Largest Cities In Poland Research Articles

Potential of Selected Species of Spiraea L. for Phytoremediation of Heavy Metals from Soils of Urban Areas

Four taxa of Spiraea were selected for this study: S. × cinerea Zabel ‘Grefsheim’, S. nipponica Maxim. ‘Snowmound’, S. splendens É. N. Baumann ex K. Koch and S. × vanhouttei (Briot) Carrière growing for a minimum of 5 years along heavily trafficked traffic routes. This study included the genus Spiraea due to its popularity in horticultural practice (commercial availability, widespread in urban environments). In addition, the use of ornamental shrubs for phytoremediation in urban green spaces effectively combines the aesthetic needs of residents with those of caring for the urban environment. This study was conducted in Poznań (population 550,000, the fifth largest city in Poland). Soils and foliage were examined in spring and autumn. Soil pH and specific electrolytic conductivity (EC) were determined. The content of micronutrients (Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Zn) and toxic heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Pb) in soil dry matter and leaves was determined. The uptake capacity of bioavailable forms of heavy metals by Spiraea from the soil was analyzed by determining the bioconcentration factor (BCF). It was found that the studied taxa meet the basic requirements for plants used for soil phytoremediation processes, especially for chromium phytoextraction. The degree of salinity of the tested soils did not pose a threat to the shrubs growing there, and most of the sites, despite the alkaline reaction, are suitable for their cultivation. S. × cinerea and S. × vanhouttei have BCFs for lead <1. The remaining taxa are characterized by strong concentrations of all analyzed elements. A particularly high BCF, above 10, was recorded for chromium and high for manganese and nickel.

Cities facing the European green deal: Urban policy and locals’ perspective in the post-socialist area

The European Green Deal (EGD) is a comprehensive and ambitious strategy to achieve climate neutrality in the European Union. Cities play a crucial role as places of accumulation of resources, as well as increased consumption. This study attempts to respond to whether the largest cities in Poland (the main development cores of the country and, more broadly, Central Europe) address the development challenges of the EU articulated in the EGD and derived from the concept of a smart city.In this study, not only the theory behind the smart city concept but also the strategic documents of the largest Polish cities in that matter are analysed. The socio-spatial analyses identified the existing discrepancies between the perspectives of local authorities and inhabitants in implementing contemporary development concepts. There were indicated SHS (smart hot spots) - which are those located in the city centre and places that act as mobility hubs, as well as SCS (smart cold spots) - which are remote from the centre or degraded and decapitalised places. The crucial challenge for urban policymakers is to level internal environmental and socio-economic inequalities and prevent the formation of “emerald islands” in the city interior.The proposed inclusive approach offers a tool that could be used in many similar case studies, including the need for dialogue with local society, the special consideration of the local context, heterogeneity and greater attention to the new sources of knowledge, including GIS tools, enabling the building of a viable local system.

How the War between Russia and Ukraine Caused a Multi-Cycle in the Polish Housing Market

We examine the effects of the war between Russia and Ukraine on the housing market in the six largest cities in Poland and explain how these effects emerged. Since Poland’s transition to a market economy and its accession to the EU, Poland has experienced normal cycles in house prices, i.e. relatively long periods of increases in house prices followed by similarly long periods of decreases in house prices. However, the combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war between Russia and Ukraine created a situation that can be described as a multi-cycle. The pandemic initially halted nearly all transactions on the market, but after a few quarters of fiscal and monetary intervention aimed at saving the economy we observed a housing boom. Just a few quarters later, the Russian aggression in Ukraine caused significant inflation, which required a sharp increase in interest rates, and once again demand slowed down. This was followed just a few quarters later by a resurgence in house purchases in order to escape inflation, with many people using cash for these purchases. This situation has shaken the housing market, while the war has also generated a demographic shock. Construction and transportation workers began returning to Ukraine to help in its reconstruction, while women with children came to Poland from Ukraine seeking safety and creating a demand for rental housing.

