EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - Elblag, Poland

Elblag, Poland - Bristol Case Study

Introduction

The post-1989 transition in Poland subjected the city of Elblag to a high level of socio-economic trauma. This resulted in high levels of unemployment and social exclusion, as a well as an increasing tendency for young people to migrate to larger cities elsewhere in Poland.

Problem

As a result of the post-1989 transformation, Elblag has faced many of the same socio-economic problems as other towns and cities in Poland. Unemployment has been a particularly severe problem – with official unemployment rates in the city hovering at or slightly below the 25 per cent level for much of the period since 2000. The high levels of social exclusion are the main consequence of the high unemployment level.

Description

Summary Elblag has been able to design and implement an integrated urban development strategy that seeks to address the key problems facing the city. It builds upon its geographical and human resource potential. Key elements of this strategy are:

to capitalise on the city’s strategic geographic location and connectivity as a European “Gateway City” on the main East-West road, rail and maritime routes;
promotion of an emerging information technology sector.

This case study was highlighted during the British presidency of the EU. It was specifically mentioned during the EU informal ministerial meeting at Bristol.

Approach

The actual delivery of this integrated urban development strategy has relied on a number of different factors, including:

successful utilisation of EU pre-accession funding;
a concerted effort to build local capacity for urban development by establishing relationships with other municipalities in Europe;
involvement of Polish regional development experts and human resource development actions within the municipal authorities themselves.

A clear long-term vision and strong leadership have been crucial elements in Elblag’s success to date.

Results

Some results of the Elblag strategy are:

the construction of a road network in the north-west of the city;
modernisation and extension of the seaport infrastructure;
modernisation of the public transport system;
modernisation of the ICT infrastructure and the IT sector;
training for young people and the unemployed;
preparation of new investment areas targeting SMEs.

Resources used

Elblag was one of the most successful cities in Poland in terms of its ability to access EU pre-accession funding (notably from the Phare programme). The city is currently benefiting from assistance from the Structural Funds (notably from the Integrated Regional Operational Programme) and Cohesion Fund.

Contact info

Urban Policy Support Team of the ODPM
Mr. B. Kayada, tel. +44 2 07 944 8363

Project start date

01/01/2001

Report of the EU ministerial informal on sustainable communities (PDF, Eng, 1.4 MB)

Report of the Elblag case study (PDF, Eng, 300 KB)

Document type

case

Themes

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Integration of social groups

Keywords

Young people