Between Industrialism and Postindustrialism—the Case of Small Towns in a Large Urban Region: The Katowice Conurbation, Poland

Robert Krzysztofik,Franciszek Kłosowski,Iwona Kantor-Pietraga

doi:10.3390/urbansci3030068

Abstract

The socio-economic transformation of (post)mining towns takes different forms and follows varied pathways. This obvious fact acquires a different significance in a region that is a polycentric urban conurbation whose growth was based on coal mining and industry. Particularly as concerns small towns, which are a minority in it in terms of numbers. This paper attempts to present the issue based on the cases of two small towns, Lędziny and Radzionków, located in the Katowice conurbation in southern Poland. While having similar mining origins, the towns currently represent two radically different paths of economic development. Both mentioned towns are developing relatively well. However, certain threats to their growth are also revealed: social functional, environmental and even political. A closer inspection of both is important in that the two small towns are examples of two extremities in the region, between which other types of towns undergoing socio-economic transformation are situated. The selected examples also indicate that a small (post)mining town does not necessarily have to be ‘the place that don’t matter’. Additionally, an important conclusion is that despite many objective barriers, a small town in a mining region can follow a line of development based on the industry 4.0 concept.

Highlights

Small towns in agricultural regions of Europe most often build their socio-economic potential on relationships formed with their own local hinterlands, which they, to a smaller or larger extent, attempt to supplement with specialized services, industrial or, less frequently, resort functions [1,2,3]
The polycentric Katowice conurbation in southern Poland is an example of a geographical region in which the development of small towns combines the last two of the abovementioned models
In it we indicate the possibilities for rebuilding the economic potential of a small post-mining rebuilding theinto economic potential of a small post-mining town, taking into account the current situation town, taking account the current situation of the Katowice conurbation

Summary

Introduction

Small towns in agricultural regions of Europe most often build their socio-economic potential on relationships formed with their own local hinterlands, which they, to a smaller or larger extent, attempt to supplement with specialized services, industrial or, less frequently, resort functions [1,2,3]. This is still dominant, in Central and Eastern Europe; two other models accompany small-town development [4,5,6]. The polycentric Katowice conurbation in southern Poland is an example of a geographical region in which the development of small towns combines the last two of the abovementioned models

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion