Skip to main menu
Skip to search engine
Skip to content
Skip to footer

en pl
en pl
Login

en pl
en pl

About project About project
Collections Collections
Indexes Indexes
Recently viewed Recently viewed
RCIN Repositories RCIN Repositories

Search field

How to search... Advanced search

MAIN PAGE |
Indexes

Index: Abstract Results: 1094

Abstract

all
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
Z

Search in field Abstract

of 19 Next

The main aim of the research was to answer the research questions: how the science went – studying Polish university students in the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and what were the main barriers to learning for Polish students during the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey method has been applied to collect empirical material among students. In the survey, CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview) Internet questionnaire, sent via e-mail to students in the form of the invitation to the survey with a link to the survey, has been used in the survey. Research shows that the vast majority of the students felt anxiety, uncertainty about taking their maturity examinations, bachelor’s and master’s degree examinations and having the academic year credited on time. The main inhibitor preventing the respondents from learning at home during the ongoing pandemic was a lack of silence – quietness due to the noise of the siblings as well as remote work of the parents who had to perform their remote work during the students’ classes.
In the pre-war period, Ukraine faced significant development gaps, and a large part of its territory was in unfavourable social and environmental conditions. Despite some reforms, the overall imbalances of the spatial framework remained unchanged, and the processes of European integration were de facto rather slow. At the same time, Russia’s geopolitical influence and the geo-economic impact of various global actors remained prominent. The outbreak of the war in 2022 led to large-scale changes in the structure of regional centres, significant social shifts, and further policy transformation at all levels. Communities and territories affected by the war consequences to varying degrees now demonstrate different patterns of development capacity and resilience, as well as its vision, which obviously leads to functional changes. The article aims to analyze the transformation processes caused by the hostilities, to reassess the guidelines for regional development, and to identify the priorities of post-war recovery. <br>
Over recent years the sea has experienced re-interpretation as marine space, or more specifically as marine spatial planning (MSP) space. This article uses the concept of place as a contrasting interpretation to space, referring to place-making as a metaphor for the various ways in which meaning is created in the sea. As expressions of an intimate connection between experienced materiality and symbolism, places (unlike space) are never abstract, but always carry emotional dimensions. Place attachment can be the result of everyday profe ssional links, recreational activities, or living by the sea, and arises despite the greater intangibility of locations in the sea. As a result of their greater physical intangibility, places in the sea may require more frequent (re-)making than places on land, pointing to the inherent importance (and value in their own right) of the associated (socio-cultural) processes of place-making. The ability to engage in place-making is thus an important avenue for expressing place-based values, an understanding which could be used to enrich marine spatial planning processes. Focusing more on the intimate connections people have with places in the sea and how quality of place matters to them could turn MSP into an enabler of place-making, becoming more of a rich and continuous dialogue around the multiple ways in which people interact with and value the sea.
The article presents the results of population mobility research at the territory of Bavaria. Different types of migration flows (resettlements, commuting, educational migration, etc.) within municipalities and through their borders, as well as between Bavaria and other parts of the country are analyzed. Spacetime features of population mobility are revealed. Main methods of analysis include delimitation of migration systems and calculation of human activity density. The study found that scale of population mobility within Bavaria is larger than migratory exchange with other parts of Germany. Commuting and other types of return population mobility take more important positions in the regional migration process.
This paper examines specific runoffs in the catchments of the rivers Ina, Rega, Parsęta, Radew and Wieprza in the hydrological years 1981 through 2019. The magnitude of specific runoff is an indirect measure of water resources in a given region. Except for the Radew catchment, mean annual specific runoffs have diminished in all the analyzed catchments through the study period. In some or all of the catchments, runoffs from April through July have also diminished. The largest changes have been observed for June in the Ina and Parsęta catchments. These changes are basically due to the increase in air temperature.
The article presents classification of resources, values and factors for local development. Seven key factors (assets and resources) to examine the local development were considered: natural, cultural, socio-demographic, economic, technological, planning and organizational and self-governmental. On the basis of detailed analysis of location, functional structure and the leading function of the environment 13 rural and urban-rural municipalities of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship were selected for further analysis. The basis for the analysis and evaluation of individual seven local development factors was planning documentation (from the years 2004 to 2015) in the form of: ‘Study of Conditions and Directions for Spatial Planning’ and ‘Development Strategy’ in 13 municipalities. The ‘Development Strategy’ of individual municipalities mainly covers the years 2013-2020. On the basis of the SWOT method the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats were rated in the further strategic development of the studied area to the year 2020 or 2020+.
Poland is a peculiar example of country which had a very rich tradition of being one of Europe’s most multicultural societies, and at the same time most tolerant and open to “others”, notwithstanding a contemporary history characterised by a notable degree of national and religious homogeneity, as well as the aversion of a large part of society (and some political parties) to immigrants, especially those from beyond European culture. This is also visible in any attempt to outline contemporary geographical research in multiculturalism, as well as its presence in geographical education. The following general conclusions could be formulated on the basis of the analysis carried out: – The vast majority of research topics taken up concern relics of the former Polish multiculturalism – small and strongly integrated national, ethnic and religious minorities, cultural heritage attesting to the rich and proud history of Poland, and the presence of Polish culture and tradition in eastern borderland regions that lives on through centres of Polish minorities. Overall, it is what might be described as “sentimental multiculturalism” (internal, historical, traditional and indigenous); – The same relationship can be seen in school-level geographical education, which shows Polish multiculturalism through the lens of centuries-old, but currently scarce national and religious diversity, as well as the migration of Poles to the United Kingdom. At the same time, societies with different skin colours and non-Christian religions are located in far-away, exotic countries. – Despite the latest censuses showing a dynamic increase in numbers of the so-called regional minorities (especially Silesian and Kashubian) that dominate the contemporary ethnic structure of Poland, as well as their intensified social, cultural and political aspirations, there has been no proportionate upsurge of interest on the part of geographers; – Geographical research marginalises the issue of “immigrant multiculturalism” (external, modern and immigrant), despite this being an important research, journalistic, economic and political issue in the European Union for decades, and especially now. This perception of, and research on multiculturalism, in Polish geography is to a large extent understandable, in line with the historical and cultural importance of the so-called traditional minorities on the one hand, and – on the other – the lack of attractiveness of our country as a destination for settlement among economic migrants and refugees from the Middle East and North Africa. Despite all of that, Poland will ultimately not differ from Western Europe, in that it will not avoid a further increase in multiculturalism, given that no minority will either fully emigrate or fully integrate. Sooner or later, the influx of immigrants from nonEuropean cultures will increase, and the waves of legal and illegal immigration will not omit Poland. The substantive and mental preparation of Polish society for this “immigrant multiculturalism” – in a manner that is free of both populism and political correctness – represents a huge challenge for geographers, but also for sociologists, political scientists and historians.
There are many different domains of science whose elaborated theoretical concepts assume that development (understood in terms of the definite succession of processes and transformations (Taylor and Flint, 2000; Domański, 2005) is of a cyclical nature. Among these concepts, the one entailing generation cycles looks most convincing. Thus, in the view of co-authors William Strauss and Neil Howe (1991, 1997), social change is driven by generation cycles of 15-25 years’ duration, albeit coming together into phases some 80 years long termed saecula. M. Alexander in turn maintains that a saeculum corresponds to one Kondratieff cycle, and has also designated 36-year paradigmatic cycles identical to those found for the New York Stock Exchange. The latter are shown to comprise approximately two Strauss-Howe cycles. It is in turn Wojciech Białek (2009) who has applied the term “generation cycle” to these cycles of roughly 36 years’ duration, given that this length of time concurs with geneticists’ recently established average difference in age between consecutive generations (Tremblay and Vezina, 2000). Where the historical experience of Polish society is concerned, the existence of a 30-40 year generation cycle governing political and cultural life would not represent a truly new discovery. Norman Davies (1984, 1995) notes that: “There is no doubt that the wheel of political fortune in nineteenth-century Poland revolved with a regularity beyond the bounds of mere coincidence”. In his opinion, therefore: “strong credence must be given to the idea that the regular alternation of the two dominant ideologies was closely associated with the rise and fall of successive generations”. (…) “Neither Romantics nor Positivists could ever enjoy a run of more than three or four decades before disillusionment and failure destroyed their supremacy, and gave an opening for the revival of their opponents”. The cyclical character of definite processes observed under both Polish and American conditions in fact emerges as of a universal nature, finding its analogies throughout the world, though first and foremost within the European cultural circle. It is also possible to speak of its far reaching synchronicity, encompassing change on both local and global scales. This is witnessed by successive culminations of cycles with the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars, the revolutionary surges of the 1830s and 1840s, the events of the 1860s and 1870s, the turbulences and wars of the early 20th century (notably World War I), then World War II, the great transformations of the 1980s, and the recently observed increase in political tension in various parts of the world (e.g. t e Middle East, Ukraine, etc.). In the economic sphere the symptoms are shifts in the business climate, which can even be calculated by reference to quantitative indicators. Then, in the sphere of culture, it is possible to denote successive periods in literature and the arts. In the political sphere in turn, events that shape the state or territorial order are to be observed readily. The present article thus seeks to propose the existence of a universal and synchronous 36-year generation cycle, which manifests itself in real symptoms in the world of politics, and for instance in the cyclicity seen to characterise intensit of change on the political map of Europe.
The main aim of the article is detailed evaluation of spatial differentiation of transport opportunities, that means supply of public transport connections (bus and train), and household’s equipment by cars at the municipal level. From the methodological point of view there are two main levels of observing: - the analysis of differentiation of transport opportunities through common statistical indicators characterizing the entire set (“Global Statistics”), - using local statistics, specifi cally the method of spatial autocorrelation (LISA procedure). Article content is divided into two parts. The first addresses the evaluation of the state of spatial differentiation. In the second part the text deals with effect of the supposed socio-geographic as well as geo-social factors determined spatial differentiation of transport opportunities. This analysis is done with using “global” correlation analysis (Pearson’s coefficient). Some theoretical remarks about statistical distribution of indicators and summary of results conclude the article.
The research objective was to determine whether and to what extent SAR data can be used to determine changes in the water level in small glacial lakes (with an area of ~1 km2). The research object was Lake Biskupińskie – a small post-glacial lake in central Poland. As part of the research, a methodology for determining water level in small-area lakes based on radar data was developed, the potential for determining lake water levels using high- and medium-resolution SAR data was determined, and the results were verified against field measurements. The analyses employed data from two satellites, TerraSAR-X and Sentinel-1. The research confirmed the effectiveness of using SAR data to determine water-level fluctuations in small glacial lakes. The proposed methodology for working with data from the Sentinel-1 satellite allows for accurate estimation of WLF based on the results of interferometric analyses. Comparative analysis of the radar data results (lake surface) and field measurements (water level) were fully consistent with the data from TerraSAR-X and partially consistent with the data from Sentinel-1. The methodology of radar data analysis to determine WLF proposed in the paper has major research and applied potential, especially in the reconstruction of historical lake water levels. <br>
The aim of the study presented here was to identify distinct Polish regions from the point of view of thermal winter, and in line with two developed criteria, i.e. average monthly and daily values for air temperature. The research in question was based on data series for the November-April periods in the years 1960/61–2014/15 inclusive, as obtained from 36 weather stations of the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW). Start and end dates of thermal winter, defined as the period with mean daily temperatures below 0°C, were identified by reference to mean monthly values for air temperature calculated with the commonly-used calculation by Gumiński. For the sake of simplicity, dates and durations of thermal winters calculated by reference to mean daily temperature values are referred to simply in terms of their being “the winter period”. The beginning of such a winter period is thus marked by the first (and the end by the last) occurrence of at least a three-day series of mean daily air temperature below 0°C. Such characterisations of thermal winters and winter periods for the different stations (relating to start and end dates, durations and durational coefficients of variability) were inputted into cluster analysis, with the result that three general regions of Poland featuring similar patterns for negative air temperature were identifi ed. In the identified western region, the period of negative air temperature is the shortest and is also characterised by the highest inter-annual variability, particularly when it comes to winter days in its north-western sub-region. By contrast, the longest thermal winter period, along with the lowest inter-annual variability is found to characterize the so-called eastern region. In comparison with the western, this region differs particularly significantly in terms of mean air temperature values, given that winter lasts almost twice as long there, and is recorded almost every year. The western region displays the highest inter-annual variability where features characteristic for the occurrence of negative temperature are concerned, while the eastern region shows the lowest variability. Over the analysed period, there was no significant linear trend noted for the start and end dates of both thermal winter and the winter period. However, it was possible to note a tendency for thermal winters in the central and eastern regions of Poland to shorten. Only in the eastern region was it possible to note a decrease in the frequency of occurrence of winter days. In the central region, the durations of thermal winter periods determined using mean monthly air temperatures are indeed the same as the actual numbers of days with 24-hour air temperatures below 0°C in an average multi-annual period. In contrast, in the western region the true length of the thermal winter is underrepresented by 7 days (i.e. shorter), while in in the eastern region it is overrepresented by 6 days (i.e. longer). However, over the analysed 55-year period, almost every region reported instances of thermal winters being overrepresented as well as underrepresented in terms of duration, with the deviation in many seasons being in the 20-40–day range. In the western region, durations of thermal winters were seen to be underrepresented twice as frequently, when comparisons with actual numbers of winter days were made, while in the eastern region there was overrepresentation. Mean monthly air temperature, as the criterion adopted most typically in identifying thermal winters in Poland, does offer a best reflection of the durations of winters in the central region. In contrast, in the cases of the western and eastern region identified, mean 24-hour air temperatures would seem better suited to determining thermal winters.
