Functional Changes of the Rural Areas in Poland. Case Study: Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship

Marta GWIAZDZINSKA-GORAJ1, Aleksandra JEZIERSKA-THOLE2
1 University of Warmia and Mazury, Faculty of Geodesy and Land Management, Department of Planning and Spatial Engineering, Olsztyn, POLAND
2 Nicolaus Copernicus University, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Department of Spatial Management and Tourism, Toruń, POLAND
E-mail: marta.gwiazdzinska-goraj@uwm.edu.pl, alekjez@umk.pl
Pages: 53-58

Abstract. Rural areas in Poland show a great diversity in terms of both natural and socio-economic conditions. In terms of the characteristics of the natural environment at a regional scale, Poland can be divided into three latitudinal belts: southern belt (uplands and mountains), middle belt (lowlands) and northern belt (lake districts and seaside). At the same time, the formation of the current functional-spatial structure in rural areas in Poland was greatly influenced by the transformation process began in 1988, as well as joining the structures of the European Union in 2004. This article is an attempt to show how the functional-spatial structure in Poland has changed based on an example of rural areas in the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodship. This voivodeship was selected for the analysis in view of its particular natural and landscape values at the national scale.

K e y w o r d s: rural areas, functional change, Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodship, spatial planning