<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The article attempts to develop a preliminary practical framework for urban criteria in terms of the population, economy and spatial location of the smallest towns in Poland. Despite being of little significance, the fact that they lie near the border between being rural settlements and towns makes them an interesting subject for research and more detailed analysis. The current phenomenon of urban status being obtained by ever-smaller settlements is causing conceptual disorder. Therefore, the article may serve as an early contribution to a discussion about the need to define and unify urban criteria on a national scale. The qualitative and descriptive guidelines contained in official acts are insufficient and too general, which is why quantitative methods were used in the present research. Despite the limited data available, research on the topic of urbanity has proven the imperfection of the Polish administrative system and confirmed the premise that town status may be conferred inappropriately in numerous cases.</p></abstract>

The article attempts to develop a preliminary practical framework for urban criteria in terms of the population, economy and spatial location of the smallest towns in Poland. Despite being of little significance, the fact that they lie near the border between being rural settlements and towns makes them an interesting subject for research and more detailed analysis. The current phenomenon of urban status being obtained by ever-smaller settlements is causing conceptual disorder. Therefore, the article may serve as an early contribution to a discussion about the need to define and unify urban criteria on a national scale. The qualitative and descriptive guidelines contained in official acts are insufficient and too general, which is why quantitative methods were used in the present research. Despite the limited data available, research on the topic of urbanity has proven the imperfection of the Polish administrative system and confirmed the premise that town status may be conferred inappropriately in numerous cases.

Urban criteria based on the example of the smallest towns in Poland

Miscellanea Geographica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"Urban criteria based on the example of the smallest towns in Poland"}

The article attempts to develop a preliminary practical framework for urban criteria in terms of the population, economy and spatial location of the smallest...

Strong specialisation			Medium specialisation
Town	Dominant section (PKD 2007)	Florence indicator	Town	Dominant section (PKD 2007)	Florence indicator
Bieżuń	A	29.99	Górzno	D/A	9.87/8.24
Radzyń Chełmiński	D/A	26.36/21.00	Jutrosin	B	9.84
Krynica Morska	I/A	16.92/11.78	Działoszyce	O	9.62
Krzywiń	A	14.02	Kołaczyce	O	9.62
Suraż	O	13.02	Szadek	D	9.55
Otyń	A	12.90	Bieżuń	E	9.22
Wiślica	O	11.83	Józefów Wisłą nad	O	9.11
Kleszczele	A/O	11.29/11.18	Wielichowo	A	9.05
Jaraczewo	O	10.89	Mordy	A/O	8.73/7.57
Wyśmierzyce	O	10.72	Nowe Warpno	A	8.60
Goniądz	D	10.64	Moryń	A	8.43
Szlichtyngowa	O	10.61	Rajgród	A/O	7.99/7.91
Cieszanów	E	10.19	Ulanów	O	7.91
Siedliszcze	O	10.09	Dobra	O	7.74

Urban criteria based on the example of the smallest towns in Poland

Published Online: Jan 31, 2019

Page range: 39 - 46

Received: May 15, 2018

Accepted: Oct 29, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/mgrsd-2018-0035

Keywords
Smallest towns, transitional settlements, urbanity

© 2019 Mateusz Cudo published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Types of specialisation in the structure of the economy of the smallest towns in Poland in 2016

Urban criteria based on the example of the smallest towns in Poland

Published Online: Jan 31, 2019

Page range: 39 - 46

Received: May 15, 2018

Accepted: Oct 29, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/mgrsd-2018-0035

KeywordsSmallest towns, transitional settlements, urbanity

© 2019 Mateusz Cudo published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Types of specialisation in the structure of the economy of the smallest towns in Poland in 2016

Keywords
Smallest towns, transitional settlements, urbanity