Zoning policy in terms of the sustainability of municipalities in Poland

Purpose: Assessment of how effective municipalities in Poland are in performing their zoning activities. Zoning activities of cities constitute a crucial issue discussed herein and considered in terms of sustainability.

Design/Methodology/Approach: The research carried out involved reviewing the literature on sustainability and analyzing the approach of local authorities to the issues concerned, with particular reference to the zoning activities carried out by municipalities as part of their duties imposed by law. The empirical study was based primarily on secondary data. The qualitative analyses were carried out using data from audits performed by the Supreme Audit Office to examine the zoning activities carried out by municipalities.

Findings: The analyses demonstrated that the zoning system adopted by municipalities was not practical. The zoning system currently in place in Poland does not allow the development potential of cities to be utilized in full. The absence of local zoning plans makes it challenging to implement investment projects and complete other public administration tasks.

Practical implication: The measures taken hitherto about the zoning policy, the local zoning fragmentation, the issuance of planning permissions at the discretion of local authorities, the zoning chaos resulting from too many planning permissions being issued, as well as the slow process of mastering modern information and zoning technologies by public administration employees and their conservative “attachment” to the technological solutions from the past do not contribute to ensuring zoning governance.

Originality/Value: Perception and awareness of the necessity to ensure sustainability and achieve integrated governance have become essential elements of international, national, and local development policies.