Warsaw Metropolitan Area Research Articles

The use of digital tools in forest tourism and recreation - Experiences from Warsaw agglomeration in Poland

Tourism and recreation in forest areas around large urban agglomerations are becoming increasingly important and pose major management challenges in terms of sustainability, environmental impact and balancing the needs of visitors with conservation efforts. Digital tools are critical to the planning and management of suburban forests as they improve data collection, enable efficient resource allocation and enhance the visitor experience through better navigation and information dissemination. The aim of our work was to find out whether people visiting urban and suburban forests in Warsaw consciously plan their visits to forest areas, what ICT tools they use during and after a forest visit, and whether they share their experiences related to forest recreation on social media after the visit. The research focused on urban and suburban forests in the Warsaw metropolitan area, Poland. Data on visitors’ characteristics, recreation habits and digital skills were collected in an online panel survey in November 2023 (n = 1413). The results showed that respondents most frequently visited forest areas around Warsaw 2–3 times a month and several times a year. The vast majority of respondents planned their visits directly on the day of the trip (34.96 %) and used their own knowledge and experience when planning their trip to the forest. More than half of respondents (69 %) stated that they use various types of digital tools when visiting forest areas, most commonly smartphones with GPS functionality. Most respondents stated that they had advanced (43.38 %) or at least advanced (32.06 %) knowledge of using digital tools. 39.49 % of respondents stated that they do not use the internet to share information about their forest visits. The research results presented in the sentence indicate the complexity of using digital tools in the management of outdoor recreation and tourism. On the one hand, our research clearly shows that digital tools are an integral part of modern outdoor recreation and tourism management and provide valuable insights, on the other hand, most respondents planned their visits directly on the day of departure, relying mainly on their own knowledge and experience, rather than on digital tools. This knowledge can be used to develop forest management strategies, environmental education, monitoring tourist flows and promoting responsible recreation worldwide. Further research is needed to analyse the use of digital tools in digital forest recreation.

Changes in the Characteristics of Suburbanization in the Warsaw Metropolitan Area in the First Decades of the 21st Century

This paper presents the results of a study on the nature, pace, and directions of socio-economic and spatial changes in the Warsaw Metropolitan Area (WMA) related to the suburbanization processes taking place there. This paper’s contribution to research on suburbanization processes and the uniqueness of the research approach used are related to the dimensions of suburbanization analyzed and their integration while distinguishing types of municipalities, as well as an attempt to present the course and dynamics of changes in suburbanization in municipalities depending on their location, their development potential, and the time of appearance of suburbanization in their areas. In the course of our research, data on municipalities from the Local Data Bank were used, and that made it possible to trace the changes occurring in 2002–2021. The selection of analytical characteristics took into account a wide range of socio-economic diversities of the area related to changes in population, construction activity and housing stock, land use and spatial policy, and economic factors and those associated with investment attractiveness. The components of diversification were used to develop the typological classes of municipalities. The final result of this study is the identification of the specificity of suburbanization in the WMA which is reflected in the social, economic, and spatial aspects of the functioning of municipalities.

Typology of Localities in the Warsaw Metropolitan Area Resulting from the Spatial Development Structure

Urban sprawl in Poland has increased due to commune autonomy in spatial planning processes. Local authorities often implement planning measures based on their unit’s interests, overlooking long-term problems such as a lack of schools, kindergartens, commercial infrastructure, and traffic congestion. To address these issues, local governments should consider spatial planning and development projects alongside the development of necessary infrastructure. Many spatial planning methods delimit metropolitan areas based on existing built-up areas and urban corridors located along transport routes. This study analyzed the urban development of the Warsaw Metropolitan Area. Based on a study by the Office of Architecture and Spatial Planning of the Capital City of Warsaw, four urbanization zones of the WMA were delimited, focusing on the accessibility of infrastructure and the urban structure of settlements. At the same time, the population density of each village and each town was calculated, and the area of vacant land was counted. The study found 44 instances of locality types, grouped into four classes, representing peri-urban areas.

