Changes in spatial structure of commercial activity in Central European towns - case of southwest Poland (1990-2010). Traditional shops vs. modern shopping structures

Commercial sector, during the times of centrally planned economy was particularly neglected in Poland, as in all Eastern European countries. Economic transformation and political changes in the country after 1989 induced the development of the commercial sector. The subjects of the research are changes in commercial sector after the economic transformation. With the liberalization of legislation on running business traditional small shops started to develop rapidly. Polish market was underinvested, so every shop was profitable. The reason of author's interest in the subject was a popular statement about the negative effects of modern shopping structures on the existing traditional shops. With the development of capitalism in Poland privatized commercial sector encountered various difficulties e.g. competition from foreign investors and increasing demands of consumers. Author has researched the nearly 3'000 traditional shops and nearly 40 modern shopping structures. In the research various parameters were analyzed such as: localization of the shop in town, start and end date of business. The period of the study covers the years 1990-2010, all the shops were located in several towns in southwestern Poland. The aim of this paper is to find answers to the following questions: - What was the dynamics of the process of traditional shops localization in the researched 20 years? - In which areas of the analyzed towns economical activity is growing, and in which many shops are being closed? - Do modern shopping structures have a negative effect on the existing market? The results suggest that the number of shops in the 1990s was growing rapidly. Furthermore, since the year 2000 number of small shops has remained constant or decreased. Modern shopping structures were mostly built and started operating after 2000, therefore they are not responsible for decreasing number of small shops – the process began earlier. Changes that take place in commercial sector reflect the society that is using it. The society decides which formats will prevail. The development of modern shopping structures and traditional shops should be closely monitored in the future. Systematical research on this subject will be helpful for investors and local authorities that look after the urban environment

Możliwości rozwiązania problemów parkingowych osiedli z wielkiej płyty w świetle istniejących dokumentów planistycznych, na przykładzie północnej części dzielnicy Fordon w Bydgoszczy

The problem related to lack of parking space in large-panel housing estates is quite common. It results from intensive development of communication and an increasing role of individual transport. Only a small percentage of the current parking needs of residents of large-panel housing estates such as Fordon is satisfied. The subject of study was the northern part of the Bydgoszcz district of Fordon, i.e. Tatrzańskie housing estate with an estimated population of 10,000. The estate, which was designed in the 1970s, was part of the communication principles of that time. However, after nearly 50 years, it requires restructuring. According to analysis, the only solution from the aspect of parking policy is determination of areas, in which location of multi-story parking is allowable

Co się nie wydarzyło w bydgoskiej architekturze sportowej?

Sports architecture was the background for different type events, both sports and cultural ones, and sports facilities often manifested their modemity and technological domination. Bydgoszcz is a city of numerous cyclic events and occasional intemational sports events. Each such event reąuires ade- ąuate space and facilities. That’s the reason for new sports and entertainment investment projects planned in the city. However, many of the prepared projects have remained on carbon paper, e.g. the “Górzyskowo” Centre Sport Hall project in Bydgoszcz, which was to be constructed by the intersection of Żwirki i Wigury and Jaskółcza Streets, and the sports and entertainment hall with an arena - skating rink for 6,500 spectators, a bowling arcade, a hotel-administrative complex, and training rooms, which was to be located in an area limited by the Brda River and Toruńska Street. These facilities have never been constructed and today we can admire them on yellowed carbon papers only

Rozmowa z… Krystyną Szumilas, Minister Edukacji Narodowej

Artykuł z numeru 3/2012 internetowego czasopisma edukacyjnego ORE "Trendy

Implementation of Solutions Reducing the Number of Cars in Polish Housing Estates—Based on the Experience of the Vauban Estate in Freiburg, Case of the City of Wroclaw

The number of cars in Polish housing estates is steadily increasing. Cars park in allocated parking spaces, but also occupy roads, pavements, and even green spaces. As the European experience shows, many countries have had this problem and have been looking for a solution. Due to the fact that Polish cities are at the beginning of the process, which limits the importance of individual transport, all good practices are a valuable source of information. The purpose of this article is to present the possibility of implementing solutions to limit the number of cars in Polish housing estates based on the experience of the Vauban housing estate in Freiburg, Germany. This housing estate was created with the great participation of the local community and one of its postulates was to reduce the use of cars. The methodology involved several consecutive steps. The first stage of the work was a review of the literature on the subject of low-carbon housing. Vauban was chosen as a model project with a sustainability of 20 years. Design solutions to reduce car traffic were analysed. The data collected were transformed into hard (numerical) and soft (descriptive) data, then systematised and catalogued. Based on these guidelines, a model of an estate with a reduced number of cars was created. The final stage of the research was the implementation of the model. The model formulates the most important aspects related to the location of a car-free housing estate and allows one to indicate its potential location in the city. It is a valuable tool for opening up a broad discussion on urban planning, location, and the future of car-free housing estates. The results of the study should be interpreted at two levels: land use and location. The results of the analyses allowed parameters and guidelines to be defined. These guidelines provide a guideline for the development of car-reduced housing estates in future cities. The second set of conclusions concerns the location of a potential car-reduced housing estate. The area of the potential site is shown using the city of Wroclaw, Poland, as an example

