Degraderade städer - En studie av urbanitet hos städer i Polen som förlorat sina stadsrättigheter

Abstract

Using the example of 55 former towns in Greater Poland, the author investigates the belief that towns formerly deprived of town privileges are the most likely to be qualified as future formal urban entities. This paper approaches the subject of urban deprivation and restitution with a multiaspectual study of the concept of urbanity. Since a preponderance of Polish degraded towns possess a prominent urban physical structure, the study focuses mainly on urban morphology as a contributing factor to urbanity. Other approaches include the central place theory, demographic conditions and the role of urban perception. Taking into account Poland’s shifting geopolitical history the study also seeks to identify and explain spatial patterns of varying degrees of urbanity among the studied towns. A secondary spatial approach analyses the distribution of urbanity in relation to greater regional centers according to the concept of core–periphery. By applying an integrated index scale based on an array of scientific theories the study measures and classifies the present urbanity status of former towns. Given their overall high summary values the study verifies that former towns are highly predestined to have their town privileges restored. Finally, the prevailing inertia to restitutions of town privileges in Poland is discussed, concluding that lack of legal criteria as well as common ignorance are the main barriers hampering the evolution of a proportional urban network.