View Full Version : Katowice agglomeration - the biggest urban area of Poland


DocentX
June 29th, 2004, 01:52 PM
Silesian Voivodship

http://en.wikipedia.org/upload/a/a8/Wojewodztwo_slaskie.png

The Silesian Region covers the area of over twelve thousand square kilometres and is inhabited by 4.8 million people (over 12% of all inhabitants of Poland). The density of population stands at over 398 people per square kilometre, with the national average of 123 people per square kilometre. There are 68 cities in the region, 22 of which are big metropolitan centres. The Katowice Agglomeration with 2.5 million inhabitants, is the central, most urbanised port of the region. It is stretched between Gliwice in the west, Dąbrowa Górnicza and Jaworzno in the east, Tarnowskie Góry in the north and Tychy in the south.


UPPER SILESIA

http://www.us.edu.pl/uniwersytet/english/ilustr/kat.jpg

The Region, Upper Silesia is the name of the region of Poland stretching in the southern part of the country, almost in the very centre of Europe. It has borders with the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and is located 178 - 504 m above see level. The main road and rail arteries linking Poland with Europe run through the city and agglomeration in the East-West direction, (connecting Germany with Ukraine) and along North-South axis connecting Scandinavian countries with Vienna.

The Katowice agglomeration

Home to nearly 3 million people , the agglomeration contains a quarter of the population of the historic territory of Silesia. At the crossroads of the former Russian, Prussian and Austro-Hungarian empires, Silesia has a rich cultural heritage and a turbulent, war-torn past.

Since World War II, the upper part of Silesia has been Poland's industrial powerhouse and a major foreign-exchange earner. Numerous coal, lead and zinc mines, iron and steel foundries, coking plants, power stations and chemical factories are found throughout the agglomeration (see map, opposite).

Half of all jobs are in heavy industry and there is a small but growing service sector. There are proud traditions among the workers, especially miners and their families. The biggest advantage of the region is its people, with a large group of qualified industrial workers, educated middle management group, technicians and scientists.

Economic and Environmental Challenges

Katowice has shared the profound economic and political changes occuring in Poland since 1989. A new market-driven approach and the virtual collapse of central planning has disrupted the economy and thrown many people out of work, especially from inefficient state industries formerly mandated to supply the eastern European bloc.
Under-investment, lack of technological upgrading and environmental damage have accumulated over the past half-century.

KATOWICE

Population: 321.100 ( agglomeration: 2.628.600)

http://www.staypoland.com/maps/herbs/herbkatow.gif

Katowice are the capital of Upper Silesia. History of the city goes back to the 19th century. It grew up in the times of rapid development of the mining and metallurgical industry. During the First World War Katowice developed as a trading and communication centre because of the boom in the Upper Silesia industry, especially in the metallurgy. In 1914-1918 Germans were defeated and Poland gained it independence. As a symbol of uprising ideas Polish artists had founded a bronze monument. The Monument of the Silesian Insurgents was erected at Rondo in 1967. Another traditional landmark of the city is Spodek - the show and sports hall. During its years of independence Katowice developed a lot. Architects managed to develop many of their town planning ideas. In that time Katowice where the second, after Warsaw, innovatory area in the country. The Second World War didn't stop Katowice being the capital of the most industrialized regions of the country. In the years 1950-1959 the number of inhabitants increased significantly, and its area was extended. Until 1975 Katowice had the ambitions of becoming a modern town, having as the example other metropolis. Katowice absorbed many neighbourhood towns: Piotrowice, Ochojec, Panewniki, Kosyuchna, Welnowiec, Giszowiec, Dabrowka Mala and Mucki.

