Jacek Sołtys
Gdańsk University of Technology / Politechnika Gdańska
Sub-regional service centers in reality and regional planning
Abstract
Sub-regional centers are defined as cities and towns, where the services of sub-regional
level (sub-regional services) are concentrated. Under Polish administration system, they can
be defined as such services, which can be situated in several towns in voivodeship (region,
province), but not in every capital of poviat (county).
The transformation of civilization influenced changes in the hierarchical model of
settlement network, but the regularities are still valid. Therefore, the question appears, to
which extent the regularity relate to the concentration of services in hierarchical centers.
Although a significant part of the economic literature concerns the hierarchical settlement
network models, the issue of sub-regional centers in Poland defined by sets of located or
desired services was not researched recently. The role of hierarchical service model in
regional policy was research to a small extent. Models derived from Christaller's central place
theory are used not only to describe reality, but also in planning. In Germany simple criteria
of population and distance determine the planning rank of centre and location of public
services. It is different in Poland. The centers of different levels determined in the spatial
development plans for voivodeships are not commonly used as a tool of localization services
policy.
The objectives of the presented research were to verify: 1) whether regularities of the
hierarchical model for localization of services are still valid at the sub-regional level in
Poland, 2) to which extent the regional planning operates here with the model of service, 3)
whether this model is a tool for localization of services. Methods of the research include
identification and classification of sub-regional centers on the basis services located there and
analysis of spatial development plans for voivodeships.
Research has shown that there are towns, which can be named sub-regional centers
complete and incomplete, depending on complete and incomplete equipment at a set of
typical sub-regional services. Hierarchical centers determined in the regional planning are
more often treated as centers of development, than of the service.
Keywords: regional planning, regional policy, sub-regional service centers, services location,
settlement network.
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