1
Anna Pawlikowska – Piechotka, PhD Eng. architect; EURA, IAPS, ISSSS, SARP
Faculty of Architecture, Warsaw University of Technology; 00 659 Warsaw; Poland; 55 Koszykowa Street
Faculty of Tourism and Recreation Joseph Pilsudski AWF University Warsaw; 00 968 Warsaw; Poland;
34 Marymoncka Street; E: anna.piechotka@gmail.com; T: 48 22 839 02 78
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND SUSTAINABLE URBAN TOURISM
DEVELOPMENT – A NEW STRATEGY FOR WARSAW
Introduction: public participation in spatial planning (Poland)
Public participation in spatial planning process is a principle and democratic right of all
stakeholders [UN 2006, UN 1992]. It is a process which consists of a series of activities and
actions and these practices are especially important when local community is potentially
affected by urban plan decisions and therefore should have a right to be involved in decision
making process [Blomgren 2005, UN 2001]. Constantly changing societies requires new
solutions for partnership platform in urban planning, new tools and methods, the evolution
and rethinking of the whole planning process. For example, today we have an excellent
support from information technologies, which provide a communication platform created ‘for
all’ and offers a significant potentials for collaborative public engagement in planning [Hanzi
2007, Lane 2006]. As a consequence of democratic governance, public participation in
positive urban change, also in shaping sustainable urban tourism in the heritage sites, should
be seen as people centred (human centred) principle with the whole local community feel
responsible for decisions. However the conditions of success are: understanding the core
issues of the project, the desire for the participation, authentic dialogue, transparency of the
spatial planning process. Some scholars argue, that expanding the opportunities for public
participation is not always the best option and should be limited, especially when crucial
environmental issues (for example natural or cultural values) are in question [Innes 2007,
Rydin 2010].
In Poland, accordingly to the spatial law new regulations, public participation has become an
important segment of policy making process - especially on the local level (Act of Spatial
Planning, 1994). It was intended as an effort to increase public trust in authorities, enhance
democratic ideas and improve the quality of solutions – in contrast to technocratic and
2
bureaucratic monopoly of central planning during the past era of 1945 - 1989. New
regulations refer also to the preliminary stage of spatial planning, when the proposed aims and
solutions are subjects to public comments in a specified period of time. It means, that also
when solving sustainable urban tourism development policy, this stage should involve
consultations, public meetings and online discussion forums to gather opinions and formulate
rules for the best future strategy. Recently public participation had been considered as a good
tool to solve the crisis in public trust and local governance, for example as a help to re –
organise the chaotic development of urban tourism in Polish historic towns.
Urban tourism and sustainability
Several Polish cities are facing growing problems due to the growing number of visitors. In
the past decades many Polish historic towns have functioned as popular tourist destinations,
but heritage tourism has been growing significantly in the recent years. As a result of socioeconomic transformations, growing income, higher levels of education, growing awareness of
our country, globalisation process (access to EU) and better tourist infrastructure (transport,
accommodation) now we could experience much more bigger tourists interest in our historic
cities. Moreover our cities as tourist destination offered to Western European visitors some
fascinating but relatively low-cost cultural experiences. Interestingly although many Polish
historic cities are currently attempting to diversify their tourism offer (as spa tourism) –
cultural and heritage tourism remained the most popular form. Today especially Cracow and
Warsaw are popular, visited by millions of tourists per year (Warsaw by 8 900 000), by
people coming from Poland and abroad1. The average period of staying is about 6 days, but
Polish cities are also visited by millions of one-day excursionists, not staying overnight
(Warsaw by 3 200 000 per year)2. Needless to underline that the main attraction for tourists
and for one-day excursionists are the historic centres of these cities: the Old Town in Warsaw
and the Old Town in Cracow - both sites having the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage
Site status. As other UNESCO Heritage Sites, the Old Towns in Cracow and the Old Town in
Warsaw are very popular, in the high season months even extremely overcrowded and they
need to develop and apply a new approach to tourism development. In other European cities it
is not a new problem and a number of possible negative consequences of urban tourism has
1
Access in 2014: http://www.intu.gov.pl
2
Ibidem
3
been already mentioned by scholars some years ago [Ashworth 1997, Goetz 2005, Law 2002,
Paszucha 1997, Selby 2004]. Different and often competing requirements need to be
reconsidered, together with balancing the interests of residents and visitors. For example
different groups or individuals may benefit or suffer disproportionately from tourist
development what leads to unwelcomed tensions, and often opened conflict. Today we have
knowledge and planning tools enabling to minimize negative effects on historic, natural and
social environment. One of these is public participation in decision making, common
responsibility in shaping rational strategic plans to the site management in order to: safeguard
the outstanding values of heritage, protect local community wellbeing and achieve sustainable
tourism and economic development of the region. Moreover public participation could be
used as an important tool to measure the objectives, to evaluate the urban tourism impact on
local community.