Nowadays Katowice are a nearly 3 million agglomeration. It's one of the Polish greatest economic, transport, science and culture centres. The city has a number of banks, stock-exchanges, self-governing institutions. Katowice are a significant science and education centre. There are nine institutions of higher education, among them the University of Silesia, Academy of Economics and the Silesian Polytechnic.

photos from Katowice:

http://www.wiezowce.bajo.pl/katowice/noc3.jpg http://katowickiewiezowce.republika.pl/images/kat02.jpg http://katowickiewiezowce.republika.pl/images/katowice0.jpg http://fotogalerie.pl/fotki/24/31/66/m/1080760073380.jpg http://fotogalerie.pl/fotki/24/31/66/m/1080760065100.jpg http://fotogalerie.pl/fotki/24/31/66/m/1080760037560.jpg http://katowickiewiezowce.republika.pl/images/uni7.jpg http://www.startbilder.de/einzelbild.php?id=176091&quality=80&maxpixel=800&identifier=214d420706 http://www.startbilder.de/einzelbild.php?id=176090&quality=80&maxpixel=800&identifier=4d84768655 http://www.um.katowice.pl/pict/z_bank_handlowy.jpg http://www.um.katowice.pl/pict/z_pko.jpg http://katowickiewiezowce.republika.pl/images/katowice20.jpg http://katowickiewiezowce.republika.pl/images/kukurydza4.jpg http://www.um.katowice.pl/pl/galeria/albums/userpics/normal_112%20-%20duze.JPG http://www.um.katowice.pl/pl/galeria/albums/userpics/Spodek_2.jpg http://www.um.katowice.pl/pl/galeria/albums/userpics/Kosciol_Ewangelicki_2.jpg http://www.um.katowice.pl/pl/galeria/albums/userpics/Archikatedra_Chrystusa_Krola_2.jpg

DocentX
June 29th, 2004, 03:39 PM
Interesting projects in Katowice (some of them are already under const.)

-new design for the city center
(so far there are many plans, but we have to wait and see what will be the result...)

http://katowickiewiezowce.republika.pl/images/rynek.jpg

-hotel regent

http://katowickiewiezowce.republika.pl/images/hot-kat2.jpg

-some office building

http://katowickiewiezowce.republika.pl/images/inwestycja1.jpg

-hotel Radisson

http://katowickiewiezowce.republika.pl/images/inwestycja3.jpg

-Bussines class hotel

http://katowickiewiezowce.republika.pl/images/pascal3.jpg

-Mediacenter

http://katowickiewiezowce.republika.pl/images/pascal5.jpg

-Millenium 2 office building

http://katowickiewiezowce.republika.pl/images/pascal2.jpg

-Silesian Business Park

http://katowickiewiezowce.republika.pl/images/pascal4.jpg

-Premium office building

http://katowickiewiezowce.republika.pl/images/pascal1.jpg

-Teologic faculty

http://katowickiewiezowce.republika.pl/images/01.jpg

-Law faculty

http://katowickiewiezowce.republika.pl/images/13.jpg

-Library of Silasian University

http://katowickiewiezowce.republika.pl/images/wejscie.jpg

-Tunel in the city center

http://katowickiewiezowce.republika.pl/images/7.jpg

-Europark

http://katowickiewiezowce.republika.pl/images/pascal_europark_big.gif

-Silesia Park- shopping and entertainment center

http://katowickiewiezowce.republika.pl/images/jll_newcenterc.gif

bum
June 30th, 2004, 04:52 AM
Haha the new city centre design is way out there and will never look like that.
The trams in Katowice are brand new and comfortable though and the shops arent half bad

For commy block fanatics, you cannot go past Tychy, it has a population of 130,000 in a space of about 6x6 km's, blocks everywhere.

behemot
June 30th, 2004, 08:38 AM
http://www.us.edu.pl/uniwersytet/english/ilustr/kat.jpg

Only the red part of this image is Upper Silesia. The yellow one is former Bielsko-Biala voivodship, which consisted of 2 historic regions - Cieszyn's Silesia and part of Malopolska. Now is divided between Silesian and Malopolska voivodships, but historicaly it was never part of Upper Silesia region.

jimm
June 30th, 2004, 08:44 AM
Once i was passing through this region and it made me a great impression. When you drive you just see huge formation of cities around you for several km :)

Pysio
August 2nd, 2004, 09:30 AM
For commy block fanatics, you cannot go past Tychy, it has a population of 130,000 in a space of about 6x6 km's, blocks everywhere.
Yes, but much nicer than in GOP. Most of them are low. And most of them got new plasters.

