Urban Areas In Poland Research Articles

Dieback of small‐leaved lime trees (Tilia cordata Mill.) caused by Gibsiella quercinecans in urban areas in Poland

AbstractIn the summer of 2023, small‐leaved lime trees (Tilia cordata) in the capital city of Warsaw were found to be dying along transport routes. The stem fragments collected for analysis showed the presence of necrosis near larval galleries caused by Agrilus viridis (L.). After a detailed microbiological analysis of both the tissues taken directly from the necroses and from the larval galleries, the presence of five different bacteria was confirmed, including Gibsiella quercinecans, which is responsible for the phenomenon of oak stand dieback known as Acute Oak Dieback. The pathogenicity tests carried out confirmed that this bacterium is also capable of causing necrosis on lime trees. The fact that this bacterium was found in the larval galleries of the polyphagous A. viridis could also indicate that it was vectored into the lime tree from other species, for example, oaks. The results obtained are the first report on the occurrence of G. quercinecans on lime trees in Poland.

Social and geographical distribution of mobility-related greenhouse gas emissions in Poznań and Tri-city functional urban areas

Mobility is an important source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and a major contributor to human-induced climate change. Much of these emissions result from urban residents’ travel within urban areas (i.e. short-distance travel [SDT]) and away from them (i.e. long-distance travel [LDT]). In this study, we focus on the distribution of mobility-related GHG emissions in two functional urban areas in Poland: Poznań and the Tri-city. Using data from a representative survey (N ~2000 in each area), we investigate the emission distribution and associations between emission levels and the socio-economic characteristics and residential locations of study participants. Emission levels are unequally distributed: the top 10% of emitters contribute >50% of SDT and LDT emissions. People with high education and income levels tend to travel and emit more within and away from the cities. People of retirement age travel and emit much less than the younger people. SDT emission levels are clustered spatially and increase with the increasing distance from the main city centres and decreasing density. LDT emissions have only very weak or no association with residential location.

Soil sealing changes in selected functional urban areas in Poland in 2012–2018

Soil sealing is a threat to soil and its ecosystem services. One of the main drivers of soil sealing is land degradation resulting from the expansion of urban areas, where it leads to such problems as the growing risk of flooding and local inundations, urban heat islands, or water shortages. The article focuses on analyses and quantification of the general degree of soil sealing in 2012–2018 in eight functional urban areas (FUA) in Poland, taking into account their division into the urban core (UC) and the commuting zone (CZ). We used the high resolution layer imperviousness density (HRL IMD) data to quantify soil sealing as well as data on land cover and land use with different spatial resolutions, i.e. from the European Urban Atlas project (UA) and the National Database of Topographic Objects (BDOT10k) to quantify artificial surfaces. The research determined the spatial differentiation of UCs and CZs in terms of the degree of soil sealing. We further observed higher average growth of sealed land in CZs. Quantitative and spatial analyses determined the spatial patterns of soil sealing in the FUA in Poland. Soil sealing intensified from 2012 to 2018. The process should be expected to continue in the coming years in light of the continuous transformation of vegetated areas into artificial ones. The conclusions should be considered valuable for the implementation of the spatial policy concerning sustainable land use and soil protection in suburban areas.

Rainwater management in urban areas in Poland and Hungary

The issue of rainwater in urban areas has become more topical due to climate change. In many countries around the world, actions are being taken to minimise the negative consequences of extreme weather phenomena, including short-term, heavy precipitation. The work focuses on the analysis and evaluation of activities related to rainwater management in urban areas in Poland and Hungary.The analysis covers environmental, socio-economic and legal conditions, as well as selected technical solutions related to rainwater management. National- and local-authority measures relating to urban rainwater are discussed and assessed. Legislative solutions in the field of research issues are indicated and compared. The analysis shows differences in approach to elements of rainwater management between the two countries. Attention is given to positive changes in the approaches that national and local authorities and the public take to rainwater. It is indicated that the main barriers to a comprehensive sustainable rainwater management solution in urban areas in Hungary and Poland are financial.

