Cezary Kowalczyk

Dynamics of Changes in the Urban Space

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Abstract

This study analyzes urban areas which comprise an urban center and neighboring municipalities. As an administrative unit, a city is an organism full of internal and external connections, and it undergoes constant change at the micro and macro level. A city's internal structure is modified over time in response to changes in the local environment, and those changes often affect the surrounding territories. This article proposes a methodology for analyzing the dynamics of urban space in five Polish cities which were surveyed in 2002–2012. The analysis was based on the assumption that dwellings constitute the largest part of a city, and that they are most susceptible to change. An observer examining the city from within will note that a critical level has been reached (an observer positioned in a rural area will report a decrease in the surface tension of the urban/rural boundary). In consequence, progressing residential development in areas adjacent to the city contributes to urban sprawl. In view of the above, a research hypothesis was proposed that residential area per capita is the most robust indicator of economic and spatial changes in an urban area.

Keywords: urban space; dynamics; residential area; spatial structure.