Suburban Morphology Dynamics: The Case of the Tricity Agglomeration, Poland

Abstract

Suburbanization is a phase of the development of cities that consists in the growth of the suburban zone at the expense of the city center, which becomes gradually depopulated. The phenomenon of uncontrolled suburbanization (urban sprawl) causes infrastructural (including transport), environmental, social, economic, and legal problems. This paper presents the results of a study of the phenomenon of suburbanization conducted on the basis of vector data using two methods: one based on the use of a grid of primary square fields, and one based on the use of concentric zones/rings. The analyses were conducted in the surroundings of the Tricity agglomeration, which is located in the northern part of Poland on the Gulf of Gdansk, and covered the period from 2000 to 2018. Using a grid of primary fields, the areas of the greatest increase and decrease in the developed areas, irrespective of administrative boundaries, were determined for the selected periods, and the areas of the constant positive and negative balance of the buildings were identified. Using concentric rings, the process of the shifting of the new development zones was traced. The paper also refers to the route of the Pomeranian Metropolitan Railway (PKM), which was commissioned in 2015, and its potential impact on suburbanization in the Tricity area. The results made it possible to trace the suburbanization process in time and space and to learn the advantages and disadvantages of the use of vector data in spatial studies.

Investigating urban form, and walkability measures in the new developments. The case study of Garnizon in Gdansk

“…One of them is the uncontrolled suburbanisation visible in the Tri-City area and identified in several post-socialist countries (Nuissl and Rink, 2005). It can be bound to, among others, land privatisation and the need to fulfil housing aspirations (Korwel--Lejkowska, 2021;Sýkora and Bouzarovski, 2012).…”

“…New forms of spatial development that appeared in most post-socialist cities, were also represented in Gdansk. The most visible was the increased suburbanisation and introduction of gated and single-entry communities (Korwel-Lejkowska, 2021;Polanska, 2014Polanska, , 2010. In recent years urban development of Gdansk is characterised by constant growth, however similarly to other Polish cities, it is not managed through a consistent planning system.…”

Suburbanization within City Limits in Hungary—A Challenge for Environmental and Social Sustainability

“…On the other hand, the local government in the city can influence the land use and spatial structure through much more direct, targeted interventions within its own borders. Thus, this process can also be interpreted as a reaction of the city to suburbanization processes unfavorable to the city [30,35,72,73,89]. This is especially important because the dynamic residential areas of cities are usually the neighborhoods affected by the sprawl, not the central urban core, which is often losing its population.…”

“…The effects of the process, through changes in land use, significantly reduce the quantity and quality of green and blue surfaces, making them unable to perform their ecological functions effectively. Its other effects, such as the increase in vehicle traffic and the growing albedo, are negatively impacting the environment and the quality of life of the population [31][32][33][34][35][36].…”