Lokalne centrum i jego funkcje w opinii mieszkańców suburbiów (przykład podwarszawskich osiedli Malichy i Książenice)

This article focused on the issue of local centers in suburban estates. It presents results of the surveys in Malichy and Książenice suburban estates in the Warsaw metropolitan area, differing in terms of location, morphology, social structure, shops and services offer. Residents spontaneously pointed out the location of the estate center and their preferences in this regard, and expressed their expectations and needs regarding functions the local centers. It turns out that the inhabitants of the suburbs need especially the center of a ludic, not functional character. Residents want to spend their free time and meet friends in the vicinity of their houses. These needs are consistent with the ideal of suburban life. The concentration of shops and services, in turn, raises some concerns about the loss of peace and quiet nature of the place where they live. More ambivalent attitude towards the use of local functional centers is more common among inhabitants of these settlements, where it is easier to get to a nearby town or supermarket. No practice, and at the same time no need to use local shops and services contribute to the "bedroom" character of such settlements, generate additional traffic and promote creation of new supermarkets and shopping malls. In the suburbs devoid of activity nodes often the only meeting place for the residents is spontaneously „appropriated” by them open land near the river or the forest, and the most frequently chosen forms of leisure activities are walking in the picturesque surroundings or riding a bike. Article encourages to do more research on the possibilities of changes in the development of suburban zone in the context of building interpersonal relationships, creating social capital, and searching for identity of suburban settlements and its symbolic space.