1.8 Current and upcoming changes and challenges

The discussion on introducing changes to the Polish spatial planning legislation has been ongoing several years. As a result a new project of The Act on Spatial Planning has been agreed upon. Compared with the currently binding act from 2003 it provides for changes as follows:

  • strengthening of a role of spatial planning as an instrument of spatial policy,
  • more precise delimitation of competences and responsibilities at the specific levels of spatial planning, 
  • separating analytical and constituting parts in the plans of spatial management,
  • limiting the range of planning for the areas of low complexity of structures and spatial processes,
  • endowing investments of public purpose with greater importance,
  • including maritime and railway areas in the spatial planning at the local level,
  • establishing a principle of considering spatial policy of the neighbouring areas (including those located outside the country's border) in the process of drawing up spatial plans,
  • simplification and improvement of location procedures at the local level.