Adaptive Re-use of Industrial Heritage in Lodz, Poland

Over the past 30 years, Lodz, one of the largest cities in Poland, has struggled with the effects of the political transformation. Historic post-industrial buildings have presented both a problem and a challenge. Due to the lack of other determinants of identity, the adaptation of former textile factories has become a key element in shaping the historic urban landscape of Lodz. This article presents the results of the latest research on this process. Several hundred places were analyzed in terms of changes in function, as well as the relationship between the typological features of buildings and their current state of preservation. The research results confirmed the effectiveness of adaptive reuse in the process of industrial heritage protection. Moreover, the scale of this phenomenon makes Lodz a leading centre of post-industrial revitalization. Local experience can be a source of lessons for similar processes undertaken in other cities of Central and Eastern Europe.

Measuring and Assessing the Level of Living Conditions and Quality of Life in Smart Sustainable Cities in Poland—Framework for Evaluation Based on MCDM Methods

The increasing degree of urbanization of the world community is creating several multidimensional challenges for modern cities in terms of the need to provide adequate living and working conditions for their residents. An opportunity to ensure optimal conditions and quality of life are smart sustainable cities, which integrate various resources for their sustainable development using modern and smart technological solutions. This paper addresses these issues by presenting the results of a study of the level and quality of living conditions in the 29 largest cities in Poland, an EU member state. This study used 35 indicators characterizing the six main areas of activity of the cities to assess the living conditions and quality of life in these cities. To achieve this purpose, an original research methodology was developed, in which the EDAS and WASPAS methods and the Laplace criterion were applied. The application of a multi-criteria approach to the issue under study made it possible to determine the levels of quality of life and living conditions in the studied cities for each dimension, as well as the final index of this assessment (Smart Sustainable Cities Assessment Scores). On this basis, a ranking of these cities was made. In addition, relationships between living conditions and quality of life and the levels of wealth and population of the cities were also assessed. The results showed a wide variation in the levels of living conditions and quality of life in the cities studied, as well as their independence from geographic location. Cities with higher GDP levels that were investing in innovation and knowledge-based development fared much better.

Green Roofs: Nature-Based Solution or Forced Substitute for Biologically Active Areas? A Case Study of Lublin City, Poland

Green roofs have become an increasingly popular feature in building design, driven by their bio-physical properties and aesthetic and recreational values. They serve as a key element in promoting the integration of Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs) in urban fabrics, aiming to enhance urban environments, mitigate climate impact, and create more sustainable urban spaces. Polish regulations mandate that investors maintain a designated proportion of biologically active areas, ensuring natural vegetation and rainwater retention. Green roofs fulfill this requirement and can serve as compensation for the loss of biologically active areas due to construction. Unfortunately, the regulations lack specificity regarding their construction. This study aimed to examine whether green roofs consistently represent NBSs, as frequently presented in the scientific literature, or rather serve as a legal substitute for biologically active areas. The research was conducted in Lublin, the ninth largest city in Poland. Field studies, analysis of planning documentation, and review of administrative decisions have revealed that the majority of green roofs in Lublin have a greenwashing character, meaning they were installed to meet urbanistic indicators rather than for climate, environmental, or aesthetic reasons. Such studies have not been conducted before in relation to local spatial development plans and administrative decisions in Poland, and they show that this approach does not contribute to increasing biodiversity on investment plots. Notably, the investor would be denied construction permits without the incorporation of green roofs. Consequently, this leads to the conclusion that not all green roofs fulfill the criteria of NBS, as not all ensure an increase in biodiversity. Therefore, legal provisions regarding their establishment should be revised and specified.

Analysis of Environmentally Certified Residential Developments in Poland

Abstract The scale of environmental pressure caused by the construction sector has prompted a search for new technical solutions to minimize the negative impact of this part of the national economy on the environment. The drive to evaluate the adopted solutions has led to the creation of building assessment systems - environmental certificates. The aim of the article is both to introduce the certification processes used in the Polish residential property market and to indicate the locations of residential investments that have obtained the certificates in question. The paper takes a closer look at environmental certification using multi-criteria building assessment systems, i.e. BREEAM, LEED and HQE. The time scope of the presented research covered the years 2016 to the first quarter of 2022. The research carried out allowed an upward trend to be observed in the number of environmental certificates awarded, indicating the use of green building principles for residential properties. It is certain that there has been a development of this type of investment in Poland in the recent years. An analysis of the spatial distribution of the surveyed investments shows that location clusters have formed - green (low-emission) residential investments are distributed in the largest cities in Poland, which are characterized by a strictly defined consumer profile.