Rainwater management in urban areas in Poland: literature review

The work analyses and evaluates the results of research work carried out so far in the field of rainwater management in urban areas in Poland. Using the "biblioshiny" tool, a bibliometric analysis was carried out based on queries to the Scopus and Web of Science databases. As a result, information was obtained on selected bibliometric statistics of scientific publications in which the topic of rainwater in Poland was taken up. The probable direction of further research development in the field of the analysed issues was also determined. In addition, after a detailed review of all the articles obtained at the earlier stage of the bibliometric analysis, the main research contexts were indicated and discussed. Areas and issues requiring further analysis and supplementation were indicated in the work.

Comparison of the prevalence of risk factors for Toxoplasma Gondii infection among pregnant women in rural and urban areas in Poland.

Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite. While this infection typically exhibits no symptoms in humans, it poses a potential threat to the developing fetus in pregnant women. Several risk factors contribute to toxoplasmosis infection. Adherence to hygiene protocols and avoiding the consumption of raw meat, unwashed vegetables, and fruits may mitigate the risk of this disease. This study aimed to compare the prevalence of toxoplasmosis risk factors among pregnant women suspected of toxoplasmosis living in rural areas with those residing in urban areas. A retrospective observational study was conducted by analyzing data from the medical records of pregnant women suspected of toxoplasmosis. These women were consulted at the Provincial Infectious Diseases Hospital between September 2019 and March 2020. The analysis encompassed patients' demographic data and information concerning toxoplasmosis risk factors. A total of 273 women's data were included in the analysis. Diagnosis relied on serological verification using the VIDAS® analyzer (bioMérieux, Lyon, France). Women residing in rural areas were less likely to report a good socio-economic status (p=0.0064), and toxoplasmosis infection was less frequently ruled out (p=0.0023). In comparison to women living in urban areas, pregnant women from rural regions were more likely to have confirmed primary toxoplasmosis (p=0.0164). Additionally, they were more prone to working in gardens without gloves (p<0.0001), consuming unwashed vegetables (p=0.0025), eating raw meat during pregnancy (p=0.0008), and cats caregiving during pregnancy (p=0.0002). This exposure included both care for domestic cats before and during pregnancy (p=0.0069) and interactions with wild cats (p<0.0001). Pregnant women living in rural areas exhibited significantly higher exposure to toxoplasmosis risk factors. They also displayed a higher incidence of primary infections during pregnancy and a lower rate of excluded infections.

What explains the differences in material deprivation between rural and urban areas in Poland before and during the COVID-19 pandemic?

We examined the relationships between the compositional changes in demographic and socioeconomic factors and the changes in the prevalence of material deprivation in rural and urban areas in Poland. Using the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) data for 2019–2020, we applied the Fairlie decomposition approach for a logit model. We found that the important characteristics affecting a gap in material deprivation between rural and urban areas are: equivalized income, the level of education, the type of household, and the presence of disabled or unemployed people in the household. A non-significant effect of the pandemic on the material deprivation gap between rural and urban areas was observed.

Managing Health Concerns Related to Post-Industrial Sites Redevelopment: A Warsaw, Poland Case Study.

An important issue in the redevelopment of post-industrial sites, e.g., into housing, is the resolution of contaminated land issues, including health risks and environmental protection. The purpose of this article is to examine awareness of this aspect from the perspective of city or such site residents, using Warsaw as an example. Using a survey-style form data collection technique, a total of 55 fully completed survey questionnaires were collected and analysed using cross-tabulation. Furthermore, a desk research methodology was used to study the availability of sources on industrial areas and their transformation from the perspective of different stakeholder groups involved in the development of such areas in Poland. Similarly, information management was assessed from the viewpoint of information communities participating or being affected by redevelopment processes. The survey results evidenced that respondents are aware that post-industrial sites may be contaminated, but do not associate the possibility of potential health risks when residing on or near such sites. The analysis of the management of information on the reurbanisation of post-industrial sites in urban areas in Poland, including the availability of data on location and contamination, revealed a problematic data flow between central and local level authorities and mootable consistency of legal acts. Public awareness of negative phenomena, such as contamination and the consequent health risks associated with dwelling in such sites, can positively influence, as an input to monitoring and enforcement, the actions taken by other stakeholders in the clean-up processes of contaminated sites and force improvements in the management of such information. The flow of information, the activities forming the information function, and the decision-making process can be improved by technologies, such as spatial information systems and their infrastructures, by facilitating the integration of data from multiple sources and consequently enabling the analysis to be extended to include further relevant data.