Urban sustainability of the Old Town in Warsaw
Residents of the Old Town in Warsaw form a very special community group of 12 500.
Several thousand households, located in 200 historic buildings, help to develop a strong sense
of local identity and pride, but at the same time a grudge feelings and prejudice towards
tourism. Most of the local community members have been living in the Old Town since 1950,
having got there a ‘communal apartment’ after the Second World War reconstruction of the
district. Today it seems that they truly care for the historic fabric preservation, restoration and
maintenance, being very proud of the tradition and symbolic meaning of the site. But as
tourism develops in this historic centre, it brings with it recognisable ecological, cultural,
social and economic impacts – very damaging from the local community point of view. For
example many B&B, hostels, restaurants, night clubs which had been founded in the Old
Town area - replaced grocery shops, milk-bars and local bookshops. Today one can notice
that the tension clearly exists between users of the Old Town ‘shared space’: visitors and
those who work and live in and around heritage site. On the other hand the development of
the tourist industry is more than a question of economic necessity; it is a chance to contribute
to better protection of historic monuments and in the broader perspective – to urban
regeneration. In consequence this situation calls for new solutions in establishing the
sustainable interrelationships between the preservation of heritage potential of the Old Town,
tourist development and the local community strong rights to high quality of living standards.
Some scholars argue, that from a postmodernist perspective, as a consequence of increasing
4
mobility of society, global communication, there is no point in making efforts to solve these
questions, as who is not satisfied in living in historic sites – could easily move out [Richards
2002, Urry 1995]. However, the Old Town in Warsaw is different from London or New York
– most of its residents are long – term and the core is formed by place – based tradition, often
multi - segmented families, permanently connected with the site (often the second or third
generation). It is believed by many scholars, that the strategies for heritage tourism
sustainable development should be elaborated with the local community active participation,
considered as an important partner in the whole project process [Garrod 2000, Apostolakis
2003]. However, with some limits, as two approaches should be in urban planning combined:
‘bottom – up’ and ‘top - down’ to achieve sustainability. Many scholars underline that a
bottom – up approach alone cannot be used, especially where control of factors such as
environment values, cultural heritage is necessary (possible often only through top – down
command) and the participatory approach requires then a more informed, better educated
society [Blomgren 2005, Hanzi 2007, Innes 2004, Rydin 2010].
