The starting point of the study on the problems, dilemmas and hopes for effective implementation of revitalization projects in Polish cities was the conviction that revitalization is one of the processes affecting the development and changes in the spatial and functional fabric of cities. Revitalization is defined as a deliberate and purposeful process, the effect of which is to restore life in the dysfunctional and degraded parts of cities. Taking up such a topic required an answer to the question about the nature of revitalization and its aspects. The focus of the study was on the problems of revitalization that stem from the legal and socio-economic situation and the dilemmas faced by local government authorities of Polish cities. The introduction to these considerations is the brief outline of the revitalization of Polish cities in the period after World War II, while the conclusion deals with the fears and hopes related to revitalization activities that are presently initiated. The discussion takes into account the existing, critically assessed, legal regulations on revitalization.

The article describes the idea of a compact city, due to the needs and capabilities of contemporary Polish cities, with an emphasis on the Silesia region. Special attention has been paid to the possibility of increasing the cities’ density and several examples have been shown to present the possibilities of densifying the cities with new housing investments. Also, the article presents the studies that indicate the capacity for the internal development of selected Silesian cities: Katowice and Gliwice. The article ends with the recommendations for cities to become more compact.

This paper presents the issue of the vertical extension of buildings, mainly residential, as an element of sustainable housing policy of European cities. This type of construction project allows for the acquisition of additional residential space, using the existing technical infrastructure, and also not deepening the effect of urban sprawl. Vertical extensions allow for the construction of new apartments in urban areas, being one of the forms of densifying the existing buildings. The study reviews research on the subject of vertical building extensions, trying to answer the research questions posed: how and with the use of which building analysis tools it is possible to improve the process of vertical extension, so that it can become an actual element of the housing policy of cities. Three original studies were selected for the analysis: from Germany, Belgium and England, which met the criteria set by this study, presenting a universal scheme of action for vertical extensions, not treating them as incidental, individual construction intervention, and treating vertical extensions as an element of systemic action for the acquisition of new apartments. The selected studies are carried out in countries economically and culturally similar to Poland, which was also one of the selection criteria. The study is also to be a voice in the discussion on the possibility of the vertical extension of residential buildings as an element of housing policy in Poland.