The first records of Pachyrhinus lethierryi (Desbrochers des Loges, 1875) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae) in Poland

Here we present the first Polish records of Pachyrhinus lethierryi (Desbrochers des Loges, 1875) from three locations in different parts of the country – Gorzów Wielkopolski (2020), Warsaw metropolitan area (2020, 2021, 2022) and Gdańsk (2022). This weevil species has most likely entered Poland in root balls of ornamental cypresses since their larvae feed on roots of these plants.

Mercury Contents in the Liver, Kidneys and Hair of Domestic Cats from the Warsaw Metropolitan Area

Mercury is a highly toxic element subject to bioaccumulation, increasing its harmful effects on living organisms over time. In the present study, total mercury contents were determined in the liver, kidneys and hair of cats from Warsaw and its suburban areas. The study took into account the influence of the age, sex and living conditions of the animals. Samples were obtained between 2014 and 2016, and mercury contents were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The average mercury concentrations in the tissues studied were 0.025, 0.026 and 0.030 mg∙kg−1 in the hair, kidneys and livers of the individuals tested, respectively. Higher values were recorded in animals from the city area, and an increase in this metal with the age of the cats was also found. The average contents of mercury in the tissues studied were within the range of the recommended reference values, which in this case indicates low environmental exposure of animals to mercury.

Shopping centres in the Warsaw Metropolitan Area

The aim of the paper is a characterisation of shopping centres in the Warsaw Metropolitan Area. Types, distribution, and functions of the centres have been analysed. Next, the results of surveys conducted among residents of the capital city and concerning purposes and frequency of visits to the centres are presented. The Warsaw Metropolitan Area (WMA) has been chosen for the study because it is the area with the greatest saturation with shopping centres in Poland. <b>Nákupní centra v metropolitní oblasti Varšava</b> Příspěvek se věnuje charakteristice nákupních center ve Varšavě. Analyzovány jsou typy, distribuce a funkce jednotlivých center. Prezentovány jsou výsledky průzkumů mezi obyvateli hlavního města se zaměřením na smysl a frekvenci návštěvnosti center. Metropolitní oblast Varšava (WMA) byla vybrána z důvodu největší saturace nákupních středisek v Polsku.

Entrepreneurship and ethnic economy employment among Chinese and Vietnamese residents of Warsaw

ABSTRACTImmigrant‐run businesses are playing an increasingly important role in the Polish economy. This paper focuses on the patterns of entrepreneurship and ethnic economy employment among Chinese and Vietnamese immigrants residing in the Warsaw metropolitan area (WMA). It uses microdata from a survey of Vietnamese and Chinese residents of the WMA and employs logistic regression analysis in order to assess the factors that affect the odds of entrepreneurship and ethnic economy employment among them. Subsequently, the paper analyses the impact of entrepreneurship and ethnic economy employment on the earnings of Vietnamese and Chinese citizens living in the WMA. Empirical analysis demonstrates that Vietnamese and Chinese immigrants are not pushed to become entrepreneurs by an opportunity structure that blocks alternative options and enjoy significantly higher incomes than native‐born Polish citizens. The ethnic economy becomes a temporary adjustment mechanism for newly arrived migrants but is not lucrative for longer‐term residents of these two origins.

Spatial dispersion and the concentration of buildings in an urban agglomeration – a typology proposal for the Warsaw Metropolitan Area

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the state of dispersion and concentration of buildings in the Warsaw urban agglomeration. In particular, a goal was defined to develop a typology of basic administrative units due to the level and characteristics of the spatial concentration of buildings. The study was conducted based on the municipalities (urban, urban-rural and rural) of the Warsaw Metropolitan Area (delimitation of the Warsaw urban agglomeration used for the strategic and planning purposes) and districts of the capital city of Poland. Data on buildings was obtained from the topographic objects database. The share of buildings in total, as well as single-family and multi-family housing objects, was taken into account (these two categories were assumed to be the main determinants of suburbanization). Two methods were used to analyze their distribution: the density quotient factor, and the average nearest neighbour method. The spatial arrangement of buildings covers a wide spectrum of types, determined by combinations of both extreme and intermediate values of two dimensions of spatial concentration – the density of objects and the degree of their spatial dispersion (level of regularity, randomization, or clustering in their distribution). The typology allows us to indicate units for which similarly oriented spatial policy should be applied. The method of construction of the developed typology may be useful for application to research in other areas.

