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

The greening of the urban economy is one of the key challenges of contemporary urban development in the context of sustainable development and the implementation of territorial policy. Climate change, urbanization pressure, and growing social demands in terms of environmental quality, as well as systemic requirements and those resulting from local policies, necessitate the integration of pro-environmental measures in both the spatial and financial spheres of cities. The literature on the subject shows a growing interest in research on the greening of the urban economy, but previous analyses have focused primarily on selected aspects, such as spatial planning, transport policy, and greening. However, it is crucial to integrate these activities, both in terms of subject area and territory, and the research undertaken is related to this context. It takes into account the simultaneous (synergistic) use of spatial and financial management instruments in creating the greening of the urban economy, which is a new research approach. The identified research gap is also extended to include the identification of the consistency of greening activities in the context of the size of the city and its function in urban functional areas, as well as the implementation of territorial policy objectives.
The article aims to identify the scope of coincidence of greening activities in the spatial and financial economy of Polish cities and their functional areas. The study used a survey method addressed to local government units responsible for spatial planning and financial policy. In total, surveys were conducted in 135 cities, from which those falling within the territorial scope of urban functional areas were selected for analysis. In order to ensure the completeness of the data, cities from the functional areas of Warsaw, the Tri-City, Katowice (Central Silesian Subregion), and Wałbrzych were included in the study. The proposed functional areas represent their diversity in terms of type (metropolitan and agglomeration), size, and function of the central center in the regional system, and geographical location.
The results indicate that the consistency of actions is, however, varied, which may provide a basis for further research in the field of urban and regional policy design in Poland and other countries with a similar settlement structure and development challenges. The article also discusses the practical implications of the analysis of coincidence. High consistency of greening instruments enables more effective use of urban resources, accelerates the achievement of SDG, and increases the degree of integration across functional areas.

Dr. Tongjing Wang (p), Prof. André Torre, Prof. Maryline Filippi

The European Union's Cohesion Policy aims to promote territorial convergence, yet Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3) can reinforce regional divergence by favoring high technological complexity over the soft innovation strengths of non-urban areas, such as Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs). S3 also operates mainly at NUTS 2, where regions rarely align with urban–rural divisions, so aggregate indicators can obscure rural needs in priority setting, project selection, and evaluation. Together, these gaps narrow the range of rural initiatives that qualify as innovation in S3 portfolios.
CCIs provide an empirical lens for these governance and scale mismatches, as they sit at the intersection of soft innovation, place-based identity, and multi-level governance. Besides S3, Rural CCI work also draws on LEADER under the Common Agricultural Policy, and Creative Europe, yet coordination across these instruments remains limited, producing fragmented support in peripheral territories.
The paper proposes a framework for a more coherent policy mix that can complement S3 support on rural CCI development. It compares CCI-related S3 projects in the Kohesio database with CCI-related LEADER projects in the EU CAP Network database, complemented by evidence on Creative Europe access patterns. S3 allocation is disaggregated to NUTS 3 to make urban and non-urban patterns visible.
Findings highlight three linked mismatches. First, LEADER-supported rural CCIs are often hybrid practices using creative activity to address practical challenges tied to local services and community infrastructure, yet their small budgets and short cycles constrain durable capability building. Second, urban and non-urban CCIs are fundamentally different: urban projects target digital and entertainment industries, while non-urban projects concentrate on infrastructure and heritage renovation, which is a poor fit with S3 innovation priorities that leaves no reliable step-up route from community-led practice to larger investment. Third, Creative Europe remains difficult to access for locally embedded work because competitive calls favour formalisation and high-visibility outputs.
Based on these results, the paper proposes a mission-oriented policy mix that treats CCIs as a component of territorial cohesion and resilience. The proposal positions LAGs as intermediaries that translate local demand into investment-relevant formats, adds an S3 step-up track for soft innovation and peripheral capability building. Creative Europe can provide lower-threshold networking and circulation formats that connect mature local practices to wider learning and exchange. Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI) offer an underused governance format that could coordinate these cross-instrument actions within urban–rural functional areas, targeting cumulative impact rather than isolated projects in separate policy lanes.

Dr. Małgorzata Żak-Skwierczyńska (p)

Over the past decade, the circular economy (CE) has emerged as a central component of European Union cohesion policy, framed as a strategic tool for promoting climate neutrality, resource efficiency, and territorial resilience. While its strategic framing is increasingly coherent at the EU and regional levels, the practical implementation of CE largely depends on local governments operating within functional areas. This shift from policy design to place-based action exposes tensions between ambitious strategic goals and the institutional, financial, and organizational capacities of local actors.
This paper examines the implementation of the circular economy in the functional area of the city of Łódź (Lodz Metropolitan Area, LMA) as a test case for place-based governance in times of green transition and growing territorial complexity. The core objective is to identify the “implementation gap” between EU and regional strategic frameworks and the operational reality of local government units (LGUs). The study situates CE within the broader debate on the transformation of cohesion policy instruments and the effectiveness of territorial tools such as Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI).
The empirical basis of the paper consists of qualitative research conducted in 2025 among all member municipalities of the Lodz Metropolitan Area Association. The study combined in-depth interviews and structured questionnaires covering seven thematic areas, including waste management, public procurement, participatory instruments, local strategies, and monitoring systems. The analysis allows for a comparative assessment of institutional readiness, patterns of inter-municipal cooperation, and barriers to integrated action.
The findings reveal three key challenges for cohesion policy in advancing the circular economy at the functional scale. First, significant institutional and competence gaps limit the capacity of municipalities to move beyond sectoral, fragmented initiatives toward an integrated territorial approach. Second, although ITI provides a formal framework for cooperation, coordination mechanisms remain weak, and common standards and monitoring tools are insufficiently developed. Third, social and educational barriers constrain the behavioral dimension of CE, reducing the transformative potential of strategic objectives.
The case of Lodz Metropolitan Area demonstrates that the circular economy can serve as a “stress test” for place-based governance, as it requires coordination of infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, market mechanisms, and social practices across administrative boundaries. Bridging the implementation gap demands stronger multi-level governance, reinforced supra-local coordination, and better alignment between ITI projects and long-term development strategies. Without such adjustments, the place-based approach risks reproducing fragmentation instead of strengthening territorial cohesion.