Polish Cities Research Articles

Sustainable Development of Water Housing Using the Example of Poland: An Analysis of Scenarios

At the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, Polish cities began the process of returning to live by water. There is a growing interest in water reservoirs not only as places for recreation, but also as new areas suitable for living, at the very center of the city. Unfortunately, due to the lack of appropriate legal regulations, the dynamic development of floating homes (FHs) is starting to raise increasing concerns in Poland. Regardless of the potential direction of development in water construction in Poland (growth, stabilization, or regression), the question arises of “how to make the potential vision of the future of water construction in Poland consistent with the idea of sustainable development (SD)”. In order to try to answer this question, the authors of this publication indicate the future limitations of formulating a strategy for the development of houses on water in Poland, according to different domains of SD. These domains are the economic, socio-cultural, and environmental spheres. Using the states of surrounding scenarios method (SSSs for short), we developed future scenarios for FHs (an optimistic scenario, a pessimistic scenario, a surprise scenario, and the most probable scenario). Then, using five inferential methods, we defined the constraints that should be taken into account when strategizing for water construction in accordance with the values of SD.

Climate change adaptation policy and practice: Case study of the major cities in Poland

The paper critically evaluates the urban climate change adaptation policy and practise in Central Europe using Polish cities as an example. The study focused on local policy documents and a scoring system was elaborated and applied for their analysis with particular attention to ‘green’ adaptation concepts. The link between the time of adoption and the scores received by cities' Strategies and Programmes for Environmental Protection demonstrates innovation flow from science into urban policy. We revealed that many of the proposed measures in Urban Adaptation Plans represent rather mitigation than adaptation implying substantial knowledge gaps in differentiating between them. A portfolio of projects implemented in 2014–2020 within EU funding programmes and Participatory budget was compiled with further classification into ‘green’, ‘grey’, or ‘soft’. More than 80 % of the selected projects in each of the cities were classified as ‘green’, but only one studied city demonstrated an upward trend in the number and cumulative budget of the adaptation projects. The examined Polish cities, similarly to other Central and Eastern European ones, experiencing fast economic growth have featured a profound contraction of green areas over the last decades. Partially it might be compensated by local environmental programmes that promote application of nature-based solutions.

Warning: Some transaction prices can be detrimental to your house price index

There is a broad consensus in international statistical organizations such as Eurostat and the International Monetary Fund that house price indices (HPIs) should be constructed using transaction data. We show here how transaction data for new‐built properties can undermine the timeliness of hedonic HPIs when new‐built properties are pre‐sold during the planning or building stage, but entered into deed books only once the projects are completed. As a consequence, HPIs for new‐builds will include stale transaction prices. We investigate this issue for two Polish cities (Warsaw and Poznan) and find that HPIs for existing properties lead indices for new‐builds by up to 2 years. This lag can dramatically distort National HPIs. The lag also has implications for the flagship measure of inflation in Europe—the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP)—since it is planned to include owner‐occupied housing in the HICP using a transactions HPI specifically for new‐builds. We show that the timeliness issue disappears when preliminary agreements on new‐builds are used instead of transactions in the compilation of an HPI.

Analysis of stakeholder roles in balancing freight transport in the city logistics ecosystem

The current guidelines for urban freight transport are determined by sustainability objectives. Therefore, local authorities face the challenge of making urban freight transport sustainable. To do so, it is necessary to involve the various stakeholder groups of the city logistics ecosystem in ongoing sustainability efforts. This problem formed the basis for our formulated objective of this article, which is to analyse the roles of stakeholders in freight transport sustainability in the city logistics ecosystem. For the purpose of the objective thus formulated, in the article, we identified the roles of stakeholders in balancing freight transport. In addition, we have identified the freight transport balancing tasks in the city logistics ecosystem in which the stakeholders assigned to each identified role should be involved. The methodology we adopted for identifying stakeholder roles and assigning them to tasks in the city logistics ecosystem is universal. In the stakeholder analysis, we used expert research, where we first identified 16 stakeholder roles adopted in balancing freight transport in the city logistics ecosystem. We assigned these roles to the eight identified tasks in the city logistics ecosystem. To verify the adopted methodology, we conducted research in Polish cities. As part of them, we identified a group of 20 stakeholders (out of 30 considered) who perform 10 out of 16 roles (six roles were not identified in Polish cities). It is unfortunate that for Polish cities we did not identify any stakeholders performing the role of freight transport balancing leader. The recommendation for Polish city authorities is to include the 20 identified stakeholder groups in the individual identified freight balancing tasks in the city logistics ecosystem.