Research questions and methods:
In 2009 Warsaw City Council Office recognised the necessity of developing a project to solve
the complex spatial issues of the Old Town, which included as a new approach a public
participation in decision – making process. As a research group we were interested in the
government effects to create a new approach of developing sustainable urban tourism, in
results to improve urban management, planning and implementation practices through
partnership governance. Our research study was also about enquiry the phenomenon of
heritage tourism and its impact on the Old Town in Warsaw cultural values and the local
community members. We were interested both in the negative and the positive consequences,
in revealing the socio-cultural impacts that cultural tourism might have on the local residents
(host community). In our research we included the analyse of various stakeholders, as Local
Authority of Centrum Borough, Warsaw City Council Office, Conservatory of Heritage in
Warsaw Office, tourism industry, local community members; their priorities and visions of
sustainable tourism development. We focused on the following key elements:
a) Identifying the focal group of stakeholders for the Old Town in Warsaw; determining
the potential interests groups and their point of view on tourism development
5
b) Examining the local community characteristic and background, its needs and
expectations; visions for shaping the ‘shared space’, revealing internal conflicts within
local community members
c) Presenting an effort of Warsaw City Government to develop, validate and deploy a
strategy of urban sustainable management, partnership and local community
involvement, in aim to create a better tourism policy and improve management,
planning and implementation practices in Warsaw
The case study effort was in particular focused on local community, as we regarded the
experience of hosting tourists and the residents’ vision on further heritage tourism
development as important and crucial condition for sustainability. We intended to shape our
research in form of applied one and hoped to find a solution for a general framework for
sustainable heritage tourism partnerships with all parties concerned. We believed that
tourism’s impact on the Old Town is much more than simply number of visitors, job places
created and money spent, as complicated relationship between visitor and host is rarely that
simple. To measure these issues from different perspectives we used combination of methods
as we have aimed to achieve a balance between the quantitative and the qualitative
approaches: academic studies of published resources and spatial plans (the quantitative
secondary data analysis) as well as the case study on the Old Town in Warsaw – to obtain
primary data in form of observations, semi-structured and structured interviews, conducted
between local community and local authority representatives – as recommended by the well
recognised researches in tourism [Dallen 2003, Finn 2000, Smith 2003, Phillimore 2005].
The Old Town in Warsaw spatial development: past and present
The Old Town in Warsaw covers about 10 hectares, is well known of the numerous
restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops, and is commonly believed to be one of the Warsaw’s
most prominent tourist attractions. Established in the 13th century, Old Market and
surrounding streets, feature the medieval, renaissance and baroque architecture of houses, the
city walls and churches. In September 1939, during the invasion of Poland, much of the
district was damaged by Nazis and in 1945 less than 5% of the houses were still habitable.
After the Second World War, the Old Town was meticulously rebuilt with the use of the
original bricks whenever it was possible. The last historic monument to be rebuild was the
Royal Castle (restored in 1971-1981), today the great landmark commanding the Castle
6
Square. The Old Town reconstruction was very expensive, both in terms of money and of
communal effort. Strong motivation and remarkable efforts have been honoured by
registering the Old Town in Warsaw to the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites, as ‘an
outstanding example of a near-total reconstruction of a span of history covering the 13th to
the 20th century’3. Following the political changes after 1989 and the opening up for foreign
tourists, the Old Town in Warsaw quickly has been recognised as a major tourist attraction.
Today it has more than 240 shops, restaurants to potter around in. Moreover, when walking
today through the Old Town narrow streets, it is hard to believe that practically most of the
buildings are less than 70 years old. The so-called ‘Decree on Municipalisation’, announced
in October 1945, about ownership and use of land in Warsaw - cancelled private property
rights to the land. The ‘old’ residences of the Old Town were often given a communal
apartment at some newly erected housing estates and prestigious apartments at the Old Town
were offered to the ‘specially selected’ group of artists, scientists and high-ranked communist
party members. It was not only about the unique location, but also the much less restriction of
living area normative. The regulations at this time allowed, exclusively at reconstructed
historic buildings, to occupy much larger space and to enjoy higher living standards.
Contemporary residents of the Old Town (about 12 500 people, living in 200 apartment
houses) are representatives of the next generation. They are the children or even
grandchildren of the first, post-war generation who inhabited the newly rebuilt district. Today
this group of successors usually have only some tenant ship rights (usually temporary) to
occupy their apartment. Very rarely one can get a permission to buy an apartment from the
state (or rather from local authority), many have no ‘strong’ legal rights to apartment he/ or
she lives in, but merely the temporary ‘communal order’. The lucky ones, those having full
ownership rights, often take chance to sell their property on the free real estate market as the
price for one square meter of apartments located at the Old Town is one of the highest in
Warsaw.4 Most of the ground floor commercial spaces (shops, restaurants) are owned by local
authority (self-government) and are being let through the open auctions. The prices are very
high (as it is popular tourist site) and no local grocery with basic food offer is able to compete
and make profit. No doubts that commercial space in the Old Town is used mainly for luxury
restaurants, cafes, art galleries, antique and souvenirs shops with silver, gold and amber
3
Access in 2014: http://whc.unesco.org
4
Access In 2014: http://www.domiporta.pl
7
jewellery. Unfortunately the Warsaw City Council Office was not supportive to local small –
scale entrepreneurs (as artists selling their paintings on the streets), but to development of
‘quality’ services based on luxury shops and restaurants. We cannot name it ‘fair trade’
schemes and obviously in future the benefits from tourism and economic development should
reach all sectors of local community.