909
August 3rd, 2004, 06:57 PM
I drove a few weeks ago threw that area. But i was not what i had expected, i had images on my mind of an endless urban area full of chimneys en dirty plants. But i have not saw many industries. Has anyone got pictures of those?

kaspric
August 4th, 2004, 12:10 AM
DocentX, *** with your Katowice agglomeration. There isn't smth called like that. It's called Slask connurbation and there isn't any other name :tongue:

Po polsku (bo nie chce mi się tłumaczyć): aglomeracja jest wtedy, gdy wokół wiekszego miasta powstają mniejsze, a w tym wypadku mamy szereg większych, niemal równorzędnych miast, które powstały niezależnie od innych ;)

Pozdrawiam ;)

s102
August 5th, 2004, 12:14 AM
DocentX, *** with your Katowice agglomeration. There isn't smth called like that. It's called Slask connurbation and there isn't any other name :tongue:

Po polsku (bo nie chce mi się tłumaczyć): aglomeracja jest wtedy, gdy wokół wiekszego miasta powstają mniejsze, a w tym wypadku mamy szereg większych, niemal równorzędnych miast, które powstały niezależnie od innych ;)

Pozdrawiam ;)

The population in Warsaw subregion plus Warsaw city proper is 3,02 mln. So it is an urban area of comparable size. The future trend is favorable for Warsaw.

s102
August 5th, 2004, 12:18 AM
http://www.us.edu.pl/uniwersytet/english/ilustr/kat.jpg

Only the red part of this image is Upper Silesia. The yellow one is former Bielsko-Biala voivodship, which consisted of 2 historic regions - Cieszyn's Silesia and part of Malopolska. Now is divided between Silesian and Malopolska voivodships, but historicaly it was never part of Upper Silesia region.

Not exactly, maybe half of the red area is Upper Silesia. Sosnowiec abd Dobrowa Gornicza is not.

pitq
December 27th, 2004, 12:36 AM
How about the A4 motorway ? Is the part between Katowice and Gliwice U/C ?


Yes it is. The construction will be finished in a few weaks.
Some photos of part U/C
http://www.dycha.siec2000.pl/forum/DSC04577.JPG
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/gregooo/autobanaporozprzedostatni.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/gregooo/zjazdnahalembaiwirek.jpg

Wicky
January 10th, 2005, 10:08 AM
Thanx for the info. Are Bielsko-Biala and Zywiec the parts of Silesia, or Malopolska?

Bass
January 11th, 2005, 12:41 PM
I'm in Katowice right now, and dispite the friendly people, the city is VERY ugly!!

Commieblocks, commieblocks, commieblocks.
And the smell! Coals!

But the interior of buildings is often very nice, and there are lots of nice clubs.

Koniaczeq
January 11th, 2005, 02:39 PM
I'm in Katowice right now, and dispite the friendly people, the city is VERY ugly!!

Commieblocks, commieblocks, commieblocks.
And the smell! Coals!

But the interior of buildings is often very nice, and there are lots of nice clubs.


Wow you're in Katowice :D Me 2 ;) Are Katowice Really soooo ugly ? :(

How do you like Cracow ?

DocentX
January 11th, 2005, 05:20 PM
some Katowice skyline photos by @pimys

9 I 2004

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/pimys/DSCN2275.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/pimys/DSCN2266.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/pimys/DSCN2264.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/pimys/DSCN2251.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/pimys/DSCN2261.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/pimys/DSCN2269.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/pimys/DSCN2280.jpg