An alternative to the use of rain gauges as sources of precipitation data is provided by laser disdrometers, which inter alia allow for high-temporal-resolution measurement of the reflectivity (Z) and intensity (R) of precipitation. In the study detailed here, an OTT Parsivel1 laser disdrometer located at the Meteorological Station of Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW) generated the 95,459 Z-R data pairs recorded across 1-min time intervals that were subject to further study. Included values for the reflectivity and instantaneous intensity of precipitation were found to be in the respective ranges of -9.998‑67.898 dBZ and 0.004‑153.519 mm h−1 (given that values for precipitation intensity below 0.004 mm h−1 were excluded from further consideration). The material obtained covered the months from April to October in the years 2012‑2014 and 2019‑2020 (30 months in total), which were selected for the study due to the completeness of data. The measured reflectivity and intensity data for precipitation were used to establish the relationship pertaining between the two (by reference to descriptive parameters a and b), with such results considered to contribute to the improved calibration of meteorological radars, and hence to more-accurate radar-based estimates of amounts of precipitation. The Z-R relationship as determined for all measurement data offered a first step in the research process, whose core objective was nevertheless to determine separate Z-R relationships for datasets on rain, rain with snow (sleet), and snow (given that precipitation in the form of hail did not occur during the surveyed measurement periods). That said, it is important to note that only a few Polish studies have in any way involved disdrometer-based measurement of precipitation reflectivity and intensity, as well as the relationships between these aspects. In the event, the Z-R relationships obtained for the measurement sets were characterised by high values for coefficients of correlation (in the range 0.96‑0.97) and determination, as well as low values for the root mean-square error (ranging from 0.29 to 0.34). Statistics point to a good fit of the Z-R relationships (regression lines) to the specified datasets. Values noted for parameter a (the multiplier in the power-type Z-R relationship) were seen to differ significantly in relation to rain, rain with snow, and snow, being of 285.56, 76.07 and 914.74 respectively. In contrast, values noted for parameter b (the exponent) varied only across the narrow range of 1.47‑1.62. The obtained research results for parameter a indicate the need to consider Z-R relationships matched to specific types of precipitation in the data processing procedure of radar data. This could increase the accuracy of estimating precipitation amounts using radars belonging to the nationwide POLRAD system. The relationships Z = 285.56R1.47 for rainfall (as the dataset’s dominant type of precipitation), as well as Z = 293.76R1.46 for all data, proved highly similar to the classic relationship obtained for convective rainfall by Hunter (1996), as given by Z = 300R1.4. On the other hand, the values of the a parameter in the Z-R relationships fond for the two datasets proved to be much larger than those in the model developed by Marshall and Palmer (1948), which took the form Z = 200R1,6 and has been the relationship used in Poland as radar images are created.
Taking into account foreign trade in goods the process of internationalization of the Polish economy has been uneven not only within the scope of foreign trade operators and its product and geographical structure, but also within the territorial perspective across the country. During the period after 1990, the basic structures of the “export space” of Poland were transformed. At the same time, these structures remained, to some extent, embedded in a centrally planned economy, especially in the industrialization processes that have been taking place since the World War II. The aim of the paper is identification and delimitation of areas of export concentration (AEC) as well as to provide for more systematic information on the changes taking place in the export space of the country resulted from the competitiveness and economic power of local economies. The obtained results were related to the general changes in the the country’s spatial structure, including basic theoretical concepts and strategic documents. AEC shall be considered as a contiguous geographical area with the above-average importance of exports for the local economy, determined by several conditions: (a) exports per capita of the LAU 1 unit is higher than the national average; (b) exports in relation to sold industrial output in the LAU 1 unit is higher than the national average; (c) total exports of AEC exceeds 1% of total exports from Poland; (d) AEC respects the principle of territorial continuity. These conditions were applied for the years: 1995 (the period immediately after the economic transition), 1997 (the period of locating foreign investments in the country), 2000 (the period after the crisis in the Eastern markets), 2005 (at the start of the full integration of Poland into the European Union), 2007 (the period of favourable exports performance resulted from the accession to the EU), 2009 (the first wave of economic crisis) and 2013 (the present years). The primary unit of study is the county (LAU 1). The analysis was conducted in US dollars (USD) based on materials from EXTRA- and INTRASTAT systems. The spatial structures of units considered as AEC in the analysed years is a synthetic picture of exports space of Poland. It may be assumed that it creates a polygon with vertices constituting the “poles of the global economy”, which are: Warsaw, Rzeszów, Cracow, Upper Silesian conurbation, Wroclaw, Słubice and Gdańsk. At the same time, in Western Poland, a zone with strong international relations is becoming increasingly apparent, it covers a large part of the LAU 1 units of the provinces of wielkopolskie, dolnośląskie and lubuskie voivodeships. Spatial structures related to industrialization processes taking place during the period of centrally planned economy proved to be quite stable. Despite the shift in the main exports centres from the south of Poland to the west, the observed changes were not spectacular. In favourable economic conditions, there was a deglomeration of exports, but these changes were not of a lasting nature. During the crisis period we observed a regression, which excluded the emergence of new sustainable AEC, among others. in the east of Poland. Thus the changes anticipated during the initial phase of the transformation in the spatial structure of the country were probably premature. The changes observed during this period reflected the fluctuations associated with the transformation process itself. Regardless of the stability of the general spatial structure, the dynamics of the emergence (as well as the “collapse”) of AEC is a good measure of the transformation of individual centres and industrial districts of Poland after 1989. There has been confirmed such processes as: economic contraction of Łódź, relative decrease in the role of the Upper Silesian conurbation, gradual replacement of Poznań by Wrocław as the country’s second most important economic pole.
The research examines the development challenges and current issues faced by agritourism farms, as well as the expectations and needs of tourists visiting the Świętokrzyskie countryside. The aim of the study is to identify the views of agritourism farm owners and tourists regarding the potential for developing tourism functions and the quality of services provided. The Świętokrzyskie region, characterized by high yet underutilized tourism potential, was selected as the study area. The region includes a national park, numerous landscape parks, and nature reserves. It is also noteworthy that the region is located near Poland’s largest cities (Warsaw, Krakow, and Łódź), which generate substantial tourism outflow. The source materials for this study derive from research conducted by the authors in 2024. A total of 154 agritourism farms were identified, although their spatial distribution is uneven. They are clearly concentrated in areas with high tourist attractiveness and in the vicinity of Kielce, the regional centre. Only 34 service providers responded to the survey aimed at identifying the basic needs and challenges of agritourism farms; the remaining operators, despite repeated attempts to contact them, were not interested in participating. This low level of engagement may indicate limited activity or a lack of confidence in the potential outcomes of such research. Surveys of 288 tourists were conducted at nine selected agritourism farms. The general thematic scope of the survey concerned the frequency, duration, and location of tourist visits to rural areas, assessments of satisfaction with their stay, and detailed opinions and suggestions regarding the use of tourist facilities and infrastructure in the region. The research confirmed that the Świętokrzyskie region possesses significant and diverse potential for the development of rural tourism, stemming from its natural and cultural assets. Tourists are primarily motivated to visit the region by its high natural values. Cultural and historical heritage further enhances the region’s tourism potential, although it plays a secondary role. This pattern of demand for rural tourism is consistent with findings reported in the international literature. Tourists visiting the region point to the need for improvements in service quality and surrounding infrastructure, as current shortcomings reduce the comfort of their stay. The most important challenges for service providers remain the lack of financial resources and rising operating costs. Farm owners also highlight investment difficulties, limited access to external funding, and insufficient involvement of local authorities in the development and promotion of rural tourism. At the same time, respondents overwhelmingly express confidence in favourable demand trends and growing interest in agritourism, which confirms the prospects for further growth in the sector. The research results also indicate substantial variation in the quality of agritourism offerings and a limited use of local cultural resources in the creation of tourism products. This highlights the need to diversify the range of services provided, with particular emphasis on promoting products rooted in regional traditions, local cuisine, and traditional crafts. Non-natural assets should become far more visible to tourists visiting the region and play a stronger role in enhancing the tourism potential of the Świętokrzyskie countryside. <br>
The geo-political transition in 1989-91 had long term consequences for the European integration process. The integration and regionalisation processes following the transition resulted in a transformation of territorial borders in and around the region; the functions of the borders changed. Mobility is vital for these processes. This paper is based on a longitudinal study of the development of air traffic from airports in the eastern part of the Baltic Sea Region, 2000-2012. The purpose of the paper is to discuss how the development of infrastructure and transport networks influence regionalisation processes in the Baltic Sea Region. Firstly, the impact of macro-economic development as a driver of internationalisation in the region is analysed, thereafter the relationship between institutional transition and regional system development. There are three periods of large increase in traffic from the Baltic States towards Western Europe, related to institutional change: rapidly after independence, as a result of the enlargement of the European Union, and related to the emergence of low-cost aviation. Aviation from Minsk and Kaliningrad have also shown substantial increase in air traffic, but mainly to other parts of the former Soviet Union. There is thus little evidence of a regionalisation process involving the whole region.
Hydrographical mapping carried out by the Author provided for a quantitative evaluation of the distribution of different types of springs located on the homoclinal ridge of Mount Babia Góra – at 1725 m a.s.l., the highest mountain in the Western Carpathians (Fig. 1), built of flysch sediment. Circulation of groundwater on ridge slopes modelled in different ways by landslides was analysed, with particular attention paid to the circulation of water in the deeply-fissured Magura Sandstone that forms the upper part of the massif, as well s the thick cover of colluvia (Figs. 2 and 3). The depth and distance of water circulation on different parts of the slopes were evaluated in relation to altitude, slope exposure, type of flysch rock and landslide topography. Six types of water-bearing sediment were distinguished, and their limits of occurrence identified. Magura Sandstone appeared to be the most water-retaining sediment, proving permeable down to depths of 100 m locally. Three classifications of springs were carried out, in line with geomorphological location (direction of groundwater inflow and means of circulation), type of water-bearing sediment, and local-scale distribution(in connection with landslide forms). Among the 873 springs located in the Polish part of Mt. Babia Góra, over 80% are slope located and can be regarded as descending springs. These include: rock springs (a), rock-debris springs (b), debris springs (c), and rock-mantle springs (d). Other springs occur on valley floors (e) and are also mostly of the descending type, though a few are ascending (mineral and thermal). Most springs are alimented by water flowing out from thick covers of colluvia. Within this group it proved possible to distinguish three subtypes of spring (b2, b3, b4 ) located in different segments of landslides (Fig. 4). Other divisions of springs were into single springs, lines of springs and series of springs (Fig. 5). The number of springs on the slopes of Mt. Babia Góra is similar to the number located at the foot of the mountain comprising lateral ridges and valley floors. Along a profile of altitude, the largest numbers of springs can be seen to be located at the heads of valleys, where the density on the northern slope exceeds 30 per. km-2 (Fig. 6). The density of springs on the southern slope in valleys located at high altitude is even greater. The determined distribution of springs down the altitudinal profile of Mt. Babia Góra allowed for delimitation of three hydrographical belts - of water alimentation, transit and accumulation, which are different from the hydrographical belts noted in the Western Beskidy and Tatra Mountains. The distribution of springs on Mount Babia Góra and their unusually high density are determined first and foremost by the landslide morphology of slopes.
A number of investigations have recently been devoted to the issues of inequalities in the international academic discourse. Hardly any of them concern, though, scholarly publishing practices and the actual utilization of the scientific output of non-Anglophone geographers, especially those from regions undergoing a neoliberal turn in the management of tertiary education and science. The following article aims to partly fill the gap through a close bibliometric analysis of the participation of researchers from East-Central Europe in international human geography. The investigation makes use of information about articles published in 48 geographical journals indexed in Web of Science. The results of the examination reveal that the share of researchers from East-Central Europe in the international geographical discourse is rather inconsiderable. The geographers struggle with the following problems: (1) publishing in a limited group of periodicals (concerning mostly the issues of Europe) coupled with a dearth of publications in important American and British societal journals as well as the ones of a more radical orientation; (2) infrequent citations of their works as compared to those of Anglophone and Western European researchers. All this is accounted for, inter alia, by (1) the negative impact the socialist period had on the development of social sciences, (2) a poor command of English, (3) a research focus on well-established and ‘safe’ themes as well as (4) the mechanisms of the Anglophone dominance in science. Giving all these handicaps careful consideration, the authors formulate the idea of doublepublication policy aimed at ameliorating the discussed problems.