How to recognize the threat of social energy exclusion? Demographic and settlement determinants of distributed energy development in Polish towns and cities

Poland is one of the fastest depopulating and aging countries in the world and has a dispersing settlement pattern. This problem is also increasingly affecting cities. As a result of these processes, the problem of providing energy for households, including for the purpose of heating apartments and houses, will increase. Against this background, the main purpose of the article is to propose a method for early identification of areas with potential energy poverty risks. This consists of identifying the sources of energy generation in 954 Polish towns and cities against the background of demographic changes, identifying the types of cities and communes with different risks in the future and, consequently, assessing the importance of social energy exclusion. The study used detailed data for cities and communes: demographic forecast 2021–2030, data on heating sources, database of address points of residential buildings. This made it possible to develop a typology of cities and assess the scale of the threat of poverty and energy exclusion in the future in the context of social development, as well as to identify places in Poland that require stronger action by the state and local governments to improve the quality of life. These are mainly peripheral areas in each of the 16 provinces, located far from the regional capitals, including in the central, northern and eastern parts of the country.

The Use of Nature-Based Solutions in the Adaptation of Large Polish Cities to Climate Change and Energy Transformation: A Comparative Analysis

Cities have always been places that generate problems, but also places where solutions are born. In recent years, cities have become a testing ground for finding and testing solutions to overcome the climate crisis. The subject of the paper is Nature-based Solutions (NbSs) that strengthen the resilience to climate change, influence urban spaces, and improve the quality of life of residents. The study focusses on the identification of NbSs, the diagnosis of its participation in local adaptation activities, and a comparative analysis of the activities planned and implemented in 44 large Polish cities in 2017–2023. The authors analyse data from 44 Polish cities, based on the types of NbSs implemented in European cities that carried out the URBAN GreenUP project. The results of the study show that Polish cities, while introducing sustainable urban lifestyles through NbSs, do not take advantage of all the opportunities inherent in these solutions. They focus on greening urban spaces and implement water interventions and singular green infrastructure measures to a lesser extent. There is negligible use of innovative and energy-using activities. The quantitative data obtained can be used to identify the gaps and potentials in the use of nature-based solutions in the adaptation of Polish cities to climate change and energy transformation. The aim of this work is also to identify recommendations to incorporate NbSs into urban adaptation policies in Poland. The authors conclude that the research conducted can serve to improve the knowledge on the links between NbS planning in adaptation activities and their implementation in urban spaces. An awareness of NbS gaps can influence the intensification of research on the implementation of innovative adaptation solutions, including energy-based solutions. The results obtained can also contribute to a better organisation of urban policies that aim to increase the resilience of cities to climate change.

Is the future sustainable? Analysis of Generation Z’s social awareness of sustainable development in Poland

Abstract Nowadays, the pace of social and economic development is constantly growing, which has led to many negative effects. In order to stop this negative impact, reference should be made to the assumptions of sustainable development (SD), and young people – Generation Z – should be considered its main promoters. The main objective of this article is to present Generation Z’s perception of sustainable development in Poland. A Computer-assisted web interviewing survey (CAWI, N=1172) was conducted to understand the basic demographics, general issues, SD in a daily context, and SD-related knowledge in 936 cities of Poland. The results have shown that Generation Z in Poland recognises the social and inclusive role of SD. Cost of commodities, social disparities and conflict, and disrupted economic growth were identified as the emerging challenges for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Polish cities.

The Imagined City: The Great Flood of 1997 as a Foundation Story of Wrocław

Wrocław started its existence on the ruins of German Breslau, several dozen years ago, as a result of the Potsdam Conference. The article is a voice in the discussion about the situation of the city, which, deprived of the possibility to draw on its foreign cultural heritage (the existence of which was ignored in official studies), still struggles with the problem of defining its identity. I present this issue based on actions taken by elites since Wrocław’s establishment as a Polish city. These elites have been creating successive narrative “identity projects” for Wrocław’s citizens. The main thread of my analysis is the city’s foundation story, built in relation to the flood that Wrocław experienced in 1997. According to this story, the fight against the water flooding the city became a watershed moment in the city’s history; it was a shock, thanks to which the citizens of Wrocław finally became conscious citizens, felt an emotional bond with their city, and took responsibility for the testimonies of its pre-war, non-Polish past. All this happened several decades after creating Wrocław in 1945 and promoting, for decades, its unquestionable Polishness. I confront this foundation story with the image of this flood that emerges from the statements of ordinary residents of the city. The flood of 1997, as seen by ordinary citizens of Wrocław, is built from memories of the mundane but acute impediments of everyday life, neighbourly support, and post-flood waste.

