The Effect of Changes in Administrative Division on the Economic Position of the Largest Cities in Poland

Among the functions fulfilled by cities in relation to their hinterland, an important function is that of public administration. Changes in administrative division, instituted in Poland in 1999, have either weakened or strengthened the economical role of many cities.

A city’s position within the hierarchy of the centers of public administration within a country has, in Poland’s case, a significant effect upon the geographical movements of companies. An attempt was made to preliminarily gauge the effect of administrative changes upon the location of corporate offices. Changes in the distribution of companies providing the selected types of services in the 100 largest Polish cities were taken into account. The relationship between the change in the number of companies in each city and the potential social and economic role of the city in the general sense was examined.