Between sacrum and profanum – public life on the Church of the Ascension square in North Ursynów

The article discusses the coexistence of the sacred and the profane in the public space of a residential environment – in the light of research on public life and urban composition. The research problem concerns the existence of the need for a sacred space in the traditional form of an urban square in large housing estates. The study regarded the relationship between sacrum and profanum and its impact on the living conditions in the housing estate, exemplified by the square in front of the Church of the Ascension in North Ursynów district in Warsaw. The research subject included the genesis of the form of the square, the local legal background, participa-tory practices, and activity in the space of the square based on the on-site observations made in the years 2004-2022. The study results show the need for public urban space, not addressed in current urban and participatory practices.