Taxation Preferences and the Uptake of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles in Poland’s Ten Largest Cities: A Case Study

The purpose of this article is to explore whether and based on what criteria local governments employ reduced tax rates on means of transportation to encourage hybrid and electric vehicles. The study also aims to determine if there has been a more rapid increase in the number of means of transportation powered entirely or partially by electricity in local government units that have implemented more substantial incentives. The study encompasses the ten largest cities in Poland and the years 2018–2020. To achieve the above research objectives, an analysis of the texts of the resolutions of the city councils was carried out in terms of the tax rates in effect during the selected period. On the basis of the relevant amounts provided in the resolutions, the amount of concessions resulting from the application of lower tax rates was calculated, and the criteria for the use of these concessions related to the level of emissivity were presented. To assess the potential correlation between the scale of tax preferences and the dynamics of growth in the number of hybrid and electric vehicles, a statistical tool in the form of Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used for a thorough data analysis. The results suggest that municipalities use their authority to introduce differentiated tax rates on means of transportation. However, those utilizing hybrid and electric vehicles are more likely to employ these powers on an equal basis, with owners of vehicles adhering to lower emission standards covered by EURO standards. In addition, there was no positive correlation between the amount of tax credits and the rate of growth in the number of reduced-emission vehicles. This work can foster a green mindset and societal nature-based new thinking.

Contemporary revitalization of public spaces in Łódź. The role of squares, streets and courtyards in creating the genius loci based on the historical heritage

Despite its medieval origins (1423), the city of Łódź is young. It flourished as an important industrial center in the nineteenth century, becoming the second largest city in Poland in the twentieth. Its “American” plan with one main street and districts developing around factories is unusual in Poland and leaves little room for city squares and public space. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, Łódź has been trying to create more shared areas because they underwent far-reaching degradation after the transformatio of 1989 and the economic crisis of the 1990s. Nowadays, however, these areas are being revitalized. There are many competitions and projects concerning both the rehabilitation of existing city squares and the creation of new ones. However, the term “city square” has largely lost its original, traditional meaning, with “square” now covering a variety of open spaces, ranging from pedestrian streets to courtyards. The article discusses selected examples of municipal and private investments in squares, streets and parks. Despite the positive reception of these urban changes, the “renewal” of the city is criticized by specialists and considered controversial.The article attempts to analyze these solutions in terms of urban planning as well as urban landscape and ecology, also venturing to gauge whether such solutions can be considered modern and adequate to the requirements of twenty-first-century urban planning.

Musical communities of sexual minorities

Wroclaw, one of the largest cities in Poland, is full of events taking place in public space, including protests. Using examples taken from the 10th Wroclaw Equality March in 2018, it can be shown that specific musical works become a weapon in the struggle for recognition of the proclaimed values. The study traces the auditory dimension of protests, the role of music in creating a community and the place of such events in the soundscape of a contemporary city. Then the study presents these mechanisms on selected musical examples. Particular attention is paid to the musical communities, because the sound not only accompanies the protests it strengthens the sense of solidarity between the participants. The event is interpreted as a kind of spectacle that constitutes a space for self-expression and the articulation of the postulates of its participants, accompanied by a characteristic soundtrack. It consists mainly of popular music performed by artists either belonging to sexual minorities or being recognized as icons of the community. The study presents the role of disco music and club culture as well as the aesthetics of the camp as crucial for LGBT+ people seeking space for their expression, which is oppositional to the dominant system of values based on gender dualism. Seemingly simple or silly songs can have a deeper meaning and are a key element in shaping a certain community.