This article explores how participatory approaches and transnational cooperation can be advanced to advance multi-level governance in pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on SDG 11 “Sustainable cities and communities”. Based on qualitative research in Finland and Sweden we show that participatory approaches fail due to a lack of administrative capacity, path dependencies, societal conflicts and power asymmetries between the actors involved, which limit the transformative scope and legitimacy of policies. We argue that central governments in particular need to take more responsibility, provide more guidance and invest in capacity building and community empowerment at the local level. <br>
The article concerns the issue of the increasing development level of rural areas, which determines division into regions of dynamic growth and competing areas. Mitigating development might be achieved through adequate use of endogenous potential inherent in particular territorial units. This paper undertakes the issue of shaping sustainable socio-economic development of rural areas based on endogenous conditions as well as appropriate targeting of the EU funds to strengthen actions leading to the optimal use of resources. For a comprehensive assessment of funds impact for socio-economic development economic indicators and synthetic indexes were taken into consideration. These were calculated for the socio-economic (endogenous) development in rural areas (by region) and the level of absorption for the measures implemented by the 16 Regional Operational Programmes. Such procedure allowed to specify the relations and interdependencies that occur between these two levels. Results of the analysis were referred to the concept of neo-endogenous development.
Vegetable-growing is an important agricultural production trend in the Łódzkie Voivodeship. Its significance to the economy is emphasized in the voivodeship strategic documents, in which vegetable-growing is mentioned as one of the regional assets. Areas of its occurrence have been considered to present development potential. Vegetable cultivation in the Łódzkie Voivodeship occupies a relatively large area compared to the other regions. In years 2004–2016 the Łódzkie Voivodeship took the fourth place in terms of the area of vegetable cultivation and third place regarding share of vegetables in the sown area. Analyzed had the third largest share of vegetables in the value of total and market agricultural production. In the years 2004–2016, both the area of vegetable cultivation and the size of harvest in the Łódzkie Voivodeship decreased. The area of soil-grown vegetables cultivation decreased at an average rate of 2.9% per annum, while the size of crops decreased at an average rate of 1.0% a year. Despite the decline in the area of vegetable cultivation and the size of harvest, vegetable-growing remained an important part of the regional agricultural economy. In the analyzed period, vegetables accounted for 9.7% of the total value and 11.8% of the market value of agricultural production. Their share in the value of total and market production of agriculture, in contrast to the area and harvest, increased. The average growth rate of the share of vegetables in the value of total agricultural production was 2.9% per annum. The average growth rate of vegetables share in the value of market production was 2.1% per annum. In terms of participating in the value of total plant production, vegetables took the second place in Poland. Considering the share in the value of market production, vegetables were ranked first. The region’s vegetable growing area provides economic grounds for the functioning of the vegetable and fruit-vegetable processing industry for enterprises operating both in the Łódzkie Voivodeship and in the neighboring regions.
The avalanches represent a significant and very dynamic process within the Tatra high-mountain landscape. Undoubtedly avalanche run-out distances play a key role in land use planning within avalanche prone areas. The Žiarska valley and Predné Meďodoly valley are considered as one of the most avalanche prone valleys in Tatra Mts. This environment represents an excellent opportunity for studying and modelling extreme avalanche run-outs. Primarily avalanche release zones were estimated by using an existing model proposed by Hreško (1998). This model was modified and calibrated for both valleys. The alpha-beta regression model developed in Norway has been used to estimate avalanche run-outs. Data processing and model calibration have been elaborated in GIS environment. Avenue script for ArcGIS was written to perform automated runout estimation based on alpha-beta regression model. Model managed to estimate run-outs on some slopes while it failed to model run-ups. Finally the results were visualized by creating the fly-through simulations and 3D views. Comparison between model calculation and avalanche cadastre showed correlation.
The article is to complement data on territorially diversified social and human capital in rural areas. The study concentrated on rural areas of Pomorskie Province, broken down by suburban and other rural communes, and broken down by historical regions. The subject of the study is human and social capital. The term ‘human capital’ is understood as a collection of knowledge, skills and competencies of given persons, used for the purpose of economic activity. Social capital, on the other hand, is the ability of cooperative interrelations between people in a group or organisation to achieve common benefits. Both types of capital are significant, intangible resources necessary for the local development. The article focuses on selected aspects of both types of capital which are neglected in most studies relying on secondary data, due to measurement difficulties. Therefore, primary data was used from polls conducted on a group of 7,100 individuals (including 2,300 rural residents). The analysis covered the following issues: the value of life, trusting people and institutions, identification and relation with the work place, attitude towards work. The results consisted in three categories of conclusions. Firstly, as indicated by the most common indicators of social activity and entrepreneurship, the analysed characteristics do not differ between the city inhabitants and those in rural areas. Data on entrepreneurship and social activeness are easily accessible at every level of spatial integration and are commonly applied. Nevertheless, they should be interpreted with greater caution as the value of these indicators results directly from defined features of particular individuals and their community constituting human and social capital. The individuals’ and communities’ environment has a considerable impact on their functioning in society. On the other hand, polls indicate that they also cannot be interpreted directly. Smaller differences in issues meaningful for the development of social and human capital result partially from the way in which they are formulated in the social context. The reference framework is rather the situation of people in the closer and further environment than abstract indicators. This leads to flattening the spectrum of formulated assessments. Secondly, a lower level of studied features was generally not observed in rural suburbs with the exception of its components which are directly dependent on the agglomeration economies. Thirdly, in terms of historical regions, responses formulated by the respondents of the western part of the Province showed certain distinctive features. However, it seems that this might be attributed to the transition crises rather than long-term conditions.
The paper concerns investigations on urban geomorphology. The subject of the paper is the historic centre of Kraków (or Cracow) where the pre-human relief became masked due to the rapid increase in cultural deposits from the mid-13th century onwards. The aim of the investigation is the reconstruction of the original topography, relief and hydrography of this area based on rich sources of materials in papers and non-published data on geology, geoengineering, archaeology, history, and also on maps and panoramic drawings of the town. A digital elevation model has been generated, which showed the topography of the study area in the period before the mid-13th century. Structural analysis, cross validation test and estimation by ordinary kriging method were carried out. The final cartographic work was prepared with the use of QGIS and Surfer software. The distribution of landforms in the study area in the mid-13th century is presented as a proposed variant of the geomorphological map prepared by the authors. The former relief was evaluated in terms of its potential for encouraging settlement.
The aim of the article was to diagnose economic and environmental factors determining trade in agricultural land of Poland. The agricultural land can have many values and functions depending on the different needs of buyers. It is important what price of land the buyer expects in the future, what goals are assumed and what is the quality of land. Among economic factors, the following were distinguished: price, supply and demand for agricultural land intended for agricultural production or for non-agricultural purposes, parallel functioning of two market segments – private (on which the majority of trade in agricultural land takes place between farmers), as well as the land market – Agricultural Property Stock of the State Treasury, profitability of agricultural production. Among the most important environmental factors were included: bonitation (land classification) and agrotechnical category of soils, existence of mineral deposits within the boundaries of the real estate, location in areas subject to legal protection, current development status, location in an attractive natural environment, land form, difficulties in accessing the property. An important role and significance in agricultural land turnover was attributed to soil bonitation, which is necessary before the valuation of agricultural real estate due to possible changes in use, quality classes or soil degradation, which has a direct impact on the property value. In the current legal reality of trade in agricultural land in Poland, the results of land classification have a large impact on the economic effects of agricultural land allocation for non-agricultural purposes, e.g. construction or exploitation of minerals.
Political boundaries represent a universal phenomenon and key element by which social and economic phenomena existing across space are structured. But both the presence and the nature (role, function, etc.) of borders are seen to vary temporally and spatially, with differentiated attendant consequences for socio-economic development. The present article relates to state borders, which separate certain areas off from others, while at the same time constituting meeting points and points of contact between them. While this would hold true whether we perceive the said borders as lines, areas or zones, the modern-day approach to borders is a multi-dimensional one that treats them as socio-spatial constructs revealing and articulating differentiation that truly exists. It is possible to note two opposing cause-and-effect processes here. On the one hand, there are different divisions and boundaries between many socio-economic and even natural phenomena that sanction the existence and locations of borders; while on the other the very existence of state borders establishes or reinforces the existence of other, new divisions that can be regarded as boundaries (even as they are not now necessarily state borders as such). I trust that this argumentation helps capture the essence of the geography present in considerations of boundaries and borders; as well as its changing but ever-important role, while at the same time generating opportunities for further research, and for the ongoing observation of the diverse processes linking up with the existence of borders. Variability and change of function would seem to offer a key to the understanding of the significances of borders and the influences they exert, as regards the border landscape, neighbourly (international) relations and phenomena of a socio-economic nature. In that light, four functions for borders are in fact proposed here – as barriers, peripheries, lines of differentiation and axes of integration. Each change has knock-on implications for transformations of function in regard to both borders as such and the areas adjacent to them. Thus, by making assumptions as to the fundamental aspects characterising variations in the nature of borders, it has been possible here to come up with proposals regarding the consequences these will bring with them. And even as a process whereby a border opens up is underway and integration is ensuing, it is still possible that change as a whole will falter or even stall, should issues arise locally (e.g. through conflict or other negative events), nationally (e.g. through unilateral or bilateral severing of agreements), or globally (e.g. thanks to external threat, a desire to protect domestic markets or a migration crisis). For these reasons, geopolitical considerations will always reign supreme over other borderland phenomena, determining directions of development and possibilities for borders (and adjacent areas) to function. In that light, this article stresses the still-relevant need for borders, borderlands and relevant ongoing processes to be made subject to theoretical conceptualisation and processing. And this would be true as regards, not only the spatial extent or scope of borderland areas, but also the changing conditioning, consequences and actions. In this, a challenge that continues to be present entails the founding of theoretical concepts for the borderland that draw on selected paradigms and stress the role and importance of border and borderland geography, along with its key subjects of interest. And, where the study of borders being pursued in Poland is concerned, it needs to be hoped that a new trajectory may be found and followed, with each conceptualisation exerting a summarising or theorising impact proving of value as form is given to a full new theory for the development of borders and borderlands in Poland and its neighbouring countries, with account taken, not merely of recent decades, but of a much longer time period.
Mountain areas are ecosystems very vulnerable to fluctuations and changes of climate. As a consequence, research into climate and climate change in Poland’s Karkonosze and Tatra Mountains has been ongoing for several years now, and has already yielded essential information regarding these highest ranges in Poland. However, there remains a paucity of research comparing features of climate in the two chains of mountains. In consequence, the work detailed here has sought to compare key climate characteristics in these ranges, as well as their seasonal and multiannual changes over the period 1951‒2015. The research is based on daily meteorological records from within the network of Poland’s Institute of Meteorology and Water Management – National Research Institute. In the case of the Karkonosze Mts., it was the meteorological stations at Śnieżka (Ś, 1603 m a.s.l.) and Jelenia Góra (JG, 344 m a.s.l.) that were chosen; while in the Tatras the selected stations were on Kasprowy Wierch (KW, 1990 m a.s.l.) and in Zakopane (Z, 857 m a.s.l.). Additionally, the station at Hala Gąsienicowa (HG, 1520 m a.s.l.) was considered in line with data available for the shorter 1981‒2015 period. The research took account of daily data on air temperature, relative humidity of the air, wind speed, precipitation and snow cover. Specifically, the climate characteristics calculated and analysed by reference to mean multiannual, yearly and seasonal values related to air temperature, maximum temperature, minimum temperature, precipitation totals and maximum snow depth. Further analysis related to numbers of days with precipitation and snow cover, as well as numbers of days with specific air temperatures described as hot (Tmax >25°C), frosty (Tmax <0°C), very frosty (Tmin<-10°C) and icy (Tmax<-10°C). Several climate similarities and differences between the Tatra and Karkonosze Mts. were found to include: 1. mean annual altitudinal gradients for air temperature that are similar for the Tatras (-0.53°C per 100 m) and the Karkonosze (-0.55°C/100 m), 2. the coldest month at the bottoms of both ridges being January, and the warmest July; while top stations feature a 1-month delay, in the sense that February and August are the coldest and warmest months respectively, 3. differing altitudinal gradients of maximum temperature, with the Tatras reporting -0.77°C per 100 m and the Karkonosze – -0. 88°C/100 m, 4. yearly precipitation totals and altitudinal precipitation gradients that are significantly less well-marked in the Karkonosze than in the Tatras (respectively 1212 and 1721 mm, as well as 38.0 and 52.9 mm per 100 m), 5. more precipitation days on Śnieżka than Kasprowy Wierch (237 v 227), 6. relative humidity of air that is highest in autumn and winter below the two ranges, while being highest at the summits in summer, 7. a wind speed in the Karkonosze that is higher than in the Tatras; i.e. 12.2 v 6.6 m/s at the summits, and 2.5 and 1.4 m/s respectively down below, 8. snow cover of 218 days duration at the top of the Tatra Mts., as opposed to 187 days on Mt. Śnieżka. The study also considered multiannual changes in elements of climate over the 1951–2015. Trends achieving statistical significance (with 99, 95% or 90% confidence levels) were confined to just some of the characteristics and stations. Nevertheless, the Tatra and Karkonosze Mts. have experienced an increase in mean annual air temperature – respectively of 0.20–0.27 and 0.22–0.40°C each consecutive 10-year period. Significant changes were also observed for maximum temperature, Tmax equal to 0.35–0.36°C per 10 years in the Tatras and 0.4–0.5°C per decade in the Karkonosze. In the case of precipitation totals the only significant change in value is that noted for Śnieżka top, where the trend is a downward one equal to some 71 mm per 10 years. Where snow cover was concerned, the only effect was a slight decrease in the number of snowy days recorded at Zakopane, located just below the Tatra Mountains
