Katowice urban area

This article is about the geographic urban area. For the wider urban area to which it belongs, see Katowice-Ostrava metropolitan area. For the political and economic association of local municipalities, see Metropolis GZM. For the industrial region, see Upper Silesian Industrial Region.

The Katowice urban area (Polish: Konurbacja katowicka, pronounced [kɔnurˈbat͡sja katɔˈvit͡ska]), also known as the Upper Silesian urban area (Konurbacja górnośląska, [kɔnurˈbat͡sja ɡurnɔˈɕlɔ̃ska]), is an urban area/conurbation in southern Poland, centered on Katowice. It is located in the Silesian Voivodeship. The Katowice urban area is the largest urban area in Poland and 22nd largest urban area in the European Union. According to Demographia, its population is 1,903,000 (August 2023).^[3]

Katowice urban area Konurbacja katowicka
Urban area
From top, left to right: KTW buildings in Katowice Plac Stulecia (Centennial Square) in Sosnowiec Market Square and City Hall in Gliwice Market Square in Bytom Historic Silver Mine in Tarnowskie Góry Royal Castle in Będzin
Map of Katowice urban area and its metropolitan area (parts of Rybnik metropolitan area also visible in the bottom-left corner)
Katowice urban area Location in Poland
Coordinates: 50°15′N 19°00′E
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Silesian Voivodeship
Largest city	Katowice
Government
• Body	Metropolis GZM
Area
• Urban [1]	1,468 km2 (567 sq mi)
• Metro [2]	2,949 km2 (1,139 sq mi)
Population  (2023)
• Urban [3]	1,903,000
• Urban density	1,300/km2 (3,400/sq mi)
• Metro [4]	2,535,354
• Metro density	860/km2 (2,200/sq mi)
GDP [5]
• Metro	€44.570 billion (2021)
Primary airport	Katowice Airport
Highways

Aerial view of the central part of the urban area.

Intertwined built-up area of the cities of Katowice, Chorzów and Świętochłowice. Allotment gardens on the outskirts of the city of Ruda Śląska visible in the far background.

Alternative names

English: Katowice conurbation,^[6][7] Upper Silesian conurbation,^{[8][9][10][11]} Upper Silesian urban area^[12][13].
Polish: konurbacja katowicka,^[14] konurbacja górnośląska,^[15][16] konurbacja śląska,^[17] konurbacja śląsko-dąbrowska,^[18][19] aglomeracja katowicka^{[citation needed]}, aglomeracja górnośląska^{[20][21][22][23]}.

Administration of urban area

Map of cities and towns of Katowice urban area according to Statistics Poland.

According to Statistics Poland, the Katowice