Rural E-Customers’ Preferences for Last Mile Delivery and Products Purchased via the Internet before and after the COVID-19 Pandemic

The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural e-customers’ preferences in terms of last mile delivery and products purchased via the Internet. This paper is based on the theory of last mile delivery (with a strong focus on the methods of delivery) and customers’ preferences. It combines both theories to fulfil the paper’s goal. In the paper, the literature review and multivariate data analysis of rural e-customers in Poland were used. The hypothesis states that there is a requirement for different last mile delivery solutions in rural areas than in urban areas in Poland. The research was carried out on a sample of 1071 adult Poles, who are residents of rural areas, using the standardized and structured computer-assisted interview (CAWI). The authors used the chi-square independence test, the Student t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), regression models, and logistic models. The research shows that more than 60% of respondents living in rural areas order goods purchased online with a home delivery method and that online shopping preferences’ changes are not so significant after the occurrence of COVID-19. Both before and after the pandemic, rural e-customers made online purchases most often 2–3 times a month. Nevertheless, some differences in the preferences of rural e-customers in terms of last mile delivery and purchasing preference can be seen considering their age, gender, or family size. The survey found that smaller families were more likely to choose free home delivery with a free return after the pandemic. The research presented in this paper provides essential information for courier companies, stores, and online platforms alike. Knowledge of preferences and their changes after the occurrence of COVID-19 can support the reorganization of last mile delivery to meet the needs of e-customers and to adapt to the increasing demands for sustainable transportation.

Legislative opportunities and barriers in stormwater management in urban areas in Poland

At present, stormwater management is one of the key issues in urban policy. This is due to the increasing urbanisation, climate change, the growing threat of extreme (weather) events and the need to protect water resources. Legislation plays an essential role in the process of project planning and implementation. The recognition of opportunities and barriers contained in these regulations forms the basis for action by the central government, local authorities and investors. The article aims to analyse legal provisions, administrative decisions and factual circumstances that provide the foundation of administrative court rulings in Poland and regard the legal possibilities of rainwater management in urban areas. The adopted research method allows for/includes the author’s interpretation and formulation of de lege ferenda conclusions. The results of analyses of both European and national legislation and case law indicate that there is a problem with the interpretation of existing legislation and the lack of legal definitions of basic equipment and solutions in the field of water law, for instance. Such legal circumstances make it difficult to make the required legal decisions, and have a negative impact on the timing of implementation and number of these muchneeded projects.

Problems of Local Flooding in Functional Urban Areas in Poland

The research process of developing recommendations for rural communities directly adjacent to metropolitan cities in the field of local flooding protection, especially retention fee was preceded by: analysis of secondary data in 100 communities in three Functional Urban Areas (Metropolitan Areas, MA) in Poland: Poznań MA, Wrocław MA and Łódź MA (assessment of flooding and urbanization), analysis of primary data in 18 rural communities immediately adjacent to the metropolitan centers: semi-structured telephone interviews (stormwater fee from the stakeholder perspective) and survey research (local floodings from the citizen perspectives). To illustrate the scale of the flooding problem in MAs, flood risk maps were used along with data from the State Fire Service on local threats, and for assessing the scale of suburbanization data obtained from Statistics Poland. Although residents confirmed their readiness to co-finance the activities supporting the development of water retention, local authorities were hesitant to introduce additional charges for the residents. Therefore, a better solution would be to set the fees already at the national level. However, communities should be given more power with regards to the distribution of collected funds which, in turn, should be allocated directly to the local programs for the enhancement of retention capacity in the local catchments.

New insights into submicron particles impact on visibility.