Cultural And Social Implications of Revitalization Determined by the Potential of The Creative Environment. An Example of the Rakow - Czestochowa District

One of the contemporary trends in the development of Polish cities is revitalization leading to improved functionality, aesthetics and improved quality of life for residents. An example of a district where revitalization activities are currently undertaken is Rakw in Czstochowa. After the political changes of the 20th century, this working-class district fell into social degradation, opening up a space for unemployment, poverty and pathologies. Activities related to the restoration of functional, aesthetic, architectural and, above all, socio-cultural order became a chance for its reconstruction. The article presents revitalization activities carried out in this area in terms of the concept of a creative environment, as well as the conditions affecting their effectiveness. The article is of a review nature. The basis of the research was a library and internet query, as well as a critical analysis of the literature, used as part of the desk research method. The author also refers to the results of conversations with the inhabitants of the district and people involved in revitalization. The results of this study may be useful in initiating and carrying out any revitalization activities in post-industrial areas of other Polish cities.

APPLICATION OF GENETIC ALGORITHMS TO THE TRAVELING SALESMAN PROBLEM

The purpose of this paper was to investigate in practice the possibility of using evolutionary algorithms to solve the traveling salesman problem on a real example. The goal was achieved by developing an original implementation of the evolutionary algorithm in Python, and by preparing an example of the traveling salesman problem in the form of a directed graph representing polish voivodship cities. As part of the work an application in Python was written. It provides a user interface which allows setting selected parameters of the evolutionary algorithm and solving the prepared problem. The results are presented in both text and graphical form. The correctness of the evolutionary algorithm's operation and the implementation was confirmed by performed tests. A large number of tested solutions (2500) and the analysis of the obtained results allowed for a conclusion that an optimal (relatively suboptimal) solution had been found.

FEATURES OF THE HARMONIZATION OF VOLUME-SPATIAL ARCHITECTURE OF MODERN HOUSING IN THE HISTORICAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE POLISH CITY OF GDANSK

The Polish city of Gdansk is a rather interesting and special European city in terms of architectural features of the city's historical development. And after the Second World War, Polish architects did a great job of restoring the city, preserving the historical architectural heritage and harmonizing modern architecture in the historical context. This scientific study analyzes the peculiarities of the reconstruction of the historical districts of the city, the implementation of international charters, the peculiarities of the historical architecture of the Polish city, and defines the main architectural styles that are widespread in the historical districts of the city. Three architectural objects from historical periods are analyzed: Renaissance (the Kamienica Czirenbergów-Frederów building, Baroque (the building at Długi Targ Street 20), Classicism (the building at Mariacka Street 14). The features that combine the architecture are analyzed all three styles, in this way we determine the features of the historical architecture of the city. The peculiarities of the harmonization of the facade architecture of modern housing in the historical buildings of the city of Gdańsk are determined. According to our own methodology, we determine the principles that are most suitable for harmonizing the modern with the historical during design. An analysis of the built object on Szeroka Street (architect A. Taraszkiewicz) of modern housing in the historical context is carried out, according to the criteria developed according to the scheme, such as shape, color scheme, size, balance, facade fabric, proportions of window and door openings and materials used in construction. As a result of the analysis according to the criteria, the principles of harmonization, according to which the architecture was formed, are determined. It discusses the challenges faced in designing and building in the historic district and how the city government, the public, the client and the architects consolidated their efforts to solve the complex issues.

Satellite observations showed a negligible reduction in NO2 pollution due to COVID-19 lockdown over Poland