There is now a renaissance of interest in Poland’s urban regions, including the Functional Urban Areas (FUAs) and this can be considered due to a change from the administrative and sectoral approach dominating planning for regional development in the direction of a functional one. This paper presents an overview of the concepts related to FUAs and related issues, as well as methods referred to in the Polish literature when it comes to the delimitation of urban-related areas. It then goes on to propose a new delimitation of urban functional areas extending to the entire territory of the country. FUAs were delimited as nodal regions on the basis of a criterion of functional linkage – commuting and migration exchange (population check-in and check-out), using the additional criterion of maximum temporal distance. The results of the prepared means of drawing distinctions showed how the daily life of Poland's population is organised in relation to a relatively large number of diverse "micro-regions." The number of classified FUAs (413) is similar to the number of county-level administrative units known as poviats (380), while these units are characterised by different sizes and spatial extents. The work is in line with the demand for those engaging in spatial and strategic planning to think in terms of functional areas.
The article presents the delimitation and classification of areas where population declines and excessive population outflow were recorded between 2004 and 2023. In particular, the main objectives of this article are as follows: • to create the conceptual and methodological basis for the development of the above-mentioned delimitation and classification of depopulation; • to conduct a formal empirical analysis, which will result in a model delimitation and classification that can be universally applied in scientific and practical research;• to spatially identify communes and areas experiencing depopulation, along with their quantitative and qualitative socio-economic characteristics. The article briefly discusses the status and development of research on the delimitation of depopulating and related areas in Poland in the context of foreign solutions. Next, a delimitation and classification procedure is proposed. In the next step, the relevant areas were identified and basic socio-economic statistics were compiled for them. The last two sections are discussion of the results, emphasizing, among other things, their applications, and a summary of the most important findings. Two indicators were used in the delimitation related to the regularity and extent of the population decline: a permanent decline in birth rates and a negative internal migration balance. The analyses were carried out for two types of territorial units: 2,477 communes and 314 functional urban areas (FUA). The result is the delimitation and classification of 1,297 communes and 239 FUAs affected by depopulation and emigration, covering approx. 80% of the country’s area. It can be used as a basis for monitoring demographic and socio-economic processes. The results of the analyses indicate that currently, the most common process in the redistribution of the population in Poland is depopulation, which already affects approximately 80% of the area of communes and a similar percentage of cities and rural statistical localities. In the last two decades, this process has intensified. In 2024, the population declined in 1,949 communes (out of 2,477). These figures are probably underestimated, as most of the “suspended” foreign emigration and a significant part of internal migration are not registered through deregistration. This is not offset by similarly unreported foreign immigration, as it is mainly concentrated outside areas of depopulation. The spread of depopulation in Poland is the result of a demographic shift that occurred after the political and socio-economic breakthrough of 1989. This reversal consisted of a change from absolute population growth to population decline and was due to two reasons: foreign emigration and a decline in fertility. In 2025, Poland is a country undergoing permanent depopulation, with the prospect of this process deepening unless there is stronger foreign immigration. In summary, over the last decade, Poland has entered a new phase of population redistribution, which will have a strong impact on socio-economic processes on various territorial scales. This requires specific measures on the part of state policy, including the recognition of depopulation as a major barrier and threat to development, especially at the local and regional levels. The delimitation presented in this article, which is the result of one of the government projects aimed at reducing the outflow of young people from villages, towns, and cities, is intended to highlight the territorial scale of the problem and provide a useful tool for monitoring depopulation. <br>
The work described here sought to assess land use in flood hazard areas within selected gminas (local authority areas) of Łódź voivodship. The analysis in fact encompassed 21 of the gminas, located in the catchment areas of the Warta, Pilica and Bzura and officially characterised by “high” or “very high” flood risks. A flood hazard zone is considered to coincide with the area reached by high waters 1% of the time. The term “use” is understood by S. Liszewski (1997, p. 61) as „…using something, benefiting from something in a rational way which brings as great an advantage as possible”. Consequently, almost every human activity is reflected in the land and ”…performs a clearly defi ned and diverse function” (1978, p. 17). River valleys are separate natural systems characterised by specific forms of geological structure, relief, water relations and climate, as well as fauna and flora. These are precisely those features of the environment that condition and shape forms of human activity. The type of valley development has a strong impact on valuable natural features as well as on flood protection issues. In areas with no urbanisation, the degree of conversion of natural areas relates directly to the system of land-use types. The highest degree of conversion is associated with areas of cultivation, while a more limited degree char-acterises grassland, and the lowest degree if all forest areas. The mosaic of land uses of differing intensities is associated with growing fragmentation of the river and valley environment. In turn, from the point of view of flood protection the greatest emphasis is placed on analysis of the level of investment in the areas in question, and on identifying places that face a more distinct hazard, the correct identification obviously being of key importance in ensuring proper protection (Słoneczka et al., 2008). A surge in built-up areas in flood-hazard zones tends to be associated with flooding of increased extent and frequency (Konrad, 2003). In the area under study, the highest degree of horizontal intensity of development is that characterising the three towns of Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Kutno and Łowicz. In the gmina of Tomaszów Mazowiecki approximately 14% of the flood-hazard area has been developed, mainly with technical and production facilities, with the major potential losses in the event of a flood being likely along the Rivers Czarna and Piasecznica. In Kutno, the index for horizontal intensity of development for flood-hazard areas reaches 7.5%, an example that illustrates how smaller rivers offer a greater sense of security. People are more willing to build in the valleys of such rivers, with tragic consequences, given the way that the floods occurring in smaller valleys are more dynamic and harder to safeguard against. In Łowicz, the horizontal intensity index for 1% water is found to be 4.5%. The valley bottom of the Bzura is very wide here, especially in the western and eastern parts of the gmina where buildings are present (the central section of the river within the town’s administrative boundaries has an embankment). Smaller rivers, especially the Czarna, Piasecznica and Ochnia, give users a sense of security, as does a location below the Sulejowski and Jeziorsko Reservoirs. All this is leading to an intensification of land development in this area, and to an increase in potential adverse consequences in the event of flooding.
The subject of this work concerns primary education in rural areas of the Małopolskie Voivodship. The research is particularly focused upon Miechów district, which is located in the south-western part of the Małopolskie Voivodship. The authors strived to present the impact of demographic conditions upon the network of schools in this strongly depopulating region and identify to what extend trends among population limit the accessibility to after-school activities for children and adolescents. The aim of this paper is to present the location and accessibility of primary education institutions in Miechów district and also to assessthe organization of after-school activities which is a major factor in ensuring equal opportunities of education among children and adolescents. As a result of unfavorable demographic tendencies, schools are being closed down. In the Małopolskie Voivodship 143 (12.3%) primary schools were liquidated over the years 2000–2012 and these include mainly small,ruralschoolsin agricultural areas. The number of pupils attending primary schools decreased even more. Between the years 2000–2012 the number fell by over 80 thousand (from 280 thousand to just under 200 thousand which constitutes 30%). The authors attempted to determine essential information about children's travel to schools such as: residence place of children that are brought to particular schools, the average time of reaching school from where they live and the means of transport that a child chooses to reach the school. In 2008 the location of primary schools in the area of Miechów district allowed for relatively good accessibility within its borders. However, during the years 2008–2014 the spatial accessibility greatly decreased as a result of many institutions being closed down. The average time a child needs to reach school extended by 20% in the whole discussed area. The highest increase was observed in Kozłów commune, in which the time extended by 46% (to 3,4 minutes) and where 5 primary schools were liquidated.
The 1989 fall of the Iron Curtain marked the beginning of new economic, socio-cultural and political realities for the former socialist states in Central and Eastern Europe. Along with the economic restructuring from statecentralised to market economy, democratisation and liberalisation initiated a transformation of the socialist urban space, which was characterised by the changing role of its iconic landmarks. This conceptual paper examines these post-1989 changes, which range between the removal of these landmarks and their transition into market led iconic and flagship attractions. The paper identifies the changing role of tourism from a topbottom orchestrated to a market led activity, which explains the transformation of some of these landmarks. It introduces a new framework for studying this process by suggesting that iconisation, de-iconisation and re-iconisation processes are interrelated to other strategies and approaches to the transition of the socialist urban landscape into a western market economy. The paper identifies avenues for further research and provides some recommendations for improving the management of similar processes.
The aim of the study was to identify and examine main directions of soil patterns, typology, SOC (Soil Organic Carbon) and Nt (Total Nitrogen) content in the topsoil changes that have occurred in kettle holes as an effect of soil erosion and anthropogenic denudation. Varied in the type of land use, three closed basins located in young glacial landscape in north-western Poland were investigated. According to the type of land use, the total area of soils with untransformed or moderately transformed morphology is different. Significant modifications have been taking place not only in mineral soils, which are located on slopes, but especially in soils of the bottom of sedimentary basins. In fact, most of primary soil properties and morphology have been replaced by new characteristics. The most intensive modifications of soil morphology and soil chemical properties occurs within croplands. Total area of colluvial soils can be treated as indicator of soil erosion processes intensity.
Climate change has a huge impact on many forms of life and processes occurring on Earth. As high mountains have emerged as particularly sensitive to climate change, the Tatras, have long been a site for research on climate change and its impact on the environment. Debris flows are among the most spectacular hydrometeorological and geomorphological events occurring in high mountains, and given the long-term permafrost and large number of multiannual snow patches occurring in the Tatras, as well as the impact these exert on slope morphodynamics, it was also decided to examine the impact of climate change on selected elements of the cryosphere here. Equally, although the Karkonosze may not be counted as high mountains, but are at best intermediate between these and mountains of medium height, research of the same kind as in the Tatras has nevertheless been pursued at locations within this range. Lichenometric dating shows that the period with the greatest intensity of slope modelling in the two mountain ranges was the so-called “Little Ice Age”, the end of which is similar in the Karkonosze to in the Tatras. In both ranges, the 1930s and 1940s brought an upsurge in debris flows. Another phase of increased frequency of debris flows in the Tatras generally began in the 1970s and has continued through to the present day, while the analogous phenomenon in the Karkonosze Mountains began some 10-20 years later. Analysis of the intensity and duration of precipitation indicates that, in both the Tatra Mountains and the Karkonosze, daily precipitation totals are much less significant for the initiation of debris flows than the intensity of precipitation at given times. In the Tatras, it is sufficient for heavy precipitation of more than 1 mm/min to persist for at least 15 minutes, for debris flows to begin to occur. In the case of the Karkonosze, the duration of such heavy-rainfall events is slightly longer, with the presently-available (still scant) data suggesting 30 minutes is siffucient. The thickness of the cones analysed by GPR sounding in the Tatra Mountains is at least twice as great as that of the cones present at Mały Staw in the Karkonosze Mountains. This difference mainly reflects the size and shape of the sediment supply area and the type and dynamics of the morphogenetic processes providing the material from which the cones are formed. The Karkonosze Mountains currently lack any multiannual snow patches, though it seems very likely that 80+ years ago (at the end of the “Little Ice Age”), snow did cover parts of these mountains for almost the whole year. Existing debris glaciers in the Tatra Mountains, like the largest such glacier in the Karkonosze, displayed no activity during the “Little Ice Age”, despite the probable presence of permafrost in some of the Tatra rock glaciers. Despite the climatic differences between the Tatra and Karkonosze Mountains (mainly related to altitude and geographical location), a high degree of concordance is to be noted in the course of changes in morphogenetic processes discussed in this paper. These in turn relate to the latitudinal teleconnection phenonenon found by both climatologists and dendrochronologists. The impact of climate change on the activity of debris flows and the response on the part of snow patches/ glacierettes in the Tatra Mountains and the Karkonosze Mountains is seen to be similar to the impact and change reported in the Alps.
This paper presents the reasons for, and the historical-political conditions underpinning, the liquidation and division of East Prussia after World War II. It is recalled here that, even before the War, Polish scholars, including quite a number of leading Polish geographers, had aimed to have such a political design implemented. The period of the War itself saw respective proposals drawn up in various detailed variants. The very first two of these were presented on April 2nd, 1940, in Paris by Division III of the Head Office of the Polish Army Commander (at that time General Władysław Sikorski). The subsequent proposal for the course of the border was as finalised by October 17th, 1940 in London, by the Bureau for Political Studies of the Polish Government-in-Exile. The three variants are presented and commented upon in the article, as well as shown in Fig. 1. They did not gain any high political status, unlike the decision on the division of East Prussia taken personally by Joseph Stalin in July1944, during a meeting with the Polish Delegation. This concept for the course of the border is also shown in Fig. 1. The defeat of Nazi Germany and the occupation of this German border province by the Red army made it possible for effect to be given to an already-formulated territorial postulate. The decisions of the three powers, taken in Tehran, Yalta and Potsdam, are also presented and commented upon. The final part of the paper then presents the procedures by which the borderline was delineated, and determined in practice, as this resulted in the ultimate division of East Prussia into Polish and Soviet parts. In particular, attention is paid to the boundary negotiations relevant to that, which took place throughout 1945. Over the longer term, the boundary in fact proved unstable, with individual localities changing their political affiliations from one state to the other. All this of course happened under strong pressure from the Soviet side that effectively left the Polish party helpless. The border that was finally established, largely in the form of a straight line running East-West, in fact persists through to the present day, and now separates Poland from the Kaliningrad District of the Russian Federation.