Projekt osiedla bez samochodów – szanse, możliwości, perspektywy

The number of cars in Polish cities increases every year. Despite the coexistence of other means of transport, such as public transport or cycling - the car is still the favorite means of transport for many residents. The significant increase in the number of registered cars, which can be observed consistently since the beginning of the 1990s, has left its mark throughout the city, especially in the human residence zone. Car-free housing estates are an alternative. Residents consciously give up parking space deciding on the city's communication system. The main purpose of the article is to analyse the system of functioning of car-free settlements in Europe and in the world as well as to determine the factors favoring such investments. The complementary goal is to present the possibilities of implementing this type of housing estates in Polish cities, taking into account possible social, planning and spatial barriers.Liczba samochodów w polskich miastach zwiększa się każdego roku. Pomimo współistnienia innych opcji transportu, jak komunikacja zbiorowa czy rowerowa – samochód wciąż jest ulubionym środkiem transportu wielu mieszkańców. Znaczący wzrost liczby rejestrowanych samochodów, który obserwować można niezmiennie od początku lat 90. XX wieku odciska piętno na przestrzeni miasta, a szczególnie w strefie zamieszkania człowieka. Alternatywą są osiedla wolne od samochodów. Mieszkańcy świadomie rezygnują z miejsca postojowego, decydując się na miejski system komunikacyjny. Głównym celem artykułu jest analiza systemu funkcjonowania osiedli wolnych od samochodów w Europie oraz na świecie, jak również określenie czynników sprzyjających tego typu inwestycjom. Celem uzupełniającym jest przedstawienie możliwości realizacji tego typu osiedli w polskich miastach, uwzględniając możliwe bariery zarówno społeczne, planistyczne, jak i przestrzenne

Projektowanie urbanistyczne, 1960−2020. Ewolucja programu studiów. Przypadek Wydziału Architektury Politechniki Wrocławskiej:

This paper presents the results of research on the evolution of the curriculum of urban design at the Faculty of Architecture of Wroclaw University of Science and Technology (Poland). Urban Design is one of the many courses that future engineers in the program of Architecture and Urban Design participate in. Urban Design is an important subject, it deals with land development and the organization of public space. Several dozen study programs, project topics and form of classes were analyzed. The teaching of Urban Design was juxtaposed with changes taking place in post-war cities, trends and planning documents. The research results allow us to see the current state of urban design education and in what direction it is evolving

Commercial Buildings in Town. The Influence of Discount Shops on the Trade Structure of a Small Town

Changes taking place in the spatial structure of trade in cities have been very dynamic in recent decades. The goal of the research was to determine the dynamics and direction of changes in shaping the traditional commercial structure of small towns, in the context of discount shops location. The subject matter of the research constituted more than ten towns in southern Poland. Traditional shops located there were analysed in terms of their location, the profile and length of their activity. Studies on global trade development processes are available, as well as detailed research results on individual trade assumptions. On the other hand, there is a research gap regarding studies involving the location of commercial buildings, especially in small towns. The research results are a valuable source of information for representatives of various scientific disciplines as well as city authorities. The presented research provides knowledge and constitutes the basis for further research for representatives of various research fields. The areas with the most intensive commercial activity in the last 30 years were correlated with the number of inhabitants. For a selected group of towns, their binding urban planning documentation was verified with respect to specifications facilitating or excluding the establishment of discount shops. The conclusions reached on the basis of the research do not confirm a popular view that discount shops have a negative effect on urban space. The performed analyses indicate that there is no simple relation between a discount shop location and the decreasing number of traditional shops in the investigated cities. The presented research results gain an additional advantage—they form an archive of the development of commerce structure in towns in the period starting with the fall of the centrally planned economy and finishing with the COVID–19 pandemic. The presented material forms a basis for further urban studies which will use the experience gained at this stag

Commercial Buildings in Town. The Influence of Discount Shops on the Trade Structure of a Small Town

Changes taking place in the spatial structure of trade in cities have been very dynamic in recent decades. The goal of the research was to determine the dynamics and direction of changes in shaping the traditional commercial structure of small towns, in the context of discount shops location. The subject matter of the research constituted more than ten towns in southern Poland. Traditional shops located there were analysed in terms of their location, the profile and length of their activity. Studies on global trade development processes are available, as well as detailed research results on individual trade assumptions. On the other hand, there is a research gap regarding studies involving the location of commercial buildings, especially in small towns. The research results are a valuable source of information for representatives of various scientific disciplines as well as city authorities. The presented research provides knowledge and constitutes the basis for further research for representatives of various research fields. The areas with the most intensive commercial activity in the last 30 years were correlated with the number of inhabitants. For a selected group of towns, their binding urban planning documentation was verified with respect to specifications facilitating or excluding the establishment of discount shops. The conclusions reached on the basis of the research do not confirm a popular view that discount shops have a negative effect on urban space. The performed analyses indicate that there is no simple relation between a discount shop location and the decreasing number of traditional shops in the investigated cities. The presented research results gain an additional advantage—they form an archive of the development of commerce structure in towns in the period starting with the fall of the centrally planned economy and finishing with the COVID–19 pandemic. The presented material forms a basis for further urban studies which will use the experience gained at this stag