Religious faith and worship are an indispensable part of human life. They are particularly important in small communities, in which family bonds are strengthened by common celebration of church holidays and ceremonies. Situated in the Warmińsko-Mazurskie province of Poland, the village of Lipy boasts a Marian sanctuary, popular among many Polish Catholics. However, the space around the church is not sufficiently developed. Each year, the village is visited by thousands of pilgrims, who need a

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... operly designed infrastructure. This paper discuses the methodology and effects of actions undertaken to address the issue of planning the village's spaces in such a way as to allow the sanctuary and its surroundings to cater to the needs of the society. Preparing the project required performing an analysis of the functions, which particular elements of this public space could perform. To this end, a field research was conducted, along with an analysis of the literature on the issue and a survey among the local people. This allowed the researchers to become familiar with the social expectations related to the development of this part of the village. Finally, a project was drawn up to redesign the public space around the church. This paper constitutes only a part of a larger study, yet it proves that correct planning of any public space may not take place without the society's participation.