The aim of the study was to analyze the impact of very fine atmospheric particles (submicron particulate matter; PM1) on visibility deterioration. Taking into consideration not only their entirely different physio-chemical properties in comparison to a well-recognized PM10 but also the origin and a growing environmental awareness of PM1, the main research problem has been solved in few steps. At first, the chemical composition of PM1 was determined in two selected urban areas in Poland. Measurements of meteorological parameters, i.e., air temperature and humidity, precipitation, atmospheric pressure, wind speed, and visibility, were also conducted. The next step of the work was the analysis of (1) seasonal changes of the concentration of PM1 and its main components, (2) the influence of chemical components of PM1 on light extinction, and (3) the influence of PM1 and humidity on visibility. Hierarchical cluster analysis, correlation matrixes and a heat map, and classification and regression tree analysis were used. The light extinction coefficient is influenced mainly by coarse mass of PM, and PM1-bound ammonium nitrate, organic matter, and by Rayleigh scattering. The less important in the light extinction coefficient shaping has PM1-bound ammonium sulfate, elemental carbon, and soil. In this way, the secondary origin PM1 components were proved to most significantly influence the visibility. The obtained results confirmed the possibility of the use of statistical agglomeration techniques to identify ranges of variation of visibility, including independent variables adopted to analyses (meteorological conditions, chemical composition of PM1, etc.).

Zróżnicowanie rozwoju miejskich obszarów funkcjonalnych ośrodków wojewódzkich w Polsce

More than half of the world’s population lives in cities. Also, in Poland, urbanisation processes are still progressing. Moreover, the impact of an urban zone itself does not end with administrative boundaries. There are a number of functional connections between a given urban centre and its surroundings. Thus, functional urban areas begin to play a more important role in development policy. In particular, this aspect has gained importance in the face of the introduction, in 2014, of new territorial instruments of the EU cohesion policy, such as Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI). The introduction of ITI was associated with formalising the operation of functional urban areas in Poland (FUA), mainly in the area of voivodeship centres. After a few years of their functioning, it is worth taking a closer look at their diversity. The aim of the study is, therefore, to determine the differentiation in the level of development of functional areas of voivodeship capital cities in Poland and their classification. The research was carried out with the use of the TOPSIS method on the basis of available, selected data from the Central Statistical Office. As a result of the research, FUAs were assigned to various classes of the level of socio-economic development and ranked in terms of the value of the synthetic indicator of socio-economic development that was constructed under the TOPSIS method. As a result of the study, it was found that, in general, studied units are characterised by rather small differentiation in the level of development; however, there are quite large discrepancies in the level of the synthetic indicator of socio-economic development between FUAs with the highest and the lowest value of this indicator.

Using Spatial Autocorrelation for identification of demographic patterns of Functional Urban Areas in Poland

Abstract Functional Urban Areas (FUAs) leads to a better knowledge of urban spatial organisation, which may play a significant role in regional policy making and may be helpful in understanding the connection between urbanisation and demographic development. An explanation of population change in urban regions can be associated the second demographic transition comprising fertility decline below replacement level and postponement of births. The aim of this paper is to focus on establishing similarity patterns and anomalous values of selected demographic variables in the cores and peripheral areas of Functional Urban Areas. At the background of this study lies an assumption that population development of FUA's is shaped by different factors connected with second demographic transition and migrations. To achieve the aims the following demographic characteristics were used: population growth rate, dependency ratio, rate of natural increase, the net migration rate, and the dynamic economic ageing index, Spatial methods play an increasingly important role in contemporary socio-demographic research. In order to identify spatial systems Global Moran Statistics and the Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA) including Local Moran statistics as well as Getis-Ord Gi* statistics were used. The research showed global and local autocorrelation of demographic processes in Functional Urban Areas in Poland, namely population growth, natural increase, net migration and population ageing. The use of local Moran's I statistic and the Getis-Ord Gi* method has led to identification of spatial clusters and dispersions representing different demographic variables. Spatial autocorrelation methods can be useful in an analysis of demographic variables including changes in time. The main contribution of this study to the research on demographic processes in urban areas was an application of spatial groupings techniques not only to find out similarity and dissimilarity patterns of demographic indicators but also to apply this findings for the needs of spatial planning.

