ABSTRACT
Urban regeneration in Polish cities is closely connected with the evolution of spatial planning and territorial governance regulations. The 50-year period of socialist central planning, which isolated Central Eastern Europe (CEE) countries from the global/continental economy and planning practice, shaped urban development. As the context and lingering legacies of former development paths matter, the first section of this chapter briefly summarizes the main features of the socialist city and the most legible changes in the spatial structure of Polish cities brought about by the demise of socialism and growing exposure to globalization and neo-liberal ideas and policies. The second part sheds light on the planning regulations and documents that determine urban regeneration in Poland. Drawing on case studies from the largest cities, the penultimate section explores examples of project-led and community-led urban regeneration, focusing on selected projects from Krakow, Warsaw, Poznan and Lodz. The conclusions discuss the positive and negative aspects of contemporary urban regeneration in Poland, a process that unfolds in a milieu characterized by a lack of larger-scale comprehensive spatial development plans and a burgeoning of almost unrestricted private property rights.