Microplastic pollution in surface water and sediments in the urban section of the Vistula River (Poland)

The main hypothesis of this study was that the microplastic (MP) concentration would be higher in the city centre. The MP (<5 mm) abundance and distribution in the urbanized section of the Vistula River were examined. Samples were collected from three different sites: 1) the less urbanized part of the city, 2) the area close to the tributary outlet and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), and 3) the city centre. The abundance of MPs in water ranged from 1.6 to 2.55 items L−1, whereas in the sediments, it varied from 190 to 580 items kg−1. The highest MP concentration was observed in the water collected in the city centre. However, in the case of sediments, the most polluted sample was collected from a sampling point located near the WWTP and tributary outlet. The diversity of the MPs abundance along the river was associated with the hydrological and sedimentological conditions, which was confirmed by the grain size analysis of sediments. The dominant type of MPs in both the water and sediment samples was fibre. The MPs were characterized by Raman spectroscopy as polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), and a variety of other materials with different levels of deterioration. The images obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed different disintegration features. Moreover, the SEM analyses revealed the occurrence of adhered particles and diatoms on the surface of MPs. The adsorption of various elements onto the MPs surface and the adhered particles was confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The conducted studies emphasized the significance of the impact of large urban agglomerations, such as the Warsaw metropolitan area, on the concentration of MPs in rivers. Further studies are needed to better assess, for instance, the precise mode through which MPs in urban regions are transported by rivers to the seas.

The concept of an integrated rail transit system based on tram-trains in the metropolitan area on the example of Piaseczno

The article presents the concept of an integrated rail transit system for Piaseczno, which is one of the main urban centers of the Warsaw Metropolitan Area. The conditions for the development of new lines and the use of existing infrastructure were analyzed. An agglomeration rail transit system based on normal and narrow gauge railways and tram-train was proposed, taking into account the stages of network development and integration of various modes of transport. The proposed solution can be a model for the development of rail transport in the metropolitan area. Keywords: Tram-train; Narrow-gauge railway; Piaseczno

Alcohol Intoxication and Suicide by Hanging in Poland.

An integral part of the World Health Organization (WHO) plan to reduce suicide by 10% by 2020 is to identify areas and demographic groups, which should be priority target groups for preventive activities. This study aimed to present the demographic differences between victims of suicide by hanging in the Warsaw metropolitan area, in Poland, by examining the sobriety of victims. Data for analysis were obtained from the documentation of the Department of Forensic Medicine (DFM) at the Medical University of Warsaw (MUW). The retrospective analysis included 358 out of 466 victims of suicides by hanging in the Warsaw metropolitan area, in Poland, recorded in the DFM documentation covering 2011-2013. The data gathered included age, gender, the cause of death, a post-mortem examination as well as the level of ethanol in the blood and muscles of victims. In both groups, men accounted for a larger percentage of victims than women, P=0.068. In the no-alcohol group, the victims were older than in the alcohol group (47.52±19.21 vs. 40.88±12.77) (P<0.001). The majority of the studied population were victims aged 25-34 (22.90%), mainly men (20.95%). Young men were also the largest group among victims in the alcohol group (28.33%). The most numerous age group among no-alcohol group were older victims aged 55-64 (19.10%), especially men (16.29%). Regardless of sobriety, men were the largest group of suicide victims in the study population, which means that men die suicide more often than women. Differences in gender proportions are related to age. In the studied population, it was primarily young victims, mainly men. These are the groups that should be priority target groups for preventive activities aimed at reducing the number of suicides. The presence of ethanol in more than half of the victims of suicide in the study population indicates that alcohol is an important suicidal risk factor.

