The OECD report Urban-Rural Linkages in Poland analyses the potential of urban and rural territories for development and improved well-being. Urban and rural areas have different yet often complementary assets, and their better integration is important for socio-economic and environmental performance.

The OECD report Urban-Rural Linkages in Poland analyses the potential of urban and rural territories for development and improved well-being. Urban and rural areas have different yet often complementary assets, and their better integration is important for socio-economic and environmental performance. The report argues that local governments need to engage in partnerships where all parties are equal, as a higher form of urban-rural co-operation. Building urban-rural partnerships in Poland would help territories enhance the production of public goods; achieve economies of scale in public service provision; co-ordinate decisions where cross-boundary effects are important and increase the capacity of the partners. Yet a lack of trust and of policy integration hinder the effectiveness of partnerships. The report found that the main incentive for Polish local governments to enter into a partnership is access to EU funds. However, while Poland has developed solid experience in the management of EU funds, it would benefit from deepening the integration and complementarity among funding streams. Moreover, the report argues that strengthening metropolitan governance will underpin efforts to facilitate the formation and management of urban-rural partnerships.

Although much has been written about contemporary Poland, discussions that provide a balanced assessment of the current situation are in short supply. To correct that problem, this book offers a cross-section of intellectual opinion within Poland, including original research and works of synthesis that draw on Polish research and writing that have been, for the most part, inaccessible to scholars outside Poland. The contributors' views avoid the extremes of condemnation or defense of the system and make possible a more complete understanding of present-day realities. Their perspectives are moderated by the fact that, although the authors recognize the need for reform and change, they also take into consideration the great constraints facing all who would confront serious national issues. The discussions range from examinations of social structure and class to evaluations of the significance of the state apparatus in the analysis of policy and assessments of economic performance.

This report on the governance of land use in Lodz, Poland, illustrates many promising practices and offers guidance on how to make the governance structure and planning system more coherent and robust both in Lodz, and in Poland more generally.

Poland has seen impressive growth in recent years, and yet regional disparities in economic and social outcomes remain large by OECD standards. The overall living conditions in rural communities generally remain below those of urban communities, and rural households face higher poverty rates ...

This comprehensive review of urban policy in Poland looks at the urban system and the challenges it faces, national policies for urban development in Poland, and adapting governance for a national urban policy agenda.

This report explores the various challenges and opportunities for Polish regional development policy, and provides recommendations to best design and implement the policy mix, looking in particular at governance challenges.

This report provides an assessment of public governance and territorial development in Polish local self-government units (LSGUs). It offers key recommendations to governments at the national, regional and local levels in Poland on how to enhance development, improve service delivery and strengthen management processes within LSGUs.

The economic development of Korea is widely considered as a success story. Yet, as the country joins the ranks of the world’s most advanced economies, its rapid pace of development has not fully reached every part of its territory. The pace of urbanisation, particularly around Seoul, has placed mounting pressure on the capital’s quality of life, while in rural regions the country’s success has felt distant.

This report assesses the potential for linkages between foreign direct investment (FDI) and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Czechia, and provides policy recommendations to foster productivity and innovation spillovers to the local economy. The report examines the quality of investment that the country attracts, the productive and innovative capacities of Czech SMEs, and a broad range of economic, business and policy conditions that can strengthen knowledge and technology diffusion from foreign multinationals to domestic enterprises. It also assesses Czechia’s institutional environment and policy mix across the areas of international investment, SMEs and entrepreneurship, innovation and regional development, noting areas for policy reform. The report includes a regional focus on the potential for FDI and SME linkages and spillovers in South Moravia and Usti.