Development in regions lagging behind – the case of coal and post-coal regions

The main topic of the paper refers to the issues of economic transition in regions. The research question is to determine the nature of current development processes in regions lagging behind, in coal regions in particular. The main goal of the article is to present selected modern concepts indicating the paths of the effective reorientation of development processes of such regions, along with their application into the policy framework for the coal regions’ transition. Methodically, the paper is based on a desk research and statistical analysis of time series covering GDP dynamics and job growth for NUTS3 regions in the European Union (EU). The main findings of the research indicate the significant scale of the economic challenges of coal regions in terms of their low productivity measured by the trade-off between the growth of GDP and the increase in the number of jobs, as well as the need to define a complex policy framework which ‘mixes’ a sectoral and territorial approach to achieve an effective coal regions’ transition

Internal security in local development policy

In today’s social, economic, and political reality, security environment needs to have appropriate conditions for its functioning. Stabilising these conditions is becoming indispensable due to the ongoing changes in people’s economic activity manifested by new forms of management and based on new technologies. Internal security is determined by various factors and is of interest to different parties. Currently, as local communities are gaining vital importance, a large part of development initiatives is transferred to the local level. The links between internal and social security as well as local development policy, social policy, and welfare policy are becoming increasingly visible

The impact of the international environment on the development of enterprises providing accommodation services in the Lublin voivodeship

The aim of this article is to present the opinions of owners of year-round accommodation facilities operating in the Lublin voivodeship, concerning the impact of the international environment on the development of enterprises providing accommodation services. The assessment is based on the author’s own research conducted with the use of the CATI method in April and May 2018. Entrepreneurs rarely see opportunities and threats related to the international environment. They seem to think “in a local way”. Generally, the most positive feedback on pro-developmental actions related to the international environment is provided by respondents from urban-rural communes. Membership in international structures, including the European Union, gives a lot of opportunities for development. The entrepreneurs participating in the survey should be even more active while monitoring EU forms of support and applying for EU projects

Safety as a factor of social and economic development under globalization conditions

Contemporary social and economic development (regional and local) occurring under very dynamic conditions triggered mostly by globalization requires effective and professional safety- -targeted actions aiming at stabilising undesirable threats as well as to develop safety strategies. This is crucial as a safety category requires its adaptation to each and every social and economic reality which subsequently confirms its flexibility and evolution. This is directly related to the economic policy being created which is going to use features of the Polish economy and society, which are to provide a competitive advantage over other economies and denotes that in conditions of a new service-oriented economy, safety is becoming the most significant element of development. This factor cannot be omitted in any strategic documents that constitute specific procedures determining the category of national security. Undoubtedly, however, it appears to be increasingly deficient in these sectors of socio-economic life, in which there is increasing social disorientation, and thus the risk increases

Opportunities and threats for regional development in contemporary socio-economic space

The current regional development models emphasize the mobilization of internal location potential, which is to be the source of the competitive advantage of spatial systems. Commonly implemented related concepts of learning regions, innovation clusters or creative sectors illustrate the new development capabilities of regions, simplifying or hindering self-renewal in a globalized, specific civilization system. The research purpose is to identify and characterize potential opportunities and possible development problems of regions that, operating in a highly diverse and rapidly changing socio-economic space, face the resolution of numerous dilemmas. One of the important conclusions presented in the article is the statement that the early building of appropriate potential and structural, organizational, methodological, scientific facilities and an own development programme is a condition for ensuring a significant competitive position for the region

Unused cars in Wroclaw – in terms of using city space

Excessive traffic and the insufficient number of parking spaces pose a challenge for the authorities of large urban centres, which is why it is important to effectively use the infrastructure resources. An example of actions that reduce efficiency regards unused cars in public parking. The discussed problem should be considered in the context of the impact on spatial order, and the phenomenon of misappropriation of public space. This article analyses Mobility Policy of the City of Wroclaw and data on the intervention of the Municipal Police of Wroclaw regarding the disposal of unused vehicles according to article 50a and 130a of Road Traffic Law. An integral part of the article is a survey examining the opinions of the local community. Unused cars have a negative impact on the quality of space and life of residents, which is manifested by a decrease in the efficiency of transport infrastructure, degradation of green areas, appropriation of public space and disturbance of spatial order

Climate as an area of strategic intervention in urban development

EU policies currently place significant emphasis on the commitment to ensure climate neutrality. A substantial role in these efforts is to be played by cities and local communities. This paper seeks to fill the gap in the research on the strategic commitment in Polish cities regarding the climate issue. This study has two purposes. It aims to highlight the key fields of local authorities’ climate commitment and also ascertain the extent to which climate is approached as an area of strategic intervention in major Polish cities. The research shows that the matter of climate is viewed in a very narrow sense, with the local authorities’ commitment usually being dedicated to a few areas of intervention. The analysis points to three generations of strategic documents and shows that cities are more likely to address climate issues if they are significantly exposed to climate and climate-induced risks and extreme weather events. It is evident that urban development strategies in Polish cities follow EU policies and their commitment rarely surpass the scope of intervention detailed in these policies or mainstream concepts of urban governance and urban planning

A vital city and revitalization processes

Polish urban centres have been going to great lengths to reactivate the vitality of space, community, economy, and the environment in recent years. The term ‘revitalization’ is used in a broad sense that is adapted to the roots of the problems considered most acute in a given territorial unit. At the same time, it could seem that, in many cases, the measures taken focus on rather superficial issues related to image or on remedying the noticeable symptoms of the problems. What becomes a central challenge is the redefinition of the operating mechanism of a city, i.e. the mechanism where various processes are in harmony with each other, the actions taken by local entities are characterized by synergy, competition for resources is rationalized, and the operation of the entire system is determined by original and creative development directions which integrate local entities and include the city into the network of ties with the surroundings. The detailed discussions described in this paper concern the vital city and urban space revitalization processes

The demographic determinants of development in the Lower Silesia region by the year 2050

The provision of the conditions for continued socio-economic development is one of the fundamental objectives for regions. In an age of intensive changes in the global economy, demographic determinants seem to play a heightened role, as the quality and supply of human resources in regions largely determine their capabilities and paths of development. This paper aims to provide a forecast of the long-term demographic changes expected to arise in the Lower Silesia region of Poland, along with their projected effects upon the development potential of the region as a whole. This study was prepared on the basis of publicly available statistical and prognostic data for the period between 2010 and 2050. For research purposes, the region of Lower Silesia was assumed to correspond with the administrative area of the Lower Silesia voivodeship. The study employs the following research methods: literature studies, simple statistical methods, and ratiocination from statistical data

Gentrification as part of urban development

The main purpose of the research was to present gentrification as a diverse phenomenon that cannot be explicitly qualified as negative or positive. In order to illustrate the problem, literature studies were carried out regarding urban regeneration, urban revitalization, gentrification and urban development. Then a case study was presented indicating two extremely different examples. The Walnut Hills Estate in Cincinnati in the United States, was the first to be described. The second example is Sayingmen, which used to be a settlement in Beijing. Due to the controversial decision of the authorities, it was demolished. A discovery resulting from this analysis was to show the diametrically different approach to city management, the perception of civil rights and the scope of competences of local authorities. The case study presented in the article can help institutions related to the development and participatory spatial planning to create urban policies