Public participation and the Old Town sustainable tourism vision.
In 2010 – 2014 our interviews with various stakeholder groups’ representatives showed, that
there was no one vision for sustainable tourism, shared by local community, conservatory
office, local government and tourist industry. There are also differing levels of interests
between individuals and groups within the local community, as the community is not
homogeneous and not all local residents benefit equally from or are equally happy with
tourism development. Moreover we can observe rather individual and NGO’s networks
(Association of Warsaw Friends, Association of Old Town Local Community) than
institutional efforts to practice sustainable tourism at the Old Town in Warsaw. Unfortunately
the recent documents on the Old Town Management strategy: ‘Warsaw Strategy of Spatial
Development’ (2007) and ‘Management of the Old Town Strategy’ (2012) have rather general
ideas and objectives than a concrete action plan [WCCO 2007, 2012]. Therefore this indicates
a challenge in shaping other proposals for sustainable tourism planning recommendations.
The important question remains how to make all stakeholders feel responsible to contribute in
this process, especially how to involve the whole community in tourism development. It
seems that it is no other way to create a balance within the different interests groups but
through democratic process of making decisions (for example through the Local Spatial Plan
for the Old Town in Warsaw), as this system is giving equal weight to all legitimate voices. In
2010 the very promising step towards improvement of local self-government and democracy
was the Warsaw City Council Office decision to start two interesting projects: ‘Contribute in
Architectural Relics Conservation Programme’ and ‘Old Town - New Image’. Both were
directed to the local community members and intended as a new initiative to encourage
people to express their opinions and to make them feel more responsible. In February 2010
the Warsaw City Council Office initiated a series of consulting meetings and workshops with
8
the local community members, regarding the project ‘Old Town - New Image’ [Table 1]. It
was developed on the ground of the FSS ‘Norway Grants’ Programme5, making a chance for
the local community members to meet and talk with the Warsaw City Council Office
representatives. The local community members had a chance to express their feelings and
comments concerning heritage tourism future development. Unfortunately only 200 out of
12 500 inhabitants were present at least once, what makes hardly 1.5% of total residents.
Those who were interested in the project participation and present at the meetings, mentioned
several problems which should be solved. First and foremost was underlined the necessity to
shift public safety level (CCTV monitoring) and the sanitary issues (litters policy, provision
of public toilets). Other important issues were about need for parking places reserved for local
residents, restaurants gardens blocking pavements, noise until the small hours. Then
mentioned were the problems, not connected with the tourist sustainability, but rather with
other aspects of everyday life quality, as better health services, public transport or the poor
technical state of houses. The representative of disabled residences explained the necessity to
provide ‘barrier free’ urban space, safer for elderly, disabled and caretakers with prams –
indicating, that these improvements will be also important for disabled tourists visiting the
site. The local community members underlined that in many cases it is not possible to get the
conservatory of monuments permission to create ramps or the wider passages. One of the
important brought out issues was the creation of information tourist system (with suggestions
to use the late Prof. Jan Zachwatowicz ideas, including the ‘touch maps’ system for people
with sight impairments).
