Between city and countryside
The (un)sustainable development of peri-urban areas (PUA) of large cities in Poland – The case of Warsaw
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24030459 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Anna Majewska (0000-0003-0589-6400, Warsaw University of Technology), Małgorzata Denis (0000-0002-4694-116X, Warsaw University of Technology), Łukasz Kuzak (0000-0003-2056-1537, Warsaw University of Technology, corresponding author), Damian Derewońko (0000-0002-4801-0975, Warsaw University of Technology) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 179 |
| Pages | 107478 |
| Publication date | 2026-12-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Cities (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0264-2751 • E-ISSN: 1873-6084 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.cities.2026.107478 |
| OpenAlex | W7202069814 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 25 |
The paper investigates the dynamics of spatial development in the peri-urban area of Warsaw, Poland. It focuses on the processes of suburbanization and urban sprawl occurring within the city's administrative boundaries and its neighbouring rural municipalities. Drawing on spatial data from 2014 to 2024, the study identifies the most intensive zones of border residential development and analyzes the morphological characteristics of emerging housing patterns. The research reveals a fragmented and functionally monotonous urban fabric, heavily reliant on individual transportation and lacking in public infrastructure and services. These patterns contradict the principles of sustainable urban planning. Adopting the concept of the “urban fringe zone” from the existing literature, the study examines this transitional space where urban and rural features intersect and proposes a typology of development forms based on density, continuity, diversity, and multifunctionality. The findings underscore the need for integrated spatial planning across administrative boundaries and advocate for the formal recognition of peri-urban zones as distinct planning entities to better manage urban expansion and mitigate its negative environmental and social impacts.
City region · Spatial planning · Suburbanization · Sustainable development · Typology · Urban density · Urban planning · Urban sprawl · Land Use and Ecosystem Services · Urban Planning and Governance · Urbanization and City Planning
Urban Environments
Compactness versus Sprawl
Landscape change and the urbanization process in Europe
How are suburbanization and peri-urbanization not the same? Key differences in urban regions in Central and Eastern European countries
Wrestling Sprawl to the Ground
Peri-urban planning
The ecological significance of urban fringe belts
Environmental planning and management of the peri-urban interface
Defining suburbanization in Central and Eastern Europe
Suburbanisation, homeownership aspirations and urban housing
Limits and openings for peri-urban gardening in the context of post-socialist extended urbanization
The Future of Large Towns
| Highly cited | No |
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