic landforms is scientific education. They can be studied as positive instances of human transformation of the landscape and sites suitable for the demonstration of present-day geomorphic processes, which sometimes operate at scales unobserved at other locations. The paper cites examples from the Silesian Upland.