One of the important roles of greenery in public spaces of cities is to shape and complement, on a par with architectural objects, the image of the city and building its identity. Identity is the existence of a physical reflection of the nature of history and the traditions of the city and its inhabitants or urban community, distinguishing them from other places and communities. Through conscious, rational and professional activities creating urban tissue, spatial order is achieved, which forms the basis of the identity of cities and determines their quality. Each city, developing its own social and cultural image, resulting from both history and tradition, as well as changes taking place, should cultivate its separate image. The greenery also decides about the identity of the urban space as the aforementioned factors. They are important in individualising and shaping his landscape. Harmoniously composed and decorated green areas also decide about creating the character of the city and urban spaces. Competition for urban areas and for economic spheres of influence, underestimation of the role of spatial planning, marketization of all activities and spatial chaos as a result - these are factors that have pushed into the background the priority of conscious urban landscape shaping, including greenery in the city center of Bydgoszcz. The purpose of this study is to analyze the role of green public spaces with against the background of the history of the creation and significance of the Old Canal along with the regard to the history and significance of the Old Canal along with the process of individualizing the cultural image of Bydgoszcz over the last 200 years. Used in the past, urban composition solutions can be a reference for new studies and planning activities in this area of the city.