The work described here has sought to identify the variable hydro-meteorological conditions (across hydrological years 2009–2014) determining cliff-erosion dynamics along the coast of Poland’s Wolin Island. Daily data from the tide-gauge station in Świnoujście allowed for the presentation of variability in sea level, with data obtained from the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management. Also presented are annual, semi-annual and monthly characterisations of elements of the weather capable of exerting the greatest erosive impact on cliffs, i.e. precipitation and snow cover, as well as thermal and anemometric conditions. The daily meteorological data derived from the author’s own measurements, from the meteorological station in Biała Góra situated on the Wolin cliff top. The potential erosive hydro-meteorological conditions were set against annual measurements of cliff-top recession rates, the research into this involving geodetic RTK GPS measurements on 5 test sections representing different morpholithological conditions. The hydrological years 2009-2014 experienced very significant hydro-meteorological events potentially favouring the occurrence of erosion processes (mass movements and aeolian erosion). The occurrence of potentially erosive hydro-meteorological events is referenced against cliff-top recession rates. In particular, this study presents the geomorphological effects of two extreme hydro-meteorological occurrences. i.e. Hurricane Xavier of December 2013 (maximum sea level 612 cm) and a two-hour extreme (74mm) precipitation event occurring in August 2014 year. The specific nature of the cause-effect relationship between hydro-meteorological conditions and cliff erosion on the cliff coast of Wolin Island is also described, though these results are also capable of being applied to other cliff sections of the Southern Baltic coastal zone. The relationships between hydro-meteorological conditions and coastal erosion are not seen to be directly proportional, but are non-linear. It is not always the extreme storm surges and high levels of precipitation that generate extreme erosion along the shore. Rather, the dynamics of cliff-edge erosion are found to be determined by a number of other determinants obscuring the simple relation-ship between hydro-meteorological conditions and intensity of erosion. The most important factors influencing the dynamics of coastal erosion are morphological conditions, slope aspect vis-à-vis approaching waves, qualitative and quantitative conditions of sediment on beaches and in the shallows, the dynamics and frequency of extreme hydro-meteorological events in the preceding period, and human activity relating to hydrotechnical installations. Given the current upward trend for sea level and the increasing frequency of extreme hydro-meteorological events, the Southern Baltic coastal zone is expected to be subject to intensified cliff erosion in the near future. In this context, the results presented here might also gain wider application in studying other parts of the Baltic coastal zone with a morainic cliff coastline, especially along the stretch between Estonia and Germany.
Sea space has been undergoing a profound transformation. Although it retains its inspirational function in arts, literature and philosophy, it has been gaining new anthropogenic dimensions in economics and urban planning as a source of satisfying human needs i.e. the provision of harmony, beauty, off-shore energy, and biotech substances. Therefore, in this paper marine space is analyzed from a multidimensional perspective of urban planning, economics, and literature. Maritime space has been a subject of literature from its inception. Without attempting to give an overview of the vast topic, the paper discusses the pronounced presence of sea space in the earliest Western literary sources, such as the Bible and Anglo-Saxon poetry. As a striking case study, Herman Melville’s 1851 novel Moby-Dick is analyzed with its complex, dynamic notion of maritime space. Aditionally, the importance of the shore as locus amoenus in a short story by the contemporary writer Maxim D. Shrayer is examined. This notion of locus amoenus is also present in the research related to urban planning. Maritime space attracts people to locate nearby. Development is created as a response to these demands. Both urban planning and economics underline, however, a need of sustainable development of this space. This is crucial in order to secure its positive influence on human well-being in the long run. The three disciplines also point out that maritime space remains in the process of continuous creation and re-development in course of adding new functional and axiological ties between humans and the seas and oceans. Thus, nowadays maritime space covers both sea and terrestrial gateways servicing the sea and the key constituting factor is provided by human beings (homo maritimus) through their economic, social or emotional bond to the sea.
Various shapes are taken on by the bedrock outcrops emerging from regolith cover, typically described using the generic term ‘crag’ or ‘tor’. Consequently, specific terms have been proposed to account for this variety. Among these outcrops are those consisting of a narrow lower part (stem) and a wider upper part (cap), resembling a mushroom. In English, they are named pedestal rocks if built of hard, well-lithified rock; or hoodoos if the rock is softer, but there is no established boundary line between the two. Not uncommonly, however, and perhaps less formally, they are referred to as ‘rock mushrooms’ (or mushroom rocks), to emphasise the unusual shape. In Polish, the term equivalent to ‘rock mushroom’ has been used at least since the 1930s, and appears to be a legitimate part of geomorphological vocabulary. In this paper, we present the occurrences of rock mushrooms in different lithologies, identify geological controls and review various hypotheses regarding their origin and evolution. Rock mushrooms are known from various lithological settings, although some bedrock types clearly favour their origin more than the others. First of all, these are sandstones and aconglomerates. Rock mushrooms are up to 10 m high, whereas height proportions between the stem and the cap vary, resulting in a great variety of specific shapes, from large monoliths on low (<1 m) pedestals to tiny caps on top of slender stems >5 m high. In Poland, the north-eastern part of the Stołowe Mountains abounds in rock mushrooms developed in Upper Cretaceous sandstones; but they also occur in other parts of the Sudetes, where Cretaceous sandstones crop out; and in the flysch Carpathians. Specific variants of rock mushrooms in clastic rocks include those related to non-uniform silification of sandy sediments (e.g. Fontainebleau Forest, France) or secondary ferruginisation of sandstone beds (e.g. Kokořinsko, Czechia). Rock mushrooms are also known from limestone and dolomite terrain, with the massive forms in Ciudad Encantada, Spain, being probably the tallest known from literature. The latter are up to 15 m high and have developed within a dolomite succession. Heights above 10 m are also attained by rockmushrooms in the volcanic succession of Cappadocia, Turkey, locally described as ‘fairy chimneys’. A great variety of shapes are documented from this region, with conical caps being very common. Granite rock mushrooms are comparatively rare, and in this case a clear distinction between the stem and the cap usually proves difficult. More commonly, the outcrops assume a shape resembling the letter ‘S’ or ‘Ω’, with basal undercutting grading smoothly into a wider upper part. A specific term ‘flared slope’ has been proposed to account for this basal concavity. Finally, cap-on-stem situations typify eroded glacigenic deposits, best known from the Alps, where boulders embedded in till or outwash sediments provide a protective cap to the underlying mass. As the overall shape is often conical, the term ‘earth pyramid’ is used in some languages (e.g. Polish and German). Rock mushrooms have more than one origin, and many can in fact be polygenetic. In each case, however, rock disintegration is clearly more efficient in the basal part. The reasons for enhanced efficacy at this point vary, and include: (a) aeolian undercutting – this view prevails in primary and secondary geographical education, even as wind-abraded rock mushrooms are by no means the most common examples; (b) differential weathering related to lithological or structural heterogeneity of rock, even as the exact mechanisms of weathering may vary; (c) subsurface (subsoil) weathering (etching) leading to the origin of a narrow stem, subsequently exposed; (d) wave-undercutting in coastal settings; (e) overland flow and gully erosion – these processes are fundamental for rock-mushroom evolution in poorly-lithified deposits; (f) negative feedback between stress and erosion on exposed bedrock outcrops.
The aim of this paper is to identify the dimensions of resilience undertaken in literature, characteristics describing resilient systems and spatial scales in the context of which resilience research and strategic planning are carried out. The research method was desk research within which the papers that were reviewed were selected based on scientific journal reputation including the high Impact Factor. References to resilience in strategic planning were selected on the basis of information about international organizations dealing with resilience mentioned in scientific articles. Based on broad review, environmental, social, economic and institutional resilience have been identified. Important properties of social-ecological systems identified in the context of resilience include connectivity, modularity, redundancy, interdependence, and diversification, while resilience strategies specifically consider flexibility, resourcefulness, reflectiveness, dispersion, mutuality, inclusion, and integration. Research as well as strategic actions to strengthen resilience consider global spatial scale but also national, regional, local, neighbourhood, household and individual.
The local resources give rise to the competitive advantages of the area, on which they appear, since they are characterised by the rarity of occurrence. They can hardly be duplicated by the others or can hardly be replaced by other kinds of resources in other places. Further, such resources cannot be separated from the place of their appearance; they are deeply “rooted” in the local space and local society. Local resources may, therefore, constitute the basis for the development of the competitive edge of a single business, a small territorial unit, as well as an entire region. Local resources, in most general terms, may have material character (raw materials, products, environmental qualities, etc.) or the non-material one (interrelations, skills and capacities, interconnections, culture, etc.). Thus, we deal with a very wide spectrum of factors, having diverse origins and influencing the local and regional development in a variety of ways. These factors display also high spatial differentiation, owing to which they provide the possibility of elaborating various development scenarios and strategic solutions in the regions. A set of resources can be the basis to develop new products that will increase the region’s competitiveness. The main objective of this paper is the spatial identification and diagnosis of the specific resources in the Lublin region, as well as the assessment of their development-related potential. Examined region has a diversified structure of local resources, where predominate services and cultural elements. The spatial extent of their influence, however, is usually very limited. The level of uniqueness and usability of resources is usually medium or low and they have strong links with tourism and recreation. Among the resources that received the highest rating are: the Old Town in Zamość, Kazimierz Dolny town, coal, spa in Nałęczów town, stud in Janów Podlaski and high agricultural potential.
The paper aims to provide an initial evaluation of transport poverty in Poland by examining both the demand and supply of public transport services at the municipal level. Due to the lack of comprehensive data, median earnings from the Central Statistical Office are used as a proxy for transport demand and income inequality, while a composite index of public transport accessibility (PTAI), incorporating three indicators, represents the supply side (rail and bus services). The study provides the first analysis in Poland to identify areas at risk of transport poverty, focusing on public transport accessibility at the municipal level. Through spatial analysis, it identifies vulnerable areas including those along national borders (excluding certain parts like the eastern Polish-Czech border), marginalized municipalities, internal peripheries of voivodeships like the Greater Poland- -Łódź border, and certain areas in developed voivodeships like Greater Poland and Pomerania. It highlights that some at-risk areas, such as southern Kashubia or counties like Międzychód, have not been previously recognized in other studies. The findings stress the need for further methodological development, especially refining indicators for monitoring transport poverty at the municipal level. <br>
This article presents a method for mapping traditional food products based on their descriptive characteristics and for visualizing and analyzing the results. The primary data source was the List of Traditional Food Products maintained since 2005 by the Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, supplemented with Polish EU-certified products with designated geographical origin (PDO, PGI). In total, 2,117 traditional food products were mapped. Most had a regional range, with major concentrations in Silesia (Śląsk), including Cieszyn Silesia (Śląsk Cieszyński), Kashubia (Kaszuby), Greater Poland (Wielkopolska), and Kuyavia (Kujawy). Although the spatial ranges of traditions differed across product categories, the three largest groups—prepared dishes, meat products, and bakery and confectionery products—showed similar distribution patterns. The List of Traditional Food Products proved to be broad, internally diverse, and methodologically inconsistent. Rather than reflecting the full richness of culinary traditions, it represents their operational interpretation by stakeholders engaged in promoting traditional food. The mapping revealed the spatial dimension of the reported traditional products, which has not been analyzed in the existing literature. It may serve as a platform for interpreting and communicating food heritage, as well as an element of consumer education and a tool supporting the development of food tourism. <br>
The unprecedented growth of immigration into Poland after 2013, especially from Ukraine, raises optimism among employers, and concerns among some social and political actors. The goal of this article is to contribute to that discussion, with a view to identifying a detailed geographical localisation of labour migrants employed under the simplified procedure (on the basis of employers’ declarations of a consent to employ a foreigner) – as an important legal channel by which the influx of foreign workers into Poland is taking place. Analyses of the register of declarations for 2012-2017 reveal a certain weakening of the geographical concentration of the foreign labour force in Poland. The highest intensity of foreign employment has been observed in rural areas, while the greatest numbers of declarations for work have been registered in large cities. The geographical distribution of the foreign labour force in Poland has been shaped by activities of employment agencies especially in recent years.
In the last 25 years, Łódź and the region surrounding the city have undergone significant transformations in respect of both the socio-economic structure and spatial development. In consequence of radical restructuring carried out after 1990, the traditional manufacturing branches disappeared and have been replaced by dynamically growing new types of business activity, especially in the services sector, which has enhanced the metropolitan character of Łódź and strengthened the functions belonging to IV sector of the economy. The purpose of this article is identification of the actual extent of Łódź Metropolitan Area in terms of the functions performed and its delimitation for management purposes, as well as analysis of conditions for further development of this area in the context of metropolisation processes. Future development largely depends on making good use of the favourable location in European space, European funds, cultural heritage and social potential. A serious challenge is coordination of activities of territorial self-government units and revision of the policies of the communes so as to create a consistent conception of the development of the metropolitan area. Łódź Metropolitan Area, despite certain barriers, has a potential strong enough to become an advanced, creative node in the sphere of culture, science and innovative economy, and a major element of the European settlement system.
