Agnieszka Szczepańska

Migrations of city dwellers to suburban areas – the example of the city of Olsztyn

Abstract The migration of city dwellers to suburbs is a commonly observed phenomenon. The growth of residential areas on the fringes of cities is referred to as suburbanisation. In the present study, migration patterns were investigated in rural districts located in the direct vicinity of the administrative boundaries of Olsztyn over a 10-year timespan. Several hundred building plot purchase/sale transactions in the form of notarial deeds were analysed to determine the dwelling place of the buyer. The analysis of the transactions revealed that the dominant group of purchasers were owners of apartments in multi-family precast concrete buildings, located in the city quarter closest to the studied suburbs. Changes in the spatial structure of suburban areas were also noted.

Analysis of Changes in the Land Use Structure of Developed and Urban Areas in Eastern Poland

Abstract The development of housing, services and industry as well as the accompanying infrastructure leads to the intensification of urbanisation processes and changes in land use structure. The area of land characterised by urban use is increasing. The above trend is also observed in Eastern Poland despite its predominantly rural character and the absence of metropolitan areas exerting great pressure on the local landscape, contributing to regional development and enhancing the region’s competitiveness. The paper discusses changes in land use structure in developed and urban areas in Eastern Poland. The analysis includes five Polish voivodeships (Lubelskie, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie, Świętokrzyskie and Warmińsko-Mazurskie) characterised by the lowest GDP per capita in the EU-25. For this reason, Eastern Poland will receive aid as part of the ‘Development of Eastern Poland’ Operational Program 2007-2013. This is the only supra-regional program in the European Union which promotes social and economic growth in underdeveloped regions by co-financing projects in urban development, road construction and tourism promotion. The analysis of changes in the share of developed and urban areas in total land area as well as changes in local land use structure (subgroups) covers the period of 2007-2013. The data relating to land use structure was supplied by the Head Office of Geodesy and Cartography. It was used to determine the scale and rate of urbanisation in the analysed voivodeships (regions) and their constituent poviats (counties) with special emphasis on suburban areas. The results were presented in the form of cartograms and thematic maps with the use of GIS tools. The GIS tools support the visualisation of the spatial distribution of the analysed phenomena.

Residential Property Market In The Functional Urban Area Of Olsztyn In The Context Of Demographic Changes

Abstract The development of cities is accompanied by growth of the real estate markets within the suburban zone of the municipal urban area. This is the zone functionally related to the core city, where the processes occurring in the property market result primarily from decisions taken by city dwellers concerning the choice of their place of residence. This is reflected in completed transactions, which influence demographic changes. Therefore, the property market becomes a reflection of urbanization processes taking place in this area. The conducted research concerns an analysis of the property market in the suburban zone of Olsztyn of building plots, single-family houses and residential premise segments in the context of demographic changes. The results of the research present the dynamics and directions of development of the suburban zone. The period of research covers the years of 2007-2015, and the spatial scope covers the level of communes and the surveying sections they are composed of (villages).

Landscapes with different logics : a physicalistic approach to semantic conflicts in spatial planning

Abstract This paper deals with the ways of categorising landscapes as ‘urban’ and ‘rural’ using a physicalist approach, where these terms have special meaning. The aim of this paper is to elaborate on the question whether such a division is still meaningful with regard to anthropogenic landscapes, not least in spatial planning. The concerns raised in this paper depart from the increasingly complicated structure of geographical space, including that of anthropogenic landscapes. Our standpoint is illustrated using cases of landscape ambiguities from Poland, Germany, Romania and Greece. Leaning on frameworks of physicalist (mechanicistic) theory, this paper suggests an explanation to the outlined semantic conflicts. This is done by pointing to the relationality between the impact of centripetal and centrifugal forces, the specifics of socio-economic development, as well as the varying landscape forms that emerge from the differences within that development.

Urban Greenery as a Component of Real Estate Value

Abstract Due to the specific characteristics of cities, such as the intensity of the use of space, the supply of green areas is limited. These areas are subjected to constant pressure (demand for new transportation or construction functions), which usually results in their reduction. As a consequence of this, green areas have become a limited asset in urban environments. City dwellers, seeking a high quality of life in the urban environment, pay attention to the proximity of greenery to their place of residence. This is, therefore, a factor that greatly influences market prices of residential real estate. In the study, the dependency of transaction prices of residential premises on the vicinity of urban greenery was subjected to analysis. Additionally, questionnaire studies were conducted with respect to the evaluation of the significance of environmental factors when choosing a place to live, which translates over to the decisions made by consumers on the real estate market.

Urbanization processes related to the development of residential functions in gminas adjacent to the city of Olsztyn

Abstract Political transformations in Poland have led to rapid suburbanization. Suburbias are beginning to develop functions and services characteristic of urban areas. The highest rate of growth is noted in residential development, in particular in the segment of single-family homes. Those developments bring about changes in demographics and social infrastructure. This study analyzes 4,000 real estate transactions conducted in 2007-2014, involving land plots zoned for residential construction, in order to determine the spatial changes that take place in the gminas adjacent to the city of Olsztyn, in view of the development of the local real estate market. The major trends relating to the number of concluded transactions, changes in real estate prices over time, the number of completed construction projects (new single-family homes) and changes in land-use structure are described. Demographic and social changes that inevitably follow from urbanization are described in the analyzed gminas. The results of this study will be used to determine whether Olsztyn’s suburbias are merely “bedroom communities” or whether they constitute autonomous territorial units.

Traffic Noise as a Factor Influencing Apartment Prices in Large Cities

Abstract Environmental factors are among the key determinants of real estate prices. They include landscape attractiveness, land relief, exposure to sunlight and proximity to natural features. In large urban centers, traffic noise emissions significantly affect decision-making on the real estate market. Weakly developed road networks and the absence of ring roads that shift road traffic outside residential districts are a widespread problem in the cities of Central-Eastern Europe. The prevention of traffic noise pollution, one of the key environmental problems in Europe, is an important goal of European Union policy. This paper analyzes the correlations between apartment prices and traffic noise levels in Olsztyn, the capital city of the Warminsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship (province) in north-eastern Poland. A linear correlation analysis was performed, and the distribution of unit prices of apartments was mapped by ordinary kriging.