Prognoza demograficzna dla Warszawy = A demographic forecast for Warsaw

This article offers assumptions and results relating to six projection variants of demographic forecasting (scenario analysis of population change) elaborated for Warsaw City Hall (Śleszyński et al., 2019). The analysis was based on the population size estimated by reference to telemetry calculations obtained from the Orange Polska telephone company. It revealed that the so-called ‘night population’ size is larger by 213,000 than the registered population size of the Polish capital. Estimates were made for the 18 districts of Warsaw in one-year intervals for the 2018 2050 period, according to six variant scenarios (continuation, suburbanisation, concentration, polarisation, ‘low’ immigration and ‘high’ immigration). The scenarios were predominately differentiated in terms of internal and international migration levels, and was inter alia conditioned by the socio-economic development model for Poland and the spatial policy pursued in the Warsaw Metropolitan Area. Based on the respective variant, the population estimates for the city as a whole in 2030 range from 1,980,000 to 2,132,000, as compared with 1,785 2,249,000 in 2050. The most important conclusion, which implies practical solutions is related to the finding that till 2050 there is no basis to anticipate a stronger population growth in Warsaw. This reflects both the exhaustion of traditional source regions for migrants and the fertility rates in the city, which remain low in real terms, even if they are relatively high by the standards of Polish cities in general. Only a distinct intensification of immigration and a parallel inflow of migrants from other regions of Poland and abroad, would lead to a population growth of the city. The most probable variant is that of continuation, as it reflects the inertia among the key factors. This would at first denote an increase in population to 2,044,000 in 2028, followed by a slow decline (in 2040 – 2,005,000, in 2050 – 1,929,000). The ageing of the population and a marked increase in post-working age population are both inevitable. By 2050, the population in this category will most probably account for more than 25% of the total for Warsaw (as compared with 18 per cent currently). It is predicted that the downtown districts (especially Śródmieście and Praga Północ) will witness dec¬lines in the number of inhabitants, even as the so-called ‘developing’ parts of the city (like Białołęka, Wilanów or Ursus) continue to increase, while other external districts like Ursynów will move over to population stagnation. The main factor determining the condition and structure of Warsaw’s population will thus be migration, predominately including internal and international immigration. In the future, the most important factor determining mobility will be the absolute decrease in migration resources in the capital’s main basin. At the same time, the expected supply gap on the labour market (2 7 million people nationally by 2050) will result in competition for employees between urban centres at a much greater level than at present. In the case of Warsaw this may result in an intensification of three complementary processes, i.e. increased internal drainage, foreign immigration and commuting to work. There are several reasons why stagnation or population decline will pose no threat to Warsaw. Firstly, the capital ‘operates’ as a functional area, together with its suburban zone, for which at least weak population growth should be expected till 2050. Secondly, the future development of the capital city depends less on its population size, and more on the quality of human capital, including the size of the so-called ‘creative class’. The typical demographic burden parameters associated with the ratio of people of non-productive to productive age are also less important than the latter factor. While population loss in a city as large as Warsaw does not constitute a social problem, the occurrence and increase of social inequalities is a major one.

Simulating land use change in the southern part of Warsaw Metropolitan Area with application of Dyna-CLUE model

The present research covers the issue of prediction of changes of the land use appearing due to progressing urban sprawl process in Piaseczno county, located in the Warsaw Metropolitan Area. The Dyna-CLUE land use change model was applied, assuming a variety of scenarios pertaining to the direction of change of land use within a time prospect of 20 and 35 years. The scenarios pertaining to the expected land use changes are developed with consideration given to the expected population changes. When implementing the Dyna-CLUE model, 8 factors having impact on the land use patterns within the research area are considered. As a result of the modelling, maps demonstrating the expected land use patterns have been created, making it possible to indicate municipalities and areas within which there is the highest probability of emergence of new buildings.

Wpływ modernizacji linii kolejowej E75 na rozwój Obszaru Metropolitalnego Warszawy

Wpływ modernizacji linii kolejowej E75 na rozwój Obszaru Metropolitalnego Warszawy

Technological aspects of GEOSECMA for ArcGIS and EPANET integration - case study

In general, GEOSECMA for GIS (GfA) and the EPANET hydraulic model are complementary tools from a technological, financial and operational point of view. It is in this way, that water companies can reduce substantial time and money, and provide extensive capability to support decisions in the planning, operation, management and the expansion of water distribution systems. This paper is an attempt to formulate technological assumptions and methodology for GfA-EPANET integration using the example of the water distribution network serving Ząbki, a medium-sized city in the Warsaw metropolitan area. This integration is understood as the process of the spatial physical and water demand data exchange between GfA and the water distribution hydraulic model with a structure tailored to the needs of water meter reading systems.