Leisure Activities of Inhabitants of Large Cities in Poland during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract Introduction The main goal of the article is to study the structure of time spent on specific leisure activities in the COVID-19 pandemic by inhabitants of large cities in Poland (in the workweek – weekend cycle). Material and methods Time budget research, including leisure, was based on the self-reporting sheet and was conducted in December 2020 on residents of selected cities. Results The results indicate differences in the way of spending leisure time concerning social life mainly. The respondents spent most of their leisure time using mass media and the Internet. The time spent on various leisure activities also differed in terms of workweek – weekend. The structure of individual leisure time activities showed that the most common activities during workweek were watching TV and using the Internet. At weekends, the second most popular activity (after watching TV) was home meetings. Conclusions An important contribution resulting from this work is the identification and analysis of the variability of leisure activities during the pandemic.

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE SHARE OF REAL ESTATE TAX REVENUES IN THE BUDGET REVENUES OF SELECTED POLISH CITIES FROM 2018-2021

The publication aimed to assess the share of property tax revenue in the overall budget revenues of Poland’s 14 largest cities with populations over 200,000. Property tax rates were also assessed. Property tax is one of the key local taxes collected by the local government. The assessment was carried out using the analytical method, inference method, source document research method, and a literature review. The results of the study indicate that property tax revenues, depending on the city, accounted for between 6.31% (in Warsaw) and 13.98% (in Gdańsk) of the share in total revenues to the city budget. On average, it can be concluded that the real estate tax accounts for ap- proximately 9% of the total income in the budget of the largest cities in Poland. It has also been established that the level of revenue depends on the tax rates. In addition, it was found that there is significant variation between Poland’s largest cities in the share of property tax revenue in total budget revenue.

NOAH as an Innovative Tool for Modeling the Use of Suburban Railways

The paper presents an innovative method called the “Nest of Apes Heuristic” (NOAH) for modeling specific problems by combining technical aspects of transport systems with human decision-making. The method is inspired by nature. At the beginning of the paper, potential problems related to modeling a suburban rail system were presented. The literature review is supplemented with a short description of known heuristics. The basic terminology, procedures, and algorithm are then introduced in detail. The factors of the suburban rail system turn into “Monkeys”. Monkeys change their position in the nest, creating leaders and followers. This allows for the comparison of the factor sets in a real system. The case study area covers the vicinity of Wroclaw, the fourth largest city in Poland. Two experiments were conducted. The first takes into account the average values of the factors in order to observe the algorithm’s work and formulate the stopping criteria. The second is based on the current values of the factors. The purpose of this work was to evaluate these values and to assess the possibilities of changing them. The obtained results show that the new tool may be useful for modeling and analyzing such problems.

Participatory Budgeting as the Instrument of Technologically Supported Dialogue in Cracow, Poland

Abstract Ordinary citizens today support the local decision-making authorities in the domain of public spending using the instrument of participatory budgeting. The situation is of particular interest in Cracow, the second largest city in Poland in terms of the number of residents, as it stands out for its intensive and advanced use of technology. Here, participatory budgeting is a formalized, multi-stage procedure, composed of an information and education campaign, preparation and submission of projects, verification of submitted projects, submission and examination of protests, voting, implementing of projects, and informing about the concluded projects. Using participatory budgeting, the residents communicate their needs and obtain funds to satisfy them. Participatory budgeting covers on average 0.5% of the municipal budget and is decided by 5–7% of Cracow’s residents. The research covers the years 2019–2021 and takes into consideration the changes resulting from the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic. The article aims to examine the coexistence of forms of communication, supporting dialogue between residents and local officials in the participatory budgeting process. According to the adopted hypothesis, the two forms of communication used within participatory budgeting—the traditional ones and information and communication technologies (ICTs)—are not separated but are integrated into governance process and reinforce each other. The literature, legal provisions, the website on participatory budgeting, media information, social media, and evaluation reports based on qualitative and quantitative methods were analyzed. The results show that the introduction of participatory budgeting resulted in a new type of dialogue and relationship between residents and local officials, based on the traditional tools of communication and ICTs. ICTs cannot replace the traditional forms of communication but their potential should be used to a greater extent. As both forms of communication, direct and indirect (technologically supported), coexist and have their own advantages and limitations, especially under normal, non-epidemic conditions, the two should facilitate and reinforce each other.