When shaping our research aims we considered as the most important to examine the
complicated relationship between tourism sustainability and local community of the Old
Town in Warsaw. One could clearly noticed the complex interactions within the local
community and natural environment (Vistula River Valley), cultural heritage, Warsaw
Conservatory Office, Warsaw City Council Office, commercial sector of tourist services. Our
research showed that there were several unsolved questions connected with tourist sustainable
development management in the Old Town. First, there were already visible signs of the
physical damage at historic properties as for example: wear and tear, litter and pollution,
5
Access in 2014: http:// www.eog.gov.pl
9
vandalism. Secondly, mass of tourists (throngs of people filling the narrow streets) and anti
social behaviour of some of the tourists, noise until the early hours - were cited among the
major disruptions of everyday life. Often we heard the statements that “tourists have changed
the place to a point where it is not the same Old Town” and “the way of our living is being
obliterated”. These opinions were expressed by the Old Town in Warsaw residents both
during our interviews (2010 - 2014) and during the meetings organized by the Warsaw City
Council Office (2010) [Table 1, Table 2]. Most of the locals mentioned the lack of shops with
food and very high prices at few groceries which are today in minority. The majority of 248
shops operating in the Old Town and the New Town were either the famous restaurants or
fancy boutiques and souvenir shops – targeting with their offer to rich tourists and much less
interested in the group of permanent residents. Local community members also suffered not
having provision of other basic services, as public transport (the Old Town is traffic – free
zone), high prices for parking lots and overcrowded buses and tramways. Sadly, very active
only few years ago, the Association of the Old Town Residents (founded in 2000) cannot
contribute as effective as it potentially could, not being fully respected partner. The reason is
ownership structure; most of the Old Town residents have not legal rights to their apartments.
Without clear position they are treated only as temporary tenants of communal properties,
being only ‘weak’ not empowered partner for the local government. In consequence it was a
reason for so poor collaboration of the host community in the projects and indifference
expressed in participation in any other action aimed for the improvement and change the
urban policy (for example in Krasiński Park Warsaw Restoration Project, supported by EU
funds, consulted in 2011). Clearly the local community members did not believe they could
influence the decisions that affect their lives, thinking ‘my voice is not respected and heard’.
It is to be underlined that most of the local community members were well aware of the many
advantages connected with tourism development (as preservation of architectural relics and
job creation). Despite the fact that it was very difficult to measure exactly these effects
(especially intangible impacts as promotion of better knowledge and understanding of Polish
culture, tradition and history), it was obvious for them - that the meaning of tourism for the
city economy was undisputable. It is to underline that the local community approach was
generally not anti – tourism growth, but they expected clearly defined limitations to this
growth, believing that tourism development must be managed within these limits set on the
base of environment studies, nature and heritage protection requirements.
10
Final Results and Conclusions
In our opinion the sudden and sometimes uncontrolled development of tourism, only
highlighted already existing inequalities and differences within the Old Town residents,
unsolved problems and conflicts with the local government. The local community of the Old
Town in Warsaw perceived the sustainable tourism development and the heritage site
management possible, under several conditions connected with cultural implications, spatial
and social context. Achieving this require clear vision of linkages between heritage tourism
and sustainable development, improvement of planning and implementation process. Further
development of tourism at the Old Town requires taking into account not only the stimulating
economic development through tourism, conservatory programmes, but also the views and
opinions of various other stakeholders (local community, interest groups representing
restaurants and shops holders, tourist agencies). As each stakeholder group has a different set
of needs and ideas, relating to the use the historic urban fabric, it is necessary to solve some
potential conflicts and achieve a balance between these voices. Although this theory is so far
not very popular in Poland, it seems that the effort to make people feel involved and
responsible should be the core of the future sustainable tourism philosophy [Table 3].
The example of not very successful project of the Warsaw City Council Office ‘Old Town New Image’ (2010) proofed, that Warsaw local community was not ready to cooperate neither
with the self government nor with the government institutions. First of all only less than 1.5%
of local community members volunteered to contribute in the project [Table 1]. Secondly, as
the observers of the public consultations we noticed that the meetings were dysfunctional and
chaotic, not meeting the basic goals, causing anger and mistrust. The reason, in our opinion,
was the poor knowledge of public participation core values and rules, also of the economic,
social, political, psychological and other issues important for urban planning policy. As the
other reasons of project failure one can mention: lack of clear basic goal and well – defined
purpose for the Old Town local community role in the project (undefined degree of real
opportunity for public input to be considered in making the decision), unclear structure and
process, undefined rules about how public participation will be conducted and how the
decision will be made; lack of inclusive and effective representation (and as a consequence
the absence of relevant stakeholders interests). It is true that effects of public participation are
so far problematic, but if the goal of tourism management is to minimize the negative impact
of tourism and to protect the environmental and cultural heritage, to create tourist satisfaction
11
and to stimulate economic growth, to provide improved living standards and environment
quality for residents – it is necessary to understand better the host community, its nature,
scope and function; also the political, economic and cultural tensions within the group.