Cargo tram in freight handling in urban areas in Poland

Trams are usually used to carry passengers, but across Europe there are some examples of using them for carrying freight (‘CarGoTram’ of Dresden, Germany and the ‘Cargo-Tram’ of Zurich, Switzerland). There are specific conditions that provide a possibility of using trams for cargo delivery in urban areas. They concern infrastructural, economic, and organisational issues. The main purpose of this article was to identify the conditions and determine the possibilities of implementing a cargo tram in urban areas in Poland. This article has shown that in individual urban transportation systems there are factors that facilitate or inhibit implementation of cargo trams in UFT, and implementation of a concrete solution should be adjusted to the local conditions so that the tram transport system is not disturbed in providing its basic function, i.e. serving the public passenger traffic. To achieve the assumed aim, the following research methods were used: literature review, documentary method, Delphi method, and case study. The area of research was the city of Szczecin, Poland.

Amplicon Sequencing of Variable 16S rRNA from Bacteria and ITS2 Regions from Fungi and Plants, Reveals Honeybee Susceptibility to Diseases Results from Their Forage Availability under Anthropogenic Landscapes.

European Apis mellifera and Asian Apis cerana honeybees are essential crop pollinators. Microbiome studies can provide complex information on health and fitness of these insects in relation to environmental changes, and plant availability. Amplicon sequencing of variable regions of the 16S rRNA from bacteria and the internally transcribed spacer (ITS) regions from fungi and plants allow identification of the metabiome. These methods provide a tool for monitoring otherwise uncultured microbes isolated from the gut of the honeybees. They also help monitor the composition of the gut fungi and, intriguingly, pollen collected by the insect. Here, we present data from amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA from bacteria and ITS2 regions from fungi and plants derived from honeybees collected at various time points from anthropogenic landscapes such as urban areas in Poland, UK, Spain, Greece, and Thailand. We have analysed microbial content of honeybee intestine as well as fungi and pollens. Furthermore, isolated DNA was used as the template for screening pathogens: Nosema apis, N. ceranae, N. bombi, tracheal mite (Acarapis woodi), any organism in the parasitic order Trypanosomatida, including Crithidia spp. (i.e., Crithidia mellificae), neogregarines including Mattesia and Apicystis spp. (i.e., Apicistis bombi). We conclude that differences between samples were mainly influenced by the bacteria, plant pollen and fungi, respectively. Moreover, honeybees feeding on a sugar based diet were more prone to fungal pathogens (Nosema ceranae) and neogregarines. In most samples Nosema sp. and neogregarines parasitized the host bee at the same time. A higher load of fungi, and bacteria groups such as Firmicutes (Lactobacillus); γ-proteobacteria, Neisseriaceae, and other unidentified bacteria was observed for Nosema ceranae and neogregarine infected honeybees. Healthy honeybees had a higher load of plant pollen, and bacteria groups such as: Orbales, Gilliamella, Snodgrassella, and Enterobacteriaceae. Finally, the period when honeybees switch to the winter generation (longer-lived forager honeybees) is the most sensitive to diet perturbations, and hence pathogen attack, for the whole beekeeping season. It is possible that evolutionary adaptation of bees fails to benefit them in the modern anthropomorphised environment.

Using Spatial Autocorrelation for identification of demographic patterns of Functional Urban Areas in Poland

Functional Urban Areas (FUAs) leads to a better knowledge of urban spatial organisation, which may play a significant role in regional policy making and may be helpful in understanding the connection between urbanisation and demographic development. An explanation of population change in urban regions can be associated the second demographic transition comprising fertility decline below replacement level and postponement of births. This paper deals with a typology of FUAs selected on the basis of methods of spatial autocorrelation. The aim of the article is to identify the spatial relationships occurring in Urban Functional Areas in Poland in terms of selected demographic variables using spatial autocorrelation methods. Spatial methods play an increasingly important role in contemporary socio-demographic research. In order to identify spatial systems Global Moran Statistics and the Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA) including Local Moran statistics as well as Getis-Ord Gi* statistics were used. The article finds that spatial autocorrelation methods (global and local Moran’s I statistic, and the Getis-Ord Gi* method) identified the global and local spatial relationships for existing functional urban areas representing different demographic variables. Spatial autocorrelation methods can be useful in an analysis of demographic variables including changes in time. It can be useful in analysis of spatial clusters of areas undergoing second demographic transition. This paper demonstrates areas that are characterized by similar or different values of the studied variables, which allows monitoring and spatial planning of the functional urban areas.

