The paper addresses the issue of industrial towns planned and built with consideration for local natural features and sustainable use of natural resources. The subject of the study is the mining town of Bukowno. The authors have adopted a case study and comparative analysis as the research method. The starting point is a comprehensive analysis of the main principles behind the creation of Bukowno as a centre integrating industrial, sanatorium, sports and leisure functions, designed by Józef Gałęzowski in the 1930s. The study is based on field research, analyses of source and cartographic materials and academic publications. The contemporary image of the town and the problems and threats concerning the most critical natural features reveal that the original design of Bukowno as an summer recreational and forest estate remains unrealized. Mining and processing activities are not conducive to the protection and proper exploitation of outstanding natural features, the Sztoła River in particular. The diagnosis of the existing problems prompts the search for a crystallized vision of town development that refers to and develops the original design. The research has resulted in an attempt to outline new principles for shaping the urban structure based on the assets of the local environment. The new original spatial and functional design, clearly inspired by the 1930s design, may provide a good foundation for the future development of Bukowno and the region.