Understanding the way in which the community sees the problem solutions, the implications
of their relations to tourists and tourists’ services should be a crucial basis to further Warsaw
City Council Office projects. The sustainable site management requires to make all
stakeholders (that can affect or are affected by tourism) to participate in the project, meaning
also participation of tourists visiting the site. It seems, that only through making ‘all of the
groups’ concern of the sustainable tourism development might successfully establish more
balanced and long-term effect in achieving goals. However, in order to obtain equilibrium
between the potential tourism growth, conservatory needs and quality of host community life,
all stakeholders’ interests and objectives regarding the tourism development must be
incorporated in to the Local Planning process and well balanced. It might be a way to protect
the outstanding values of the Old Town in Warsaw, ensure that tourists will get a quality
experience there and the local community will feel a sense of responsibility when contributing
to planning a sustainable tourism.
Overall, we have no doubts, that a present planning process should be revised and the more
integrated approach to local planning will be more applicable as an attempt to solve spatial
conflicts and to build higher tolerance between local community members and tourists - when
sharing the historic space. Although UNESCO and ICOMOS provide a comprehensive set of
universal guidelines, it is recognised that each historical place (as having unique values)
requires an individual approach and spatial planning process could not be standardised too
much [UN 2011]. Therefore our proposal of integrated planning process for the Old Town in
Warsaw is aimed to address the unique feature and specific nature of this site and to find a
balance between conservation needs, heritage tourism development and local community
expectations. These include especially the public participation in the Old Town governance,
more participatory approach understood as crucial element of better decision making as
clearly most of the urban tourism problems cannot be solved by government alone [Table 3].
To make the most appropriate decision possible the commitment is important and consensus
between various actors, who hold different perspectives, have different needs and different
positions, seek different outcomes and do not share the same values [Table 2]. However, to
avoid the mistakes from the past project, it is necessary to improve the process: conduct
training in communication, create a climate of inclusion and integrity, make people believe
12
that public participation will result in better governance and urban sustainability, educate
people about goals, issues, conditions and options of spatial planning, guarantee complete
transparency of procedures. Hopefully, a strong public participation preceded by an education
stage and accompanied by effective promotion of the project, (seen as a constant process not a
single event; understood as an ethical right and civil obligation), can provide a valuable tool
for bridging a gap between environmental problems of Old Town in Warsaw, heritage tourism
development, local community wellbeing and other stakeholders expectations [Table 2, Table
3]. It is to be underlined that great potential, still not used by government, lays in information
technology tools (as communication platform and computer simulations of urban planning).
In March 2015 Warsaw City Council Office announced a new project “Sustainable spatial
development strategy for the Old Praga District in Warsaw: society, culture and tourism”. In
September 2015 and in October 2015 public consultations are planned, accompanied by series
of meetings and workshops. We hope that the experience of the Old Town partnership project
will be considered and the public collaboration will be far better organised with revised
methods and tools. As a research group focused on sustainable urban tourism issues in the
urban heritage sites we intend to study and explore this forthcoming project, examining the
process and its results, developing some conclusions. Its outcomes, as we hope, might be used
to evaluate public collaboration effects, reformulate rules and improve Warsaw community
engagement in the future urban spatial projects – focused, in particular, on environmental
sustainability and responsible tourism.
