The Polish Experience in the Development of Smart Cities

In recent years, Poland has seen an increased migration of people to cities, which translates into significant urban population growth. This, in turn, raises new challenges in the performance of cities’ tasks and responsibilities. Additionally, climate changes and the depletion of natural resources necessitate the modification of existing urban practices. Polish cities seek solutions which would enable social, economic and environmental demands to be reconciled so that urban spaces become friendly for the city’s inhabitants and investors. Some Polish cities have applied the smart city concept to solve their problems. Despite the fact that the concept has been the subject of scientific research for many years, no universal definition of the smart city has been agreed upon. Analyzed assumptions of the smart city concept as well as the Polish experiences in the implementation indicate that the concept is dynamic and changes over time. It should be considered as a perpetual process unrestricted by a specific timeframe. This impedes the formulation of uniform, generally accepted assumptions of the concept since its existence is inscribed in the change related to urban development. This article claims that this would be a beneficial approach for formulating the general characteristics of the smart city that could be applicable to any city, and that could be employed regardless of the present challenges cities may face.