Dynamics of urban space

This study analyzes urban areas which comprise an urban center and neighboring municipalities. As an administrative unit, a city is an organism full of internal and external connections, and it undergoes constant change at the micro and macro level. A city's internal structure is modified over time in response to changes in the local environment, and those changes often affect the surrounding territories. This article proposes a methodology for analyzing the dynamics of urban space in five Polish cities (Białystok, Kielce, Olsztyn, Toruń and Rzeszów) which were surveyed in 2002-2010. The analysis was based on the assumption that dwellings constitute the largest part of a city, and that they are most susceptible to change. An observer examining the city from within will note that a critical level has been reached (an observer positioned in a rural area will report a decrease in the surface tension of the urban/rural boundary). In consequence, progressing residential development in areas adjacent to the city contributes to urban sprawl. In view of the above, a research hypothesis was proposed that residential area per capita is the most robust indicator of economic and spatial changes in an urban area.