Żydzi wschodniej Polski

The subject of the Holocaust and the extermination of Polish Jews is still a current topic. For many years, research has been carried out to save not only this difficult time in the history of the world from oblivion, but also to restore the memory of individual people who created and influenced the development of the local community and culture. The review recalls one of the most forgotten people, who co-created the local community and had a real impact on its broadly understood development. This topic is also important due to the identity of a given region and its impact on artists concentrated in large cities in Poland at that time. Publications referring to forgotten characters are necessary and are still missing on the Polish publishing market.

Urban green spaces management during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Experiences from Kraków, Poland

AbstractSARS‐CoV‐2 (COVID‐19) has spread all over the world, significantly affecting our everyday lives. People changed their habits during the pandemic and made use of urban green spaces (UGS). Our Web of Science and Scopus queries confirm a knowledge gap in green space planning and public space management studies in the field of UGS availability during COVID‐19. Therefore, the purpose of our research was to determine the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on urban green spaces management, identify the needs of the residents in terms of urban green spaces furniture, and assess the accessibility of urban green spaces to propose recommendations for the institution charged with managing urban green spaces in the City (Krakow). To this end, we used an expert interview, spatial analyses, and survey research among residents of Kraków, one of the largest cities in Poland. The survey involved 1350 respondents. The spatial analyses employed geoprocessing algorithms and GIS tools. The results showed that 96% of Kraków citizens have access to urban green spaces within 300 m from their homes. Therefore, UGS are an important part of the City's identity, making their reasonable management vital, especially during crises. The respondents indicated that the existing UGS needed more lighting, rubbish bins, and benches as places of respite. Results of the expert interview showed that the COVID‐19 pandemic has affected urban green spaces management. The results may influence urban green spaces management, and the research is an innovative combination of spatial analysis, a qualitative approach (expert interview), and a quantitative method (a survey) proposing new procedures for analysing UGS.

The urban ecosystem services index as a new indicator for sustainable urban planning and human well-being in cities

Nowadays, more and more people appreciate the presence of green areas in cities. These spaces have many functions, including ecological, social, and cultural ones. Urban ecosystems, understood in this article as areas of a natural character, are a very important element of the landscape structure of urban areas. Their existence makes it possible to live in cities. Urban ecosystems have been analyzed using a variety of methods in terms of their type and quantity, as well as the ecosystem services they provide. However, it is useful to complement these studies by assessing which urban ecosystems provide the most ecosystem services. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to assess the ecosystem services provided by urban ecosystems for sustainable urban planning but using a novel approach. A new Urban Ecosystem Services (IUES) indicator has been developed for this assessment. It reports on the intensity of ecosystem services provided. The test area for the application of this indicator was the largest cities in Poland, with a particular focus on the Silesian Metropolis (GZM). The Silesian Metropolis is the most anthropogenically changed area in Poland due to the mining activities occurring there since the 18th century. Thus, it is a good example for checking whether such areas have ecological value and what that value is. In this study, special emphasis was placed on the identification of urban ecosystem services and their effectiveness. It was concluded that urban ecosystems are essential to cities and should make up a significant percentage of their land area. They provide essential ecological services to urban residents, and their presence provides a higher standard of living in anthropogenically altered areas.

