The perspective of local authorities in resource-efficient urban management. The case of Lodz metropolitan area

The paper attempts to identify the scope of urban policy in the context of re-orientated responsibilities in the area of environmental protection and stimulating sustainable development in cities. At theoretical level, it makes references to urban regimes theory, the idea of urban resilience, paradigms of place-based development policy, and ecosystem-based management. The main objective of the paper is to identify the scope of urban policy and key areas for activities pursued by local authorities in the light of identified environmental threats and priority action areas. Cities and towns of the Lodz Metropolitan Area were selected for the case study.