Cities in polarised socio-economics space of Poland

The process of socio-economic development is subject to changes resulting from the interaction of contemporary socio-economic megatrends which modify the influence of development factors and affect the polarisation of development in space. The measures to date, adopted as part of the cohesion policy and intended to decrease the differences, have not produced the desired results. This leads to the search for new solutions which include place-based intervention. Here a special role is played by the largest cities performing the function of development poles. They can positively affect the development of the surrounding area. The work aims to identify the importance of cities in terms of socio-economic inequalities in Poland. The analysis is carried out at the local level and covers the years 2004-2016. The research includes three stages. What is discussed in the first is the role of cities as development poles. The second presents an analysis and classification of spatial differences in the level and dynamics of the development of the largest cities. The third stage determines the influence of these cities on the surroundings.