The tropospheric NO2 column from Sentinel-5P/TROPOMI (2018–2020) and Aura/OMI (2010–2020) over Poland, notably for 7 major Polish cities, was used to assess the annual variability and the COVID-19 lockdown effect. On a national scale, during lockdown (March–June 2020), strong sources of pollution were found in Katowice and Warszawa, as well as at the power plant in Bełchatów. A gradual drop in OMI NO2 values between March and June was found for all cities and the entire domain of Poland, this being a part of the annual NO2 cycle derived for every year from 2010 to 2020. In fact, the gradual drop of NO2 in the lockdown year was within the typical monthly and annual variability. In March 2020, Kraków showed the highest NO2 reduction rate. A reduction of NO2 was observed in Gdańsk, Wrocław, and Warszawa during every month of the lock-down period. Several factors, including wind speed and direction, temperature, and increased emission sources, can limit the dispersion and removal of NO2. Although meteorological conditions have a significant impact on the annual cycle of NO2 in Poland, it is important to note that anthropogenic emissions remain the primary driver of NO2 concentrations. Therefore, the study concludes that the effect of COVID-19 restrictions on NO2 pollution was negligible and clarifies the current understanding of the COVID-19 effect over Poland, with an emphasis on hotspots in the major Polish cities and their vicinity. This is consistent with our understanding that the reduction of NO2 pollution is seen in cities due to reduced traffic (domestic, municipal, and airborne).

Heritage in Diaspora-Forming Processes: Encounters of Local Ukrainians and Migrants from Ukraine in Poland

This article offers a reflection on heritage in the context of diaspora-forming processes examined from an anthropological perspective. Ethnographic fieldwork has been conducted since 2021 in the Ukrainian communities in two Polish cities, where the encounters of autochthonous Ukrainians (Ukrainian national minority members) and migrants from Ukraine have been traced yet before the recent arrivals of war refugees. Basing on the individual in-depth interviews with different Ukrainian communities’ leaders and activists, and on long-lasting participatory observation, the authors argue that for the autochthonous Ukrainians, the heritage has been a set of practices, non-reducible to tangible and intangible legacy. Therefore, they propose broadening of the meaning of heritage in migration studies towards a set of diasporic practices such as diasporic lifestyles, practices of positioning, and lived diasporic experiences stimulated by encounters with migrants. This approach allows going beyond common-sensical statement of alleged “old diaspora” conservativeness or “immersion in history” comparing with migrants’ different stances and practices. The next step is to propose considering heritage one of the diaspora-forming processes. Such a perspective localizes diaspora in the sphere of social beliefs, imaginings, and cultural practices. To mobilize people as a diaspora, they need to be shared and treated as common, but some of them mobilize only partially, i.e., particular communities, while being contested by others. The authors show that going below the superficial agreement on “common identity” among “the same” people, i.e., co-ethnics, may reveal deep processes of othering and bonding in forming a diaspora that would be hidden otherwise.

Smartphone, startup, laboratory - What ambitions and visions do local government officials express by their smart city stories? Case study of Polish cities

The article is based on empirical research and presents a typology of five narratives in which the ‘smart city’ label is showed as metaphors: “smartphone”, “startup”, “laboratory”, “organism” and “agora”. The research covers the examples of three Polish cities: Gdansk, Warsaw and Wroclaw. We checked how this concept is explained and narrowed down to the framework of the city's strategy and legitimized by city makers. Each of the stories expounds the vision of the city, ways of achieving goals and the approach to residents as users. That might give weight to the nuanced idea and translate into the real urban policy.The conclusions of the study suggest that the smart city concept does not fundamentally change urban policies, but is rather inscribed in the adopted directions and vision, e.g. the city which was wanted to be perceived as academic, identifies “smart” with cooperation with the science sector etc. The results also show that smaller cities that use new technologies more modestly must look for other ways to refer to smart cities for strategic purposes.The empirical basis was the implementation of individual in-depth interviews with city officials, which was supplemented by an analysis of planning, strategic and reporting documents.

Roles of Advisory Councils in Urban Governance

Urban governance (UG) is a place-based network of cooperation between public and non-public actors where public authorities play a strategic role in deciding on city matters. A number of UG actors include advisory councils (ACs), characterized by a long tradition, universality, stability and objectives related to urban affairs. The article aims to identify AC roles in UG. In addition, the author hypothesizes a correlation between the number of official (statutory) and informal (not legally regulated) roles and differences between ACs in terms of the roles they play. The hypotheses were verified in qualitative research. 57 semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of the youth councils, senior citizen councils, sport councils, and councils for residents with disabilities in 16 Polish cities. The interview transcripts were uploaded to QDA Miner for encoding and analysis. It was found that all ACs, regardless of their official roles, play informal roles, and all these roles are related to UG. There is no correlation between the number of official and informal roles, which would make ACs very similar unless the mandatory character of the roles played by the council for residents with disabilities, which differs this AC from the other. The results of the study lead the author to recommend revisions to AC regulations in order to increase their participation in the UG.

