RESEARCH TEAMS:
• State–City Relations in Poland
Team leader: Prof. Marta Lackowska
Team: Joanna Krukowska, PhD
Wirginia Aksztejn, MA (UW),
Prof. Łukasz Mikuła (UAM)
• Polish Cities of the Future 2050 – Through the Eyes of the Young
Project leader: Prof. Wojciech Dziemianowicz
Team: Michał Stokowski, MA;
Samuel Turosz, MA;
Jan Goliński, MA
In cooperation with student organisations EcoSystem (Silesian University of Technology) and Architektura Jutra (Warsaw University of Technology)
Polish cities are not just spaces for life and economic activity—they are also arenas of political tension and imagination. On the one hand, they act politically, contesting central government policies and, on the other hand, they serve as places for envisioning the future. Research at the Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies explores how cities respond to political pressures and how the younger generation imagines their futures.
The project In Search of a (New) Balance of Power investigated relations between the central government and local governments of large Polish cities between 2015 and 2023, with a particular focus on conflict situations. The team examined both central government efforts to limit local autonomy, including that of cities, and the urban responses to these actions. Two typologies emerged from this research: recentralisation strategies employed by the central government and cities’ contestation strategies—ranging from undertaking policies abandoned by the central government, to oppositional actions such as court appeals, information campaigns, or symbolic gestures demonstrating autonomy. Quantitative research covered 38 cities with populations above 100,000 residents, with in-depth interviews conducted in seven selected cities. Factors explaining cities’ oppositional attitudes included city size, residents’ political preferences, the ambitions of city leaders, and the composition of city councils. The research findings indicate that major cities are increasingly becoming constitutional actors defending decentralisation principles, rather than mere spatial administrators. Comparisons with other European countries confirm that Poland is part of a broader trend towards recentralisation, prompting questions about the role of local government within a democratic state.
Alongside the analysis of ongoing institutional conflicts, the AD FUTURUM Student Research Circle initiated a project in 2022 to explore the question: What will Polish cities look like in 2050? In response to a foresight report by Saint-Gobain Polska, students invited young professionals to create their own visions for the future of Polish cities. Collaborating with EcoSystem (Silesian University of Technology) and Architektura Jutra (Warsaw University of Technology), they conducted surveys and workshops, resulting in the report: Polish Cities of the Future 2050 – Through the Eyes of the Young. The report presents a general vision for future cities, alongside development scenarios in areas such as housing, transport, science, work, infrastructure, and leisure. Young authors also identified the necessary conditions for positive change and the ways individuals can influence the urban space.
RESEARCH LOCATION: Europe (POLAND)