Financial Resilience in the Face of Turbulent Times: Evidence from Poland and Croatian Cities

The financial crisis and COVID-19 pandemic have affected the financial systems at various levels of government. The cities in Poland and Croatia have been no exemption. In turbulent times, they have been faced with the need to reorient their budgets to remain resilient and solvent. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to investigate the financial resilience profiles of large cities in Poland and Croatia from 2010 to 2020 and to identify the factors differentiating the identified resilience patterns. To obtain empirical results, a two-stage research procedure was employed. In the first stage, group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM) was applied, while a panel data regression was employed in the second. Our research has revealed different patterns of financial resilience among the cities in Poland and Croatia; moreover, the scope of fiscal resilience of local government units (LGUs) differed over time, which made it possible to distinguish four groups of cities in every country characterized by similar resilience trajectories over time. The common predictors of fiscal resilience in both countries are the percentage of the operating surplus in total income, total income per capita and capital expenditure per capita, although the strength of its impact varies from group to group identified by GBTM. Our research has shown that the source of differences in LGUs’ financial resilience is not as much the nature and intensity of the disturbances experienced as the internal financial capacity.

The Role of Large Cities in the Development of Low-Carbon Economy—The Example of Poland

The main objective of the article is to evaluate the investment activity of large cities in Poland in the area of developing a low-carbon economy in 2014–2020, co-financed by European Union funds. This article poses several research questions, namely: Do large cities with environmental problems actively obtain EU funding to develop a low-carbon economy? What are the main socio-economic and environmental determinants of the level of the EU funding absorption among large cities in the research area? The empirical research was conducted on the basis of the data from the Ministry of Investment and Economic Development in Poland, which is responsible for the implementation of cohesion policy funds and from the Local Data Bank of Statistics Poland. Under the 2014–2020 perspective, 223 such projects have been implemented for a total of PLN 21 billion (EUR 4.74 billion). The projects focused on: transportation, electricity, gaseous fuels, steam, hot water and air for air conditioning systems, and environmental and climate change activities. In terms of both the number and the value of EU funds spent, great variation has been observed. Analysis of the correlation relationships showed a highly positive correlation between selected indicators of investment activity in the field of low-carbon economy co-financed by EU funds (especially taking into account the value of investments per area) and socio-economic indicators of Polish metropolises. Metropolises with high demographic, economic, and financial potential have proven to be more effective beneficiaries. Interestingly, no correlation was found between investment activity in the low-carbon economy and the level of environment pollution in large cities. This means that, unfortunately, pro-environmental activities depend on the state of finances of the cities, and not necessarily on the actual needs, even taking into account the fact that the EU covers a large proportion of the costs.

Energy Savings Analysis for Operation of Steam Cushion System for Sensible Thermal Energy Storages

The paper presents an analytical discussion of how to improve the energy efficiency of the steam cushion system operation for a Thermal Energy Storage (TES) tank. The EU’s green deal 2050 target policy requires an increase in the energy efficiency of energy production and use, as well as an increase in the share of renewable energy in the overall energy production balance. The use of energy-efficient TES is considered as one of the most important technologies to achieve the objectives of this EU policy. The analyses presented in the paper of energy-efficient operation of steam cushion (SC) systems were carried out by using operational data received from three District Heating Systems (DHSs) that supply heat and electricity to one of the largest cities in Poland and are equipped with the TES systems. These three analyzed TESs differ in capacities from 12,800 to 30,400 m3, tank diameters from 21 to 30 m and shell height from 37 to 48.2 m. The main purpose of using a steam cushion system in the TES tank is to protect the water stored in it against the absorption of oxygen from the surrounding atmospheric air through the surge chamber and safety valves located on the roof of the tank. The technical solutions presented here for the upper orifice for charging and discharging hot water into/from the tank and the suction pipe for circulating water allow to us achieve significant energy savings in the steam cushion systems. Both the upper orifice and the end of suction pipe are movable through the use of pontoons. Thanks to the use of this technical solution, a stable insulating water layer is created above the upper orifice in the upper part of the TES tank, where convective and turbulent transport of heat from the steam cushion space to the hot water stored in the tank is significantly limited. Ultimately, this reduces the heat flux by approximately 90% when compared to the classic technical solutions of steam cushion systems in TES tanks, i.e., for the upper orifice and circulation water pipe. The simplified analysis presented in the paper and comparison of its results with experimental data for heat flow from the steam cushion space to hot water stored in the upper part of the TES tank fully confirms the usefulness of the heat-flow models used.