Urban planning strategies addressing housing inequalities: implementation perspectives from Poland

Housing inequalities in Poland, shaped by historical legacies, urbanisation processes, and uneven territorial development, continue to represent a major urban challenge. In response, urban planning approaches such as retrofitting, nature-based solutions (NBS), and urban densification are increasingly advocated as ways to pursue both environmental sustainability and social objectives. Yet the extent to which these strategies mitigate or reinforce housing inequalities depends largely on governance structures and the way they are implemented in practice. This article investigates the implementation barriers and governance mechanisms associated with selected urban planning strategies in Poland, focusing on how policymakers and stakeholders understand and manage retrofitting, densification, and NBS, as well as how these processes may affect patterns of housing inequality. The study draws on qualitative evidence from Policy Lab focus groups conducted between March and April 2025 with policymakers, experts, academics, NGOs, activists, and market actors. The findings indicate that although these strategies may improve housing quality and urban liveability, their outcomes are mediated by institutional fragmentation, financial constraints, regulatory ambiguities, and varying levels of social acceptance. As a result, they may simultaneously mitigate and reproduce housing inequalities. The article highlights the importance of governance and implementation in shaping planning outcomes and argues for more integrated and context-sensitive policy approaches.