<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> The paper explores the role of small towns in the Mazovia region in Poland which is both characterized by rural areas and the suburban zone of Warsaw. The analysis of changes in the local labour markets reveals that microregions formed by small peripheral towns were more resistant to changes than those located in the suburban area of Warsaw. The latter were absorbed by the capital city whose zone of influence expanded in the detriment of adjacent small towns and their microregions. Using the concept of exogenous functions performed by small towns, we also shed light on their role with regard to the surrounding areas (with dominant agricultural function) in the past decade. The values of the service concentration index (SCI) and the level of population concentration showed that the majority of services to local and neighbouring inhabitants were delivered in small county towns located in the periphery. On the other hand, small county towns located in the vicinity of Warsaw mainly provided services to their inhabitants.</p></abstract>

The paper explores the role of small towns in the Mazovia region in Poland which is both characterized by rural areas and the suburban zone of Warsaw. The analysis of changes in the local labour markets reveals that microregions formed by small peripheral towns were more resistant to changes than those located in the suburban area of Warsaw. The latter were absorbed by the capital city whose zone of influence expanded in the detriment of adjacent small towns and their microregions. Using the concept of exogenous functions performed by small towns, we also shed light on their role with regard to the surrounding areas (with dominant agricultural function) in the past decade. The values of the service concentration index (SCI) and the level of population concentration showed that the majority of services to local and neighbouring inhabitants were delivered in small county towns located in the periphery. On the other hand, small county towns located in the vicinity of Warsaw mainly provided services to their inhabitants.

The Impact Of Location On The Role Of Small Towns In Regional Development: Mazovia, Poland

Department of Rural Geography and Local Development, Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51-55, 00-818 Warszawa

Department of Rural Geography and Local Development, Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51-55, 00-818 Warszawa,

Department of Urban and Population Studies, Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51-55, 00-818 Warszawa,

European Countryside

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

The paper explores the role of small towns in the Mazovia region in Poland which is both characterized by rural areas and the suburban zone of Warsaw. The...

The Impact Of Location On The Role Of Small Towns In Regional Development: Mazovia, Poland

Data publikacji: 30 gru 2016

Zakres stron: 413 - 426

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/euco-2016-0028

© by Konrad Czapiewski

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.