In the analysis of the human heat balance, the biggest problem is to precisely determine the amount of energy absorbed by a human organism under dynamically changing solar conditions and while being surrounded by many different surfaces that can absorb, emit or reflect solar radiation in different ways. Therefore, in thermal comfort studies some simplifications of the radiation field around human body are necessary and thus the concept of mean radiant temperature (Mrt) is most often used. Mrt values can be derived either from direct instrumental measurements or calculated by one of the microclimate models. The most accurate way to determine the Tmrt outdoors is by integral radiation measurements and the calculation of angular factors (i.e. the proportion of radiation received by the human body from different directions). This method involves simultaneous measurements of long- and short-wave radiation flux densities in six directions, which requires three sets of net radiometers. Although this method of Mrt determination describes the radiation environment accurately and independently of the variable wind field, it requires the use of expensive and complex measurement devices. Cheap and easy to operate alternative offers globe thermometer. In steady state conditions, readings from the air temperature sensor inside the globe thermometer (tg) will reflect the convective and radiative heat exchange around the globe thermometer. Knowing tg, as well as globe emissivity and diameter, the Mrt may be calculated. In this research three different globe thermometers were used to determine Mrt: 15-cm standard globe thermometer (SGT) and two 4-cm custom made acrylic globe thermometers (AGT) painted in black and grey. The measurements were conducted in the summer in Warsaw, on two selected green areas, under sunny and warm weather conditions. In each location Mrt measurements were taken in two spots – in the shade of trees and in the open grassy spaces, with high SVF. Our results demonstrate, that globe thermometers, although being relatively cheap and less complex instruments for determining Mrt, can be used to a limited extend, due to high instability of their indications under significant radiative loads. <br>
Urban shrinkage, characterised by long-term demographic, socio-economic and spatial changes, has been studied extensively, including via research into causes, typologies, and planning responses. However, while understanding and measuring urban shrinkage processes is crucial if policymakers are to respond adequately to cities’ challenges, multi-criterion studies on shrinkage trajectories are still required for the spatiotemporal complexity to be captured correctly. This study reviews methods by which urban shrinkage is studied and concludes with a selection of multi-criterion methods that offer more in-depth insight than population-based methods. Finally, a multicriteria analysis, adapted from Milbert (2015), is applied to measure urban shrinkage in Poland in the years 2006 to 2021. This incorporates six variables with a view to shrinking and growing cities being assessed and assigned to one of five categories. The research provides insights into Poland’s most recent urban shrinkage processes. Results show that, over the analysed period, urban shrinkage was a phenomenon that increased and intensified in Poland, affected a growing number of urban centres of medium size, and was to be noted on the peripheries of metropolitan areas. Such research outcomes contribute to a better understanding of urban shrinkage in Poland, provide a basis for further research, and inform policymakers as they seek to formulate more-targeted strategies to address the specific challenges that urban shrinkage raises. <br>
This article presents results of an analysis and a survey of selected landscape elements carried out under the village restoration programme. The spatial scope of the study includes the suburban village of Ługwałd located within the community of Dywity (Warmia and Mazury Province). As a part of the research, a detailed survey of the village was conducted, as well as an analysis concerning the extension of the locality, an analysis and a survey of the buildings and a social survey in the local community. The article presents the issue of contemporary transformations of suburban areas in Poland along with spatial arrangement and aesthetisation of the rural landscape with regard to the village restoration programme. This programme provides an excellent tool to improve landscape values of the locality, but most often, it only results in arrangement of public spaces and not in their restoration, aesthetisation or assigning individual features with reference to the traditions of the region. In order to use the opportunity provided by the programme, an insight analysis of cultural and natural conditions of transformed areas should first be performed. A hilly area, numerous trees, arable fields, extensive meadows and lakes form the landscape of high natural values, which is the key resource of Ługwałd. Decreasing agricultural activities, as well as a strong population inflow have resulted in strong anthropogenic changes and the introduction of buildings which had no references to the architecture of the region, with observable blurring of individual features of the area and introduction of disharmony downgrading individual interiors and panorama of the village. Measures should be taken with the aim of improving spatial order and harmony between the existing and newly-designed buildings, and attempts should be made to activate the local community, bearing in mind the fact that village restoration should also include the human factor. The analyses conducted provided a basis to prepare a design concept for aesthetisation of the village.
The quality of a given bioclimate is much affected by the atmospheric environment (taken to include solar radiation, air temperature and humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind speed and levels of atmospheric pollution), as well as by geographical factors relating to topography and cover, the drainage system and land use (Owczarek 2009, Czarnecka, Nidzgorska-Lencewicz 2010, Koźmiński, Michalska 2011, Owczarek 2012). Tourists staying in a coastal area must contend with considerable variability of weather from one day to another, or even hour by hour, in the cold half-year in particular. Changes of weather have a profound effect on the human organism, inter alia giving rise to migraines, sleep disturbances and hypersensitivity. The work described here sought to assess temporal (inter alia seasonal) and spatial variability to heat loading of the human organism characterising the Polish Baltic coastal zone, as well as the temperature of water by beaches. It was to achieve this kind of assessments of bioclimate and its impact on the human organism that the index known as the UTCI (Universal Thermal Climate Index) was devised, taking in air temperature, wind speed, air humidity and absorbed solar radiation (expressed as mean radiant temperature) (Błażejczyk & Kunert, 2011). This index represents objective changes in physiological parameters of the human organism occurring thanks to differing environmental conditions as determined in relation to a 10-point scale for heat loading of the human organism (°C) that translate into descriptive terms ranging from extreme heat stress to extreme cold stress. UTCI values referred to here were calculated using BioKlima 2.6 software - http://www.igipz.pan.pl/Bioklima-zgik.html. Six zones for the heat loading of the human organism found to be present along the Polish coast during the four seasons of the year were designated by summing the frequency of occurrence of days with a particularly stimulating effect, be this severe or very severe heat stress or severe, very severe or extreme cold stress. The UTCI-based analysis sustained conclusions as follows: - The Polish Baltic coast is found to be characterised by marked day-to-day variability in the heat loading of the human organism, particularly in the November-late May period, with the result being a significant “nuisance” represented for tourists. - Along the western part of the coast and in the area of the Bay of Puck, conditions thermoneutral for the human organism were found to dominate (accounting for more than 60% of the days in a month) over the whole period from May through to mid-October. In the case of the northern part of the coast from Darłowo to Łeba the same was found to be true of the period extending from June through to the middle ten-day period of September, creating conditions favourable for outdoor recreation. - The duration of the bathing season with mean monthly water temperatures ≥18°C is of approximately 45 days along the coast from Darłowo to Łeba, 46-50 days in the central part of the coast, 46-60 days in the area of the Bay of Gdańsk and 61-70 in the area of the Bay of Pomerania. In most years under analysis, there was no identification of a bathing season with mean monthly water temperature ≥18°C in the Kołobrzeg and Władysławowo areas. - The bioclimatic conditions most favourable for recreation and tourism were identified for the area of the Bay of Pomerania, followed by the Bay of Gdańsk. Less-favourable conditions characterise the central part of the coast, while the least favourable circumstances extend through the northern area from Darłowo to Łeba, in which the bioclimate’s stimulatory effect is strongest.- The high spatial variability characterising heat loading of the human organism that it proved possible to identify for the Polish coast offers the possibility of particular regions and seasons being selected for recreation, in relation to tourists’ health status and specific requirements.
This article looks at certain socioeconomic consequences of extreme hydrometeorological phenomena in the Polish Lowland, e.g. floods, droughts, hurricanes, heat and cold waves that have all become more intense in Poland over recent years. The particular focus is on the impact of extreme high temperature and severe cold events on socio-medical parameters such as mortality. The analysis is especially concerned with increased daily numbers of deaths in 3 large urban centers located in northeast Poland.
The work presented here aimed to compare daily amplitudes of air temperature in Poland and Bulgaria, by reference to data from 36 meteorological stations (i.e. 18 from each country) over the period 2000-2012. It proved possible to demonstrate that the average temperature amplitude at the stations in Poland is 2-3°C smaller than that noted for Bulgaria, with the spatial differentiation characterising such averages also being significantly more limited in Poland. Where the annual course for average amplitudes in air temperature in Poland are concerned, there are two maxima and two minima to be noted, as compared with one maximum and one minimum in Bulgaria. The highest values for average daily amplitude in air temperature to be noted in Poland are those typical for May, while highest values in Bulgaria fall in August. The differences between Poland and Bulgaria also manifest themselves in the markedly greater frequency of occurrence of large (>20°C) values for temperature amplitudes to be noted in Bulgaria.
The development of tourism is perceived worldwide as one strategy by which the economy both national and local can be fostered (Sharpley, 2002, McLennan et al., 2014). With a view to development of this kind being boosted, many states have formed a three-tier system by which to manage tourism, and engage in its promotion (at national, regional and local levels). In Poland, a new hierarchical structure of tourism development and promotion organisations was introduced in 2000, by virtue of an Act of Parliament (Ustawa z dnia 25 czerwca...). The main national organisation is the Polish Tourist Organisation (PTO). Regional and Local Tourist Organisations focus on actions to increasing the level of interest in Polish cities, regions and tourism products, among Polish and international tourists. This paper examines the way in which the LTOs in Poland function. The research questions were as follows: How do LTOs shape the overall image of Poland as an attractive tourist destination? To what extent do LTOs’ actions and collaboration with the tourist industry have an impact on the Polish tourism market? and How do actions taken by LTOs shape the regional tourism sector? To answer these research questions, a two-step survey was conducted. First e-mail questionnaires were sent to all 130 LTOs registered in Poland (as of 2013), though only 30 completed questionnaires were sent back. Members of the LTOs generating these responses then went on to participate in the second part of the study, entailing the dispatch of some 500 surveys, with just 88 entities responding and taking part. A key goal of LTOs is engagement with local communities to boost tourist attractiveness in areas covered by given organisations. However, a majority of respondents evaluated this collaboration as moderate, with cooperation only occurring in some cases. In turn, 1/3 of respondents assessed the collaboration of this kind as good and regular. The second goal of the LTOs is to develop tourism in the regions they cover. In most of these both LTOs and members corroborate that a development of tourism is taking place. While 57.6% of respondents indicate that this development is “slight”, 26.2% assert that the growth in tourism is very rapid. Collaboration with other LTOs has an essential impact on the organisations’ functioning. A majority (60%) of LTOs confirm that there is such collaboration with other LTOs, resulting in chances for experience to be gained, information exchanged, reciprocal benefit derived and better integration between members achieved. In conclusion, the operation of Polish tourist organisations at local level would seem to be highly disparate. So what should be done to improve effectiveness? According to LTO members, more tourist information points should be created, effective external funding for tourism development should be secured, regions should be promoted more effectively, tourist products should be created and members should be integrated.
Two events exerted an essential influence on the development of collaboration in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) in the 21st century, namely: extension of the EU in 2004, due to which Baltic Sea became the inner sea of the EU (except for the Russian coast), and the elaboration and implementation in 2009 of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, which established the framework for the contemporary deepening of cooperation among the Baltic states inside the EU structures. The initially adopted model of cooperation concentrated on the key environmental issues, to then get extended towards the policy domain, including the transborder policies (institutional cooperation), as well as transport and economic connections (Palmowski, 2017). The article, while following the stream of the current studies of the BSR as an economic region, tries to fill the gap of complexity and dynamism of development processes, concerning the scale and intensity of mutual economic relations in relation to BSR. Thus, the article presents the basic aspects, associated with the introduction of the macroregional strategies in the EU and a short description of the economic integration process of the BSR. Analysis is presented of the most important regularities regarding trade exchange between the countries of the BSR, with consideration of the quantitative changes (volume, dynamics), and of the structural ones (specialization of trade in goods and services), as well as the trade linkages at the local level, as seen from the perspective of Polish exports (case study). International comparisons are based primarily on the economic data on foreign trade in goods and in services. The analysis concentrates on the assessment of the transformations in the years 2011 2019 (for trade in services: 2011 2018), that is – already after the establishment of the Strategy and the period of recession, resulting from the global crisis of 2008. In the course of the recent years the changes in the trade linkages considered brought a significant increase in the volume of trade, both concerning goods and services (46.3%), which confirms the initial proposition of the deepening integration within the BSR. Yet, this process takes place in a spatially uneven manner, and it is significantly stronger for the trade in goods than for the services. Internal trade inside the region accounts for as much as 23.7% of the total trade of the BSR countries (this share for the EU countries amounting to 60.0%). Nowadays, the internal trade with the BSR countries is of the highest importance for the small economies of the Baltic states, which is partly due to their intermediate position between Western Europe and Eastern Europe (including, especially, Russia). The analysis of the spatial development of trade with the Nordic countries at the local level in Poland demonstrates the persistence of the applicability and popularity of the gravity models in the study of regula ities, associated with the development of export relations; for the local economies the distance to the sales market and the local economic base are the essential factors, differentiating the magnitude and the significance of exports, in this case – to the Nordic countries. The macroregional Strategy might be treated as a new form of diversified integration within the EU, while the elaborated instruments of the policy and the strategy implementation process can be seen as the response to the need of the cohesion policy, dedicated to the particular areas of supranational dimensions (Gänzle & Kern, 2016). The BSR is strongly internally differentiated, this statement applying to economic, social and demographic aspects (Kubka, 2018). Moreover, it can be expected that the region will remain a heterogeneous area (Laaser & Schrader, 2002), also in terms of the regional trade patterns. Thereby, new questions arise, concerning the further process of economic integration and the specificity of cooperation in the framework of the BSR.
