Prof. Artur Walasik (p)

Climate change created the demand for the invention of new auxiliary hypothesis, which induced progressive problem-shift within both in general public economics scientific research programme (PESRP) and urban economics scientific research programme (UESRP). The difference between changes in PESRP and UESRP is because the new auxiliary hypothesis replace some of the old ones in protective belt of UESRP, but do not replace any of the old ones in protective belt of PESRP. I assume that, even before climate change, climate itself fails to be part of the hard core of both PESRP and UESRP. Based on this, I pose two research questions:

Dr. Agnieszka Majorek-Gdula (p), Dr. Agnieszka Dembicka-Niemiec (p)

Growing climate pressures and the associated need to develop Municipal Adaptation Plans (MAPs) increase the importance of implementing measures to adapt to climate change, especially in urban areas. It is becoming important to build urban resilience by, among other things, shaping urban spaces and undertaking initiatives in the field of greening spaces, appropriate water management, and many others. However, there are still few studies describing the relationship between declared adaptation needs and the actual investment power of cities. The aim of this article is to identify this gap and to define a typology of priorities and spatial diversity of adaptation measures in Polish cities. The research method was desk research and surveys conducted among 135 cities in Poland. Respondents assessed the scale of adaptation needs to climate change and indicated up to five possible actions that could be taken within five years. Two hypotheses were verified: (H1) larger cities and/or those with a higher per capita budget have greater opportunities to implement adaptation measures; (H2) cities more often prioritise “greening” than comprehensive blue-green and energy interventions. The results show a discrepancy between the high assessment of needs and the limited scope of possible actions to be taken. Hypothesis H1 was partially confirmed – larger and wealthier cities show greater potential for action. Hypothesis H2 was confirmed – spot and greening actions dominate compared to integrated and capital-intensive initiatives. The main barriers are financial, human resource, and institutional constraints. These results highlight the need for better coordination of climate adaptation with spatial planning and for increasing the implementation capacity of cities.

Ms Małgorzata Kolek (p), Mr Michał Michalski

Adaptation to climate change is a key element of contemporary urban development policy, un-derstood as a process of adjusting urban systems to changing environmental conditions and stre-ngthening their resilience to climate-related risks. The aim of the article was to identify, classify, and assess the effectiveness of economic and non-economic instruments used by Polish cities.
The empirical basis of the study was a questionnaire survey conducted in 135 cities as part of the project “Coincidences of the Ecologization of the Financial and Spatial Economy of Cities in the Context of Adaptation to Climate Change.” The analysis covered four areas: the effective-ness of instruments for the ecologization of spatial management, mechanisms of financial–spatial coordination, the usefulness of municipalities’ own-source revenues, and the application of cost–benefit analysis (CBA).
The analysis of the survey results indicates the predominance of planning and strategic tools over financial instruments. The highest-rated measures included standards for biologically active areas, green infrastructure networks, green roofs, and expert support. Financial instruments, such as tax reliefs or retention fees, were considered less effective due to low awareness among be-neficiaries, high implementation costs, and a lack of integration with subsidy schemes. Cost–benefit analysis (CBA) is applied in adaptation activities in a moderately widespread manner but has not yet become a universal or automatic procedure. It is used significantly more often in larger urban centers (with more than 100,000 inhabitants), and its application strongly co-occurs with the use of other efficiency assessment tools (ENPV/ERR, NPV/IRR).
In the assessment of the usefulness of own-source revenues as adaptation instruments, the hi-ghest rankings are given to those sources that are directly linked to environmental impacts, inc-luding fees related to water retention, waste management, and transport. This indicates that they are perceived as instruments with real regulatory and incentive potential. By contrast, traditional local taxes are treated mainly as stable sources of financing rather than as tools for shaping be-havior toward increased climate resilience.
The key conclusion, however, is the deficit of institutional coherence: in 60% of cities, there are no formal mechanisms linking the financial sphere with spatial planning in the context of adap-tation. Although more advanced organizational solutions can be observed in the largest cities, the overall picture suggests that adaptation to climate change has not yet been systematically integra-ted into the mainstream of local governance.

Ms Edyta Szafranek-Stefaniuk (p), PhD Agnieszka Dembicka-Niemiec (p)

Contemporary cities face challenges related to growing urbanization pressure and climate change, which necessitate the adaptation of public policies to address these challenges. Effective policy requires an integrated approach in which spatial planning instruments and financial tools are interlinked and support the achievement of environmental objectives. The presented research concerns the greening of the urban economy in the context of the coherence of spatial and financial actions in Polish cities. An analysis of the scientific literature indicates that, despite the development of research on the greening of the urban economy, there is a lack of systematic analyses concerning the diagnosis of greening activities in the spatial and financial economy implemented in parallel in cities, as well as the identification of the integration of activities depending on the size of the city and its function in the settlement system. Filling this gap will allow for the formulation of practical recommendations for urban policy and the development of a theory of environmental policy integration not only in Polish cities but also in cities in Central and Eastern Europe.
The research analysis covers 135 cities, which were classified according to size (small, medium, large) and function in the settlement system (national, regional, local). The research was conducted in the form of surveys addressed to local government units responsible for spatial planning and financial policy.
The analysis of the data showed that the coherence of environmental measures in Polish cities varies and depends heavily on the size of the city and its function in the settlement system. Large cities are characterized by the highest level of integration of instruments, including coordinated spatial planning, investments in environmental infrastructure, and the implementation of financial mechanisms supporting environmental projects. The article also identifies factors that promote and limit the consistency of actions, such as the availability of financial resources, administrative competencies, interdepartmental coordination, and national policy support.
This article aims to identify the extent of coherence in greening policies in Polish cities, taking into account their size and function in the settlement system.

Ms Agnieszka Dembicka-Niemiec (p), dr. Agnieszka Majorek-Gdula (p)

Growing climate pressures and the associated need to develop Municipal Adaptation Plans (MAPs) increase the importance of implementing measures to adapt to climate change, especially in urban areas. It is becoming important to build urban resilience by, among other things, shaping urban spaces and undertaking initiatives in the field of greening spaces, appropriate water management, and many others. However, there are still few studies describing the relationship between declared adaptation needs and the actual investment power of cities. The aim of this article is to identify this gap and to define a typology of priorities and spatial diversity of adaptation measures in Polish cities. The research method was desk research and surveys conducted among 135 cities in Poland. Respondents assessed the scale of adaptation needs to climate change and indicated up to five possible actions that could be taken within five years. Two hypotheses were verified: (H1) larger cities and/or those with a higher per capita budget have greater opportunities to implement adaptation measures; (H2) cities more often prioritise “greening” than comprehensive blue-green and energy interventions. The results show a discrepancy between the high assessment of needs and the limited scope of possible actions to be taken. Hypothesis H1 was partially confirmed – larger and wealthier cities show greater potential for action. Hypothesis H2 was confirmed – spot and greening actions dominate compared to integrated and capital-intensive initiatives. The main barriers are financial, human resource, and institutional constraints. These results highlight the need for better coordination of climate adaptation with spatial planning and for increasing the implementation capacity of cities.