Department of Spatial Organization

About Department

History of the Department of Spatial Organization begins in 1962. Its first head was Prof. Antoni Kukliński, who had been in charge of the research unit until 1968. The following are mentioned the Department’s all subsequent heads: Prof. Bolesław Malisz (1969-1980), Prof. Andrzej Stasiak (1981-1998), Prof. Piotr Eberhardt (1999-2005). Since 2006, the activities of the research unit have been directed by Prof. Tomasz Komornicki. Throughout these years the name of the Department has undergone several changes (suffice to mention the Department of Spatial Organization of the Country, the Department of Spatial Organization and Regional Studies), and in 2011 it was decided to return to an old, most widely known, name, which is currently in use. In 2011, the Rural Areas Study Group, functioning within the framework of our Department, was separated from it to become an independent research unit - the Department of Rural Geography and Local Development under the leadership of Prof. Jerzy Bański.

The Department’s staff is currently involved in several international projects financed under the ESPON programme,  projects financed with the National Research Centre, as well as in other projects carried out by order of the Ministry of Regional Development. Their full list is available in the section  Current projects.

Apart from that, we make expert projects, evaluations, reports concerning a wide spectrum of issues dealing with socio-economic geography. Altogether there are 12 persons employed in the Department of Spatial Organization.

Also, the visitors of this Website are cordially invited to familiarize themselves with our periodical Europa XXI, whose Editor-in-Chief is Assoc. Prof. Tomasz Komornicki.

Research profile

The current research studies are conducted within the framework of the following tasks (for more details see Statutory Research task):

• Directions of transformations in the settlement network of the country;
• System of linkages between the metropolitan centers on national and international scales (socio-economic interactions, in particular migrations, trade relations, linkages between companies, tele-information networks, science and research sector linkages);
• Spatial impact of the particular centers (social and economic interactions, especially migrations, commuting);
• Situation of cities/towns and regions as regards their spatial accessibility as well as possibilities for improvement in this respect;
• Changes in everyday and optional mobility of Polish citizens;
• Effects of transport network development (in the main road and rail networks);
• Volume and distribution of traffic;
• Territorial differentiation in development of information society and creative companies;
• Analysis of Polish and world development of geopolitical thought;
• Problems of geopolitical location of Poland;
• Ethnic situation of Central and East European countries;
• Cartographic bases for spatial analysis.

Important publications

• Komornicki T., Rosik P., Śleszyński P., Solon J., Wiśniewski R., Stępniak M., Czapiewski K., Goliszek S., 2013, Wpływ budowy autostrad i dróg ekspresowych na rozwój społeczno-gospodarczy i terytorialny Polski. Ministerstwo Rozwoju Regionalnego, Warszawa, 215 s.
• Kowalski M.,2013, Księstwa Rzeczpospolitej : państwo magnackie jako region polityczny, Prace Geograficzne: 238. PAN, IGiPZ, Warszawa, 398 s.
• Siłka P., 2012, Potencjał innowacyjny wybranych miast Polski a ich rozwój gospodarczy, Prace Geograficzne: 236, PAN, IGiPZ, Warszawa, 260 s.
• Rosik P., 2012, Dostępność lądowa przestrzeni Polski w wymiarze europejskim, Prace Geograficzne: 233, PAN IGiPZ, Warszawa, 307 s.
• Eberhardt P., 2011, Political Migrations in Polish Territories 1939-1950, Monografia nr 12, IGiPZ PAN, Warszawa.
• Komornicki T., 2011, Przemiany mobilności codziennej Polaków na tle rozwoju motoryzacji, Prace Geograficzne, IGiPZ PAN, Warszawa.
• Komornicki T., Siłka P. (eds.), 2011, Functional linkages between Polish metropolises, Studia Regionalia 29, Komitet Przestrzennego Zagospodarowania Kraju PAN, Warszawa.
• Damsgaard O., Doucet P., Drahos Z., Gere L., Illés I., Jetmar M., Komornicki T., Lopez I., Péti M., Prokai K., Radvánszki A., Ricz I., Salamin G., Schmidt-Seiwert V., Schön P., Somfai A., Sütő A., Tomay K., Vanautgaerden L, Zaucha J. (drafterzy), 2011, The Territorial State and Perspectives of the European Union. 2011 update. Background document for the Territorial Agenda of the European Union 2020, Vati, Budapest; 90 s., dokument Unii Europejskiej.
• Böhme K., Doucet P., Komornicki T., Zaucha J., Świątek D., 2011, How to strenghten the territorial dimension of ‘Europe 2020’ and the EU Cohesion Policy. Background Report based on the Territorial Agenda 2020, Ministry of Regional Development, Warsaw.
• Dyjak R., Magda I., Rosik P., Zawistowski J., Gapski T., Bienias S., 2011, Evidence-based conclusions on the role of Cohesion Policy in achieving Europe 2020 objectives, Ministry of Regional Development, Warszawa.
• Eberhardt P., 2010, Migracje polityczne na ziemiach polskich (1939-1950), Instytut Zachodni im. Z. Wojciechowskiego, Warszawa.
• Komornicki T., Śleszyński P., Rosik P., Pomianowski W., 2010, Dostępność przestrzenna jako przesłanka kształtowania polskiej polityki transportowej, Biuletyn KPZK PAN 241, KPZK PAN, Warszawa.
• Świątek D., 2010, Infrastruktura techniczna a rozwój pozarolniczej działalności gospodarczej w regionie Płocka, Studia Obszarów Wiejskich 25, PTG, IGiPZ PAN, Warszawa.
• Stenning A., Smith A., Rochovska A., Świątek D., 2010, Domesticating Neo-Liberalism, RGS-IBG book series, Wiley-Blackwell, London.

Location