Creating Cultural Heritage for a Better Future. The case of the “District of Mutual Respect” in the Polish city of Wrocław

ABSTRACT By applying the sociological concept of ‘emplacement’, this article analyses the creation of the ‘District of Mutual Respect’ in the old, neglected part of Wrocław (former German Breslau), a city which became Polish and lost its German population due to their forced migration after the Second World War. The District has in the last 20 years been transformed from slum to attractive environment and an important symbol of Wrocław’s new identity and image. The District showcases the local authorities’ new politics of cultural heritage and memory that emphasises intercultural dialogue and multiculturalism after decades of nationalist memory narratives and suppression of the German heritage. The authors outline a ‘biography’ of the District and analyse its functions. Furthermore, they apply Knudsen’s and Kølvraa’s concepts of repression, removal, reframing and re-emergence to evaluate to what extent that the District can be seen as a largely successful example of creating cultural heritage for a more cosmopolitan, inclusive future.

Farming under Urban Pressure: Business Models and Success Factors of Peri-Urban Farms

This study aims to identify the success factors and main barriers and threats to developing peri-urban farms implementing various business models. For that purpose, a survey was conducted among a group of Polish farms located in the areas surrounding the largest Polish cities. Farms achieving economic success and implementing different business models were selected. The analyses were based on the concept of the business model developed by Osterwalder. The research shows that in recent years (due to the COVID-19 pandemic, among other things), there has been a considerable convergence in employed business solutions. The convergence process is particularly evident in the customer side of business models, i.e., customer relationships and channels. According to the respondents, the success of peri-urban farms is determined mainly by three groups of factors: (1) motivation, diligence, and creativity, (2) the high quality of products and services, and (3) the cultivation of deep bonds with customers. Thus, success comes from within the enterprise (relational capital), but the customer (service-dominant logic) is central to business model development. Farm managers indicated relatively few problems and barriers in their farms’ development process. However, urban pressure (an external factor independent from farm managers) was considered the most important factor. The research enabled the presentation of the best business solutions and formulation of a few recommendations for peri-urban farming development.

Carrots Without Sticks: Cycling Policy of Mediumsized Polish Cities

Abstract Development of cycling infrastructure is becoming a global trend in urban policies. High congestion, mitigating smog and CO2 reduction have led to the re-birth of cycling as a significant mode of urban mobility. The article aims to present the response of medium-sized Polish cities (ranging from 100.000 to 200.000 residents) to these challenges, which are among the most important problems to solve within the next decades. The study analyses the cycling policy of Polish cities, showing the dynamic increase in kilometres of cycle paths constructed (often built alongside street renovation projects), as well as the boom in bike-sharing programmes. Shortcomings such as the lack of consistency in realisation and varied implementation in different cities and culturally ingrained preference for cars, related to historical experiences of post-communist cities, are also outlined. The Polish approach is the cautious policy of carrots without sticks, in which solutions facilitating bicycle travel are not followed up by deterrents against using cars. As a result, there are no political conflicts and opposition regarding this issue, but the numbers of cyclists (although increasing) is still lower than in the world’s leading bicycle cities.

Menachem Kaiser. Plunder: A Memoir of Family Property and Nazi Treasure

Menachem Kaiser. <i>Plunder: A Memoir of Family Property and Nazi Treasure</i>

The Role of Greenery in Stress Reduction among City Residents during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Cities, as places of social interactions and human relationships, face new challenges, problems, and threats, which are sources of stress for residents. An additional cause of stress in recent years has been the COVID-19 pandemic; it was urban dwellers who were most exposed to the virus and most affected by it. Chronic stress has led to the serious erosion of physical health and psychophysical well-being among urban dwellers, and so there is a need to seek new solutions in terms of building the resilience of cities and their residents to stress. This study aims to verify the hypothesis that greenery reduced the level of stress among urban dwellers during the pandemic. The verification of this hypothesis was achieved based on a literature analysis and the results of geo-questionnaire studies conducted involving 651 residents of Poznan-among the largest of Polish cities, where the share of green areas in the spatial structure is more than 30%. According to the analysis, the interviewees experienced above-average stress levels that went up during the pandemic, and the source was not so much the virus but the restrictions imposed. Green areas and outdoor activities helped in reducing this stress (being surrounded by and looking at greenery, garden work, or plant cultivation). Residents perceive a post-pandemic city as one that is more green, in which priority is given to unmanaged green areas. It has also been pointed out that a response to the reported need for urban re-construction towards stress resilience may be a biophilic city.