DEVELOPMENT PROBLEMS OF A SMALL TOWN WITH A SPECIALIZED FUNCTION. EXAMPLE OF STASZOW

References: 5th International Multidisciplinary Scientific Conference on Social Sciences and Arts SGEM 2018, www.sgemvienna.org, SGEM2018 Vienna ART Conference Proceedings, ISBN 978-619-7408-33-1 / ISSN 2367-5659, 19 - 21 March, 2018, Vol. 5, Issue 5.1; 89-96 pp, DOI: 10.5593/sgemsocial2018H/51/S17.011

ABSTRACT

Following political changes in the 1990s, in many Polish cities, large state-owned enterprises were liquidated or privatized (not always with a good result). The situation in which, the main employer in the region collapsed, is dangerous for the city. While in the prosperous larger centres, the multiplicity and variety of functions may partially "take over" the former employees of the closed company and mitigate the occurrence of crisis phenomena, in small towns it means a serious problem, especially if their previous development was based on one function. Small cities do not have such a diverse service infrastructure as larger centres, which could absorb a large number of "new" employees at the same time. Many of the medium-sized cities in which the situation described above took place are included in the study "Delimitation of medium-sized cities losing socio-economic functions" created for the needs of the Strategy for Responsible Development in 2016. This study contains, among others a list of 122 cities losing socio-economic functions. The assumption that there is a connection between the political and economic changes of the 1990s (and their effects in the form of closing or unsuccessful privatization of large state-owned enterprises), and the current intensification of crisis phenomena occurring in these cities seems to be justified. The question is whether cities listed in "Delimitation ..." have any development prospects, and whether development strategies and plans remain only documents, or do they have real potential to positively influence the socio-economic situation of the centre? Research and observations of crisis phenomena are conducted in different contexts and embrace a wide spectrum of issues. Analysis of planning documents, revitalization programs and development strategies for one of the cities located in the above the study - Staszów, shows that the records contained in these documents do not guarantee the implementation of the assumptions made therein, and by extension the improvement of the conditions of functioning, neither the sustainable development of the city.

Keywords: Sustainable development, a monofunctional city, a medium-sized city, zoning plans, development strategy