Background
The capital of the West Pomerania region, the city of Szczecin, holds the 7th place in Poland with respect to population (414 000 inhabitants). It is also the most important city of “Pomerania” Euroregion, which includes Polish, Swedish and German communities. Szczecin is located in the north-western corner of Poland at the banks of Odra river, at a distance of about 65 km from the Baltic Sea. It only takes 12 km from the city to the border with Germany and 120 km to its capital, Berlin.
The metropolitan region of Szczecin comprises land along and near to the mouth of Odra river, at the cross roads of important international north-south and west-east transport routes, with two jointly administered sea ports (Szczecin and Swinouj?cie) and a regional airport, a number of smaller towns (plenty of them present a richness of cultural heritage) and attractive natural touristic areas on both sides of the Polish-German border. Until now several international institutions found their place in this region.
The main subject of the UPAT was to develop ideas and perspectives of the Szczecin metropolitan region development taking into account the factors that determine the metropolitan functions/activities, the transportation network and the trans-border character of the region.
Objectives
The Szczecin UPAT focused on the following inter-related topics:
– the factors and relations (present and future) determining the metropolitan character of the area
There are many questions concerning the area and administrative entities which should be comprised within the metropolitan planning process and the kind of management to be the best for obtaining steady development of the metropolitan region. This discussion has been triggered by ideas included in the proposed national legislation on the matter which not always match with the local conditions.
– transportation
A precondition for spatial development of the area is a high capacity and efficient system of all modes of transportation taking into account its European cross-roads situation (west-east – Lubeck-Kaliningrad, north-south – Scandinavia-Adriatic Sea) and border position within Poland. At the same time the metropolitan region needs enhancement of its internal transportation cohesion.
– trans-border co-operation
Szczecin, as the nearest big city for some border areas of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Germany begins to play an important role as a central point of interest in terms of shopping, cultural events, tourism and some special services. The co–operation in other fields is desirable. The Szczecin-Berlin neighborhood should also be taken into account in planning the metropolitan area.
Presentation by Milica Bajic Brkovic
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