Transformation Directions of Brownfields: The Case of the Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolis

Brownfields are remnants of the functional and spatial transformations of urban areas in Poland. They are particularly abundant in old industrial districts, based on coal mining and metallurgy. The aim of this study is to identify the transformation directions and functional changes of brownfields in the former Upper Silesian Industrial Region in southern Poland, which has evolved into the Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolis (GZM) through the process of socio-economic transformation. The study makes use of the χ2 test of independence and Cramer’s V as a post-test, and the method of in-depth interviews. The results indicate that the most popular new functions of post-industrial sites are production and services. When we consider large brownfields such as, in particular, disused mine dumps, dumping sites, settling ponds and workings, the most popular new form of land use is green spaces. Moreover, the study shows that the size of brownfields impacts their new forms of land use.

National Level Land-Use Changes in Functional Urban Areas in Poland, Slovakia, and Czechia

Land-use and cover change (LUCC) impacts global environmental changes. Therefore, it is crucial to obtain cross-national level LUCC data that represents past and actual LUCC. As urban areas exhibit the most significant dynamics of the changes, accompanied by such processes as urban sprawl, it seems desirable to take into account LUCC information from such areas to acquire national level information. The paper analyses land-use changes (LUCs) in urban areas in Czechia, Poland, and Slovakia. The analysis is based on functional urban area (FUA) data from the European Urban Atlas project for 2006 and 2012. The area of urbanised land grew at the expense of agricultural areas, semi-natural areas, and wetlands over the investigated period in all three countries. The authors determined LUC direction models in urban areas based on the identified land-use change. The proposed LUC direction models for the investigated period and area should offer national level LUC data for such purposes as modelling of future changes or can be the point of reference for planning analyses. The paper proposes the following models: mean model, median model, weighted mean model where the weight is the urbanised to vegetated area ratio, and weighted mean model where the weight is the share of urbanised areas. According to the proposed LUC models, areas considered as urbanised grow in FUAs on average in six years by 5.5900‰ in Czechia, 7.5936‰ in Poland, and 4.0769‰ in Slovakia. Additionally, the change models facilitated determination of a LUC dynamics ratio in each country. It reached the highest values in Poland and the lowest in Slovakia.

Studium szacunku liczby i struktury pracujących oraz bazy ekonomicznej miast w Polsce

Celem artykułu jest oszacowanie liczby i struktury pracujących oraz bazy ekonomicznej miast w Polsce. Wynika to z niewystarczającej statystyki publicznej, w tym zwłaszcza braków na niższych poziomach agregacji (gmina), w grupie podmiotów poniżej 10 pracujących oraz lokalizacji części miejsc pracy według miejsca zamieszkania. Powoduje to duże utrudnienia w dokonywaniu najbardziej podstawowych badań i analiz, m.in. związanych z rozwojem społeczno-ekonomicznym miast. Dlatego też podjęto próbę opracowania algorytmu, umożliwiającego oszacowanie miejsc pracy w gminach na podstawie dostępnych danych w statystyce GUS. Dane te w niniejszym artykule zestawiono według miast i w podziale na 5 podstawowych grup sekcji PKD według stanu na 2016 rok. Następnie dokonano oszacowania nadwyżki pracujących w miastach, zgodnie z koncepcją bazy ekonomicznej i jej podziału na część endogeniczną i egzogeniczną. Badanie jest rozszerzeniem części projektu, wykonanego dla sześciu samorządów wojewódzkich w 2019 roku (Śleszyński i in., 2019a). Jakkolwiek zdawać sobie należy sprawę, że wyniki są szacunkowe, to jednak dane te są bardziej przybliżone do rzeczywistości od podawanych w statystyce publicznej. Dlatego jednym z celów jest możliwość szerokiego upowszechnienia algorytmu i wyników dla prowadzenia badań naukowych oraz potrzeb praktycznych, w tym przez instytucje samorządu terytorialnego i do artykułu załączony jest link do pobrania danych w arkuszu kalkulacyjnym.