This paper is based on the outcomes of research study, conducted in the Faculty of Tourism
and Recreation Joseph Pilsudski AWF University Warsaw (2010-2014) and supported by the
Ministry of Science and Higher Education (ds-144)
13
Table 1. Public participation statistic data (Spatial Plan for the Old Town Warsaw)
Theme of a meeting
Date of meeting
Number of participants
The Old Town local community members
30 09 2010
200 (1.5% of community)
Investors interested in the Old Town Warsaw
05 10 2010
18
Disabled Warsaw citizens, also “Integracja” group
13 10 2010
17 (16 from the Old Town)
NGO representatives
19 10 2010
11
Warsaw citizens
26 10 2010
60 (43 from the Old Town)
“Street Consultation” (in form of exhibition)
04 10 – 21 11 2010
unknown
Source: Research survey, conducted at Joseph Pilsudski AWF University Warsaw (Ministry of Science
and Higher Education, Poland grant: ds-144 AWF Warsaw).
Table 2 Sustainable heritage tourism – proposals of aims and objectives of spatial planning listed by the
local community members (the Old Town Warsaw, 2010 - 2014)
Conditions of sustainable tourism development (principles listed by local community members)
1. The growth and urban tourism development must be managed within defined limits
2. Limits of tourist development should be set on the base of environment studies, nature and heritage
protection requirements
3. Implementation of long – term together with medium and short – term site management plans concerning
tourist development are necessary (for example horizon of: 1 year, 5 – years and 20 years)
4. The concerns of tourism sustainable management should be seen through economic and social perspective of
the host community, their needs and expectations
5. All the stakeholders (including local community) need to be consulted and empowered in tourism
development decision making, need to informed about Warsaw City Council Office plans, projects and actions
within the Old Town area and in its neighbourhood
6. The final decisions of Warsaw City Council Office concerning the Old Town must balance the coasts and
benefits in the context of not the local community as a whole, as it is not a homogeneous group: there are
various individuals and groups which could gain or lose as the consequence of different official courses and
actions; clearly defined role of local community in decision making, transparency in planning process
Source: Research survey, conducted at Joseph Pilsudski AWF University Warsaw (Ministry of Science
and Higher Education, Poland grant: ds-144 AWF Warsaw).
14
Table 3 Sustainable heritage tourism – integrated planning process proposal (the Old Town Warsaw)
Phase
Integrated planning process – public participation (1-7)
1
Goals, objectives and priorities identification
Establishing
goals
within
community expectations
tourism
development,
Outcomes
local
Clear statement of plan purpose
and conservation requirements;
identifying issues and options; collecting and interpreting data
(all stakeholders of Old Town involved: local community,
travel agencies, government institutions and NGOs)
2
Shaping possible spatial planning scenarios
Examine trends in urban tourism (future development trends),
Draft plan created – spatial strategy
identify conservation policy and philosophy (readiness for
of development
changes), determine local community goals; preparing draft
plan and draft programmes for implementing the plan; all
stakeholders involved
3
Consultations
Presenting assumptions of draft plan, identify community
Statement of agreed vision of
primary values, key issues and problems (through interviews
spatial
and workshops, using information technology), identify
tourism development for Old Town
policy
for
sustainable
potential areas of spatial conflicts; all stakeholders involved
4
Creation of Local Plan for Old Town in Warsaw
Potential
sustainable
heritage
tourism
development,
Revise objectives and strategies
conservatory recommendations, solutions to spatial conflicts
Prioritised
programme
and constrains of shaping ‘tolerant space’, details of
infrastructure
and
infrastructure support (technical, social, cultural, tourist
works for Old Town in Warsaw
of
conservatory
services), programme for architectural relics protection and
historic urban structure regeneration; evaluate potential impacts
of plans and implementing programmes
5
Implementation
Devise implementation mechanism – programme of work,
