Formation of Functional Urban Areas: The Case of Bialystok Functional Area

Functional urban areas are becoming increasingly important in urban development policies as a comprehensive approach to solving problems and addressing development goals, not only of cities but also neighboring towns. Integrated territorial investments (ITI) are a new tool of cohesion policies aimed at better achievement of socio-economic development objectives regarding urban functional areas. The purpose of the paper is to assess the use of ITIs in policies for the development of Bialystok Functional Area by analyzing strategic documents, including the Strategy of Integrated Territorial Investments of Bialystok Functional Area for the years 2014-2020. The following research hypothesis has been formulated: the financial resources in ITIs' allocation enable the city to strengthen its cooperation with the neighboring municipalities, mainly in the fields of public transport, investment attractiveness, and human capital.