Some remarks on the revitalisation of small towns: the Polish perspective

Abstract

This article concentrates on issues relating to the revitalisation of urban space in the Polish context, with a particular focus on small towns. It discusses the development of small towns after World War II, the changes that took place after Poland’s accession to the European Union, current legal framework, and the directions for revitalisation planning and implementation in Poland. The article is based on publications dealing with revitalisation processes, materials provided by annually-held conferences dedicated to small towns, and studies analysing revitalisation programmes of towns which got involved in pilot activities within the framework of the project called The Model Revitalisation of Cities. The authors highlight the benefits that a well-prepared revitalisation brings; they also discuss the limitations and problems facing local governments in the course of meeting this challenge. The article can provide inspiration for researchers to undertake studies in order to examine and evaluate the preparation and implementation of revitalisation processes as well as their effect on the resolution of social, economic, functional, spatial, technical, and environmental problems diagnosed in degraded areas. The paper should also be useful to local governments developing their revitalisation programmes.