Implementation strategy
organization issues, responsibilities, timelines; identify changes
to existing legislation; all stakeholders involved
6
Consultation
Review
and
adopt
plan-implementing
programmes;
all
stakeholders involved
7
Concise Local Plan for Old Town
document outlining all prior stages
Review and monitoring
Review
and
monitor
implementation
procedures;
stakeholders involved in further plan amendments
all
Periodic reports on implementation
and further recommendations
15
Source: Research survey, conducted at Joseph Pilsudski AWF University Warsaw (Ministry of Science
and Higher Education, Poland grant: ds-144 AWF Warsaw)
References:
Act of Spatial Planning in Poland (1994) with amendments (Poland)
Apostolakis A.: The convergence process in heritage tourism [in] Annals of Tourism Research, Volume 30,
Issue 4, October 2003, Elsevier London; pp. 796-812; (UK)
Ashworth G. J.: Heritage Planning: an approach to Managing Historic Cities [in] Managing Historic Cities,
ICC Cracow 1997, pp. 27-49 (Poland);
Ashworth G.J.: Whose history, whose heritage? Management means choice [in] Managing Tourism in Historic
Cities ICC Cracow 1992, pp. 57-67 (Poland);
Blomgren Bingham L. et al.: The New Governance: Practices and Process for Stakeholder and Citizen
Participation in the Work of Government [in] Public Administrative Review, Volume 65, Issues 5, pages 574558 (September 2005)
Dallen J.T. et al.: Heritage Tourism, Prentice Hall Harlow 2003 (UK);
Finn M. et al.: Tourism & Leisure Research Methods, Pearson Longman Harlow 2000 (UK);
Garrod B. et al.: Managing heritage tourism [in] Annals of Tourism Research, Volume 27 issue 3, July 2000,
Elsevier London, pp. 682-708; (UK)
Goetz D. et al.: Stakeholder involvement in sustainable tourism: balancing the voices [in] Global Tourism
(edited by W.F. Theobald), Elsevier Burlington 2005, pp. 230-248 (UK);
Hall C.M.: Tourism Planning, Prentice Hall Harlow 2000 (UK);
Hanzi M.: Information technology as a tool for public participation in urban planning: a review of experiments
and potentials [in] Design Studies, Elsevier, Volume 28, Issue 3, May 2007, pp. 289-307 (UK)
Innes J.E. et al.: Reframing public participation: strategies for 21 st century [in] Planning Theory & Practice,
Volume 5, Issue 4, pp. 419-436; Routledge 2004; DOI: 1080/1464935042000293170;
Lane M.B.: Public Participation in Planning: an intellectual history [in] Australian Geographer, Volume 36,
Issue 3, 2005 pp. 283-299; DOI: 10. 1080/00049180500325694;
16
Law Ch.M.: Urban Tourism, Continuum London 2002 (UK);
Page S. et al.: Managing Urban Tourism, Prentice Hall Harlow 2003 (UK);
Paszucha M.: Historic City Tourism and Polish Tourism Policy [in] Managing Tourism in Historic Cities, ICC
Cracow 1997, pp. 37-43 (Poland);
Phillimore J. et al.: Qualitative Research in Tourism, Routledge New York 2005 (US)
Polish Urban Planning Society (PUPS) & Warsaw Capital City Office (WCCO): Warsaw Physical Development,
Polish Urban Planning Society Warsaw 1997, pp. 21-45 (Poland)
Richards G. et al: The community: a sustainable concept in tourism development? [in] Tourism and sustainable
community development [edited by D. Hall et al.], Routledge Advances in Tourism, London 2002, pp. 16-21;
(UK)
Rydin Y. et al.: Public participation and Local Environmental Planning: The collective action problem and the
potential of social capital [in] Local Environment: The International Journal of Justice and Sustainability,
Volume 5, Issue 2, pp. 153-169, 2010 (US)
Selby M.: Understanding Urban Tourism: Image, Culture, Experience, I. B. Tauris, London 2004 (UK)
Smith K.M.: Issues in Cultural Tourism Studies Routledge New York 2003 (US);
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization: UNESCO World Heritage and Sustainable
Tourism Programme - Action Plan 2013 – 2015, Paris 2011 (France)
United Nations Environment Programme: Rio Declaration on Environment Development, Rio de Janeiro 1992
(Brazil)
United Nation Habitat: The Declaration on Cities and Other Human Settlements in the New Millennium, Nairobi
2001 (Kenya)
United Nations Secretariat ENABLE: Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, New York 2006
(US)
Urry J.: Consuming places, Routledge London 1995 (UK)
Warsaw Capital City Office (WCCO): Warsaw Development Strategy, Warsaw 2007 (Poland)
17
Warsaw Capital City Office (WCCO): Management of the Old Town Strategy, Warsaw 2012 (Poland)