Correct evaluation of transport investments financed under different operational programmes requires comprehensive analysis of the influence of those investments on transport accessibility changes. Accessibility changes concern multiple transport modes simultaneously (among others, road, railway, air and inland water transports). From this viewpoint, the factor of key importance is using a synthetic accessibility indicator in a multimodal approach as well as modal indicators, including Air Accessibility Indicator (AAI). In this paper air accessibility to airports was assumed to result on the one hand from the time of travel to all airports in the country, and on the other hand to depend on the airport capacity. All major investments carried out at airports and aimed at increasing the capacity of terminals were taken into consideration. Attractiveness of an airport was assumed to be analogous to its capacity. We use potential accessibility indicator. On each spatial level of the analysis below the national one, i.e. from the commune level through the voivodeship level up to the macro-region level, accessibility analysis is prepared based on all routes between an arbitrary pair of communes in Poland (matrix layout). We focus on the calculation of accessibility indicators at the municipal level. Poland is slowly entering the development phase where some regions become saturated with modern transport infrastructure (road and air infrastructure in particular). By percentage, Eastern Poland benefited the most from air investments (over threefold AAI indicator increase), including in particular the Lublin and Podlaskie Voivodeships, primarily as a result of opening new airports in Lublin and Modlin.In conclusion, the conducted research confirms the thesis that improvement of accessibility in air transport may be achieved both by erecting or modernising airport infrastructure (new structures, capacity increase) and by developing land transport.
Lithuania’s medium-sized cities, historically shaped by deindustrialization and population decline, have experienced a new demographic shift since 2020. Events such as Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the war in Ukraine have reversed long-term shrinkage, with immigration driving growth and reshaping urban dynamics. The purpose of this study is to examine transformations in Lithuania’s medium-sized cities since 1990, with a focus on population dynamics, emphasizing the turbulent period after 2020 marked by intensified immigration. This study examines 11 regional centres, combining demographic analysis with an assessment of refugee settlement and integration. Results indicate that Lithuania’s urban population increased by 3.5% between early 2022 and 2025, with immigrants addressing labour shortages, particularly in services, and in some cases contributing high-skilled expertise. At the same time, challenges have emerged, including housing pressures, rising rents, and linguistic barriers. The article also reviews key support initiatives for Ukrainian war refugees. Findings suggest that contemporary regional centres embody both the vulnerabilities of long-term decline and the regenerative potential of migration, illustrating how medium-sized cities can leverage incoming skills to strengthen local economies and communities. <br>
Scientific studies do much to embrace the issue of social activity among immigrants, as well as their participation in projects of various types, in both institutional and non-institutional dimensions. Nevertheless, research into the activity of the Polish community in German cities has only rarely been undertaken. In this context, the studies carried out by the authors are of importance as they make clear an intensification of social activity among Polish immigrants in Berlin and Hamburg. An influx of new migrants, attracted to Germany not only by relevant economic motivations, but also by a perceived need for of self-development and greater acquaintanceship with new communities in place, tends to allow German institutions to take more interest in immigrant groups, while also sustaining activity within newly-created networks of immigrant organisations. The consequences of all that are for the social and cultural activity engaged in within the Polish community in the cities to become more and more visible and diverse. Although it is relatively new for these behaviours to assume such a large scale, the observed intensity and spatial scope may sustain the conclusion that even the near-future will bring a significant increase in visibility for the Polish community vis-à-vis both German citizens and immigrant groups. Specifically, the work detailed in the present paper has mainly sought to identify socio- cultural activity among the Polish migrants present in both Berlin and Hamburg. This involved the authors in efforts to ascertain: (1) factors determining the socio-cultural activity of Polish communities in the cities studied; (2) any noticeable differences between Berlin and Hamburg when it comes to the social activity undertaken by Polish migrants; (3) the directions of development that characterise the institutional and non-institutional activity of the Polish community present in the cities in question (which were selected in line with the high concentrations of Polish communities in both, as well as differences in periods of influx and of a socio-cultural and economic nature). <br>
The article presents results of research concerning changes in the youth inhabiting rural areas. The empirical data being the foundation for comparative analysis was collected in 2001 among 463 respondents. The second measurement was conducted in 2015 among 371 secondary school leavers by means of a survey with the use of the auditorium questionnaire technique. The results of the analyses indicate presence of intergenerational differences. The second research conducted on the same local denotes the emergence of a post-transformational generation. Hedonistic and entrepreneurial orientations are observed among modern youth. A significant decrease has been noticed in the level of educational aspirations and valuation of being employed in the private sector. This generation is optimistic and focused on satisfying own needs. The whole generation has access to the Internet and spends their free time in active way. Existential angst suppressed the fear of unemployment and rejection. Post-transformational society is individualized and optimistically looks to the future.
Due to legal and financial constraints it is impossible for everyone to can live in a prestigious location. Hence the appearance of institutional and construction development initiatives which make appeal to the fame of a particular location, while being realised either outside of this location or in a manner divergent from the tradition to date. Such initiatives bring unavoidably the transformations in the spatial organisation, very often changing the previous character of the respective localities. One of the examples of this kind of processes is a town of Magdalenka near Warsaw. It was designed in the 1930s as a “forest settlement” (a type of “garden-city”), and planned as an area consisting of single, private, diverse family houses. Even though the initial design has never been finalised, the settlement took on an attractive landscape form. Based on the initial prerequisites, every plot in the northern part of the settlement had to be of approximately 1800 m2 (a typical forest construction plot), while in the southern part – approximately 1200 m2 (houses with gardens). For the forest plots it was decided that 21% of the trees could be cut out during construction, while the buildings should not have more than two floors. These stipulations are in force to this day. Because of the specific character of this locality the first inhabitants were representatives of the Warsaw middle class, and consisted mostly of bank employees. However, after the World War II it was the communist dignitaries that took a liking for Magdalenka, and there is little doubt that this contributed to the strengthening of the conviction as to the prestigious character of the locality. The development of the fame of Magdalenka was in a special way due to the political events. This was caused by the secret talks that have been conducted here since September 1988 by the communist administration with the representatives of the opposition, grouped around Lech Wałęsa. The conviction of the exceptional character of Magdalenka had an impact on its attractiveness. Yet, not everyone can afford buying or constructing a traditional home in the locality. For this reasons, new housing estates have been appearing recently in the areas acquired from the State Forest Agency. These estates have a standardised designand are very often twin houses. This lowers the construction costs, thus, reducing the final price of the dwellings as well. Outside of the administrative boundaries of Magdalenka, where construction regulations are less restrictive, housing estates appear , mostly on the forestless areas, with an even higher density of dwellings. The developers of such estates very often take advantage of the name of the legendary neighbouring locality in their promotional materials. This leads to an unavoidable change in the character of all the localities in the neighbourhood, influencing local identity of their inhabitants as well.
Urban streams have recently become an important topic of diversified scientific research. This reflects their ecological and recreational significance. It is well known that progressive urbanisation in large cities poses a threat to natural ecosystems like bodies of water and watercourses. Changes in stream morphology caused by regulation and inflows from municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants influence water quality and interfere with the water cycle. The 65.3 km2 catchment of the Służewiecki Stream is located in the south-western part of Warsaw. It flows 17.1 km through five districts of the capital city and is the largest tributary of the River Vistula in the Warsaw area. Due to a huge (86.8%) contribution of built-up areas, including land associated with communications, industry and commerce, the stream is under a constant, wide-ranging anthropopressure. Upstream, from source to outlet from the Airport rainwater treatment plant, the Służewiecki Stream flows mainly through an underground channel. However, downstream there is a significant modification introduced in the catchment thanks to two artificial bodies of water (called Staw Wyścigi and Staw Służewiecki). The aim of this study was to determine the spatial and seasonal variability of selected quality parameters of water in the Służewiecki Stream catchment. Research sought to identify changes in physical and chemical parameters along the Stream and its two tributaries, as well as to determine seasonal variation in these parameters. For those purposes, the field investigations run from November 2017 through to October 2018, over a regular two-week cycle, involved water temperature, oxygen saturation, conductivity and pH. A monthly cycle was in turn applied in determining concentrations of nitrates and phosphates. Measurements were conducted at 11 sites across the catchment, of which nine (P1-P9) were along the Stream itself, and two (D1, D2) on its largest tributaries (the Rów Grabowski and Kanał Wolicki). Measurement sites were selected to ensure assessment of the impacts of various forms of anthropopressure on the selected water-quality parameters; with the Warsaw Airport rainwater treatment plant and two artificial bodies of water considered to influence most. On the basis of the data obtained, magnitude and variability parameters were calculated, while the similarity of measurement sites was determined using the Ward agglomeration method. Additionally, in August 2018, field investigation of aquatic vegetation was carried out, indicating the presence of five species of macrophyte along the Służewiecki Stream. The results indicate that the physico-chemical regime along the Służewiecki Stream is mostly disturbed by the two artificial bodies of water, which interrupt the natural continuum of the river. Thermal and oxygen conditions undergo the greatest transformation. The bodies of water also cause a change in phosphate concentration due to their bioaccumulation and immobilisation of ions. However, tributaries and the operation of the Airport rainwater treatment plant also exert a significant impact on spatial variability to investigated parameters along the Służewiecki Stream. Seasonal differentiation in physico-chemical characteristics was mainly related to meteorological conditions, the vegetative cycle of photosynthetic organisms and changes in anthropopressure. Most of the tested parameters displayed a clear seasonal cycle, though the exceptions were nitrate and phosphate, whose cycles reflect the impact of various, independent factors, such as hydrological conditions, decomposition processes and wastewater inflow.
In the light of deep spatial and functional transformations in the contemporary rural areas, retaining traditional forms and methods of management forming an important element of the countryside, cultural heritage seems to gain significance. More and more often inhabitants of rural municipalities, and in particular those situated in protected areas, grow traditional crops and raise traditional breeds of animals. Their activities contribute both to retaining biodiversity in the above-mentioned areas and protecting specific cultural landscape of the countryside. This paper aims to identify and indicate how traditional management methods influence retaining the natural and cultural values of the Lower Vistula Valley.
As global communities respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increasing emphasis on public health strategies, like implementation of ‘lockdowns’, closure of educational institutions and offices, cancellation of events, and enforcement of social distancing measures to slow the rate of transmission. The main objective of this article is to find out how the public health interventions and national lockdown affected people’s perception and attitudes to limited mobility and how people reacted by their spatial mobility behaviours in new reality of the first weeks of COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. The study is based on the on-line survey research conducted among Polish residents supplemented by the analysis of data on changes in the spatial mobility based on Google dataset. The obtained results highlight high level of self-discipline in the population in response to restrictions and social distancing obligations, and as a result significantly lower spatial mobility level, before the restrictions began to be lifted. The size of the respondents’ place of residence had the greatest impact on changes in spatial mobility.
We studied the effects of landscape structure and agricultural land-use on ground beetles (Carabidae) in a temperate farmland mosaic and homogeneous landscape. The research was carried out at twelve research sites located in two regional units, i.e. (a) the northern part of mesoregion 842.72 West Lake District in the macroregion of the Lithuanian Lake District and (b) in the southern part of mesoregion 313.44 Damnicka Upland, within the macroregion of the Koszalin Coastland. By administrative division, these positions are respectively: in the gmina of Dubeninki, voivodeship of Warmian-Masury (Rogajny and Łoje), and in the gmina of Przerośl in Podlasie voivodeship (Rakówek) – hereinafter referred to collectively as the “Dubeninki area”; as well as in the gmina of Potęgowo in the Pomeranian Voivodship (villages of Wieliszewo, Malczkowo, Darżyno and Darżynko – hereinafter referred to as the “Potęgowo area”). Four of the research sites were located in fields of large area, and four in complexes of small fields subject to traditional cultivation. The faunistic data comes from 12 transects (6 for each regional unit and 3 for each field type – large-area fields and complexes of small fields) using standard trapping methods (Barber˙s traps). A set of landscape-structure indicators adapted to the local scale of the study was then applied. Results point to a relationship between the structure of the landscape, the expressed number of patches of plant communities, the diversity of vegetation in the surroundings and the presence of trees in the landscape, and species richness and diversity of ground beetles. Where agricultural areas nevertheless have a diversified landscape these are characterised by greater species richness of Carabidae than homogeneous areas. Furthermore, the shorter the distance to the nearest tree, the greater the species richness and diversity of Carabidae. However, soil type, as well as soil diversity, at a study site and its vicinity are not found to exert a direct impact on the species richness of Carabidae. Different soil types may be characterised by similar grain size, and thus similar humidity conditions and soil reaction, with these in turn determining other habitat conditions of importance to the studied taxon.