EVALUATION OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC POTENTIAL OF RURAL AREAS IN MAZOVIECKIE VOIVODESHIP IN 2004 AND 2016 ACCORDING TO THE SELECTED CONCEPTS OF THE REGIONAL DIVISION

The aim of the article is to compare and evaluate the socio-demographic potential of semi-urban and rural LAU 2 units in the Warsaw Metropolitan Area, the area of Integrated Territorial Investment and new regions (PL91 and PL92 NUTS 2 units) in the light of the concept of division of Mazowieckie Voivodeship since 2018. Both in 2004 and 2016 the high level of the potential characterised mostly units located within Warsaw: only one unit from the capital area was ranked as of low socio-demographic potential in 2004. The most favourable values of socio-demographic indicators were recorded in the ITI area, which proves the high attractiveness of these communes. There were also observed some positive changes in the values of the analyzed socio-demographic indicators, also taking place (although more slowly) in the non-metropolitan and peripheral areas.

ZonalMetrics - a Python toolbox for zonal landscape structure analysis

We present a Python toolbox for the calculation of zonal landscape metrics. Instead of global calculations focusing on the whole landscape, the proposed ZonalMetrics toolbox allows the calculation of landscape metrics for user-defined zones. Such zones can be defined through regular units (e.g. hexagons, grids) that can be created within the toolbox. In addition, any polygonal set specified by the user (e.g. administrative units) can be used. The implemented set of landscape metrics is specifically selected and valid for calculations within zones. The tool is demonstrated based on a case study for the Warsaw metropolitan area and the possibilities of applying the toolbox for different zonal layers are illustrated. The implementation is based on the Python toolbox introduced in ArcGIS 10.1, offering an easy to use graphical user interface and batch calculation possibilities. The source code is free and open to the community and extendable to specific needs.

Pride and Prejudice: The Local Leaders’ Attitude Towards Place-Based Collaboration in the Warsaw Metropolitan Area

The goal of the paper is to identify and discuss the factors shaping the local leaders’ attitude towards metropolitan collaboration. The focus is on the relations within the political space and it is set in institutional collective actions dilemmas context. This article is based on 103 in-depth interviews with politicians and officials as well as on analysis of statistical and financial data. The results generally confirm the most often discussed set of factors that influence the collaboration in metropolitan areas but also induce to pay attention to the details. It is very difficult to define what it is positive incentive to collaboration in general – it has to be shaped to the chosen place.

Travel Models for Corridors of Metropolitan Areas Served by Railways

AbstractIn recent years adverse processes of suburbanization have been observed in cities. It has become a serious challenge for urban and transport planners, as it influences largely the quality of space, the quality of life, and the cost of running the city. This paper is dedicated to travel models in areas serviced by a railway system, and is based on a real-life survey example of the Błonie community, a district belonging to the Warsaw metropolitan area. Research carried out in 2014 focused on combined travels behaviors recorded using GPS locators as well as quantitative research (volumes of users across various transport systems).

Comparing the effectiveness of respondent-driven sampling and quota sampling in migration research

We evaluate the effectiveness in empirical migration research of the respondent-driven sampling (RDS) and the quota sampling with regard to four criteria: quality of the data; sociometric diversity of the sample; geographic coverage of the sample; and cost-effectiveness. We review two surveys of ex-USSR migrants, conducted simultaneously in the Warsaw metropolitan area, each undertaken with the use of one of the two sampling methods. We find that although the RDS was considerably costlier, it enabled faster data collection and posed a lower risk of underestimating the cost of the survey. We also find that the RDS generated higher-quality data, and that it was more successful in surveying short-term circular migrants. This comparative evaluation contributes to the literature on social research methods in that it links the sampling methods with the quality and character of the data, and helps assess the usefulness and applicability of RDS in empirical migration studies.