1
2
of
19

Contact

Address

Stanislaw Leszczycki Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Science
ul. Twarda 51/55
00-818 Warszawa, Poland

Sitemap

Main page

Collections

Publications of IGiPZ PAN and employees
Library
CeBaDoM - Central Database of Mills in Poland
millPOLstone - Central Millstones Database
...
View all collections

Indexes

Title
Creator
Contributor
Publisher
Date issued/created
Description
Unified name

About project

Mission
Partners and organization
Projects
Technical informations
FAQ
Copyrights
Regulations
Archive policy
Privacy policy
Declaration of availability
Contact

User's account

Log in

Recently viewed

Financing:

Project I

Project "Digital Repository of Scientific Institutes" [RCIN] co-financed by Programme Innovative Economy, 2010-2014, Priority Axis 2. R&D infrastructure ; European Union. European Regional Development Fund.

Project II

Project "Open Resources in the Digital Repository of Scientific Institutes" [OZwRCIN] co-financed by Operational Program Digital Poland, 2014-2020, Measure 2.3: Digital accessibility and usefulness of public sector information; funds from the European Regional Development Fund and national co-financing from the state budget.

Partners funds

Works related to making new facilities available in the RCIN service are also co-financed by the Partners.

Partnership:

Website created by

INSTYTUT MATEMATYCZNY PAN ; INSTYTUT ARCHEOLOGII I ETNOLOGII POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK ; INSTYTUT BADAŃ LITERACKICH POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK ; INSTYTUT BADAŃ SYSTEMOWYCH PAN ; INSTYTUT BADAWCZY LEŚNICTWA ; INSTYTUT BIOLOGII DOŚWIADCZALNEJ IM. MARCELEGO NENCKIEGO POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK ; INSTYTUT BIOLOGII SSAKÓW POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK ; INSTYTUT BOTANIKI IM. WŁADYSŁAWA SZAFERA POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK ; INSTYTUT CHEMII BIOORGANICZNEJ POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK ; INSTYTUT CHEMII FIZYCZNEJ PAN ; INSTYTUT CHEMII ORGANICZNEJ PAN ; INSTYTUT DENDROLOGII POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK ; INSTYTUT FILOZOFII I SOCJOLOGII PAN ; INSTYTUT GEOGRAFII I PRZESTRZENNEGO ZAGOSPODAROWANIA PAN ; INSTYTUT HISTORII im. TADEUSZA MANTEUFFLA POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK ; INSTYTUT JĘZYKA POLSKIEGO POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK ; INSTYTUT MEDYCYNY DOŚWIADCZALNEJ I KLINICZNEJ IM.MIROSŁAWA MOSSAKOWSKIEGO POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK ; INSTYTUT OCHRONY PRZYRODY POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK ; INSTYTUT PODSTAWOWYCH PROBLEMÓW TECHNIKI PAN ; INSTYTUT SLAWISTYKI PAN ; INSTYTUT SYSTEMATYKI I EWOLUCJI ZWIERZĄT POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK ; MUZEUM I INSTYTUT ZOOLOGII POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK ; SIEĆ BADAWCZA ŁUKASIEWICZ - INSTYTUT TECHNOLOGII MATERIAŁÓW ELEKTRONICZNYCH ; INSTYTUT HISTORII NAUKI IM. LUDWIKA I ALEKSANDRA BIRKENMAJERÓW POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK ; INSTYTUT NAUK EKONOMICZNYCH POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK ; INSTYTUT ROZWOJU WSI I ROLNICTWA POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK ; INSTYTUT BIOCYBERNETYKI I INŻYNIERII BIOMEDYCZNEJ IM. MACIEJA NAŁĘCZA POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK ; INSTYTUT FIZYKI PAN ; INSTYTUT TECHNOLOGII BEZPIECZEŃSTWA „MORATEX” ;

This service runs on DInGO dLibra 6.3.21-RCIN software created by Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Center (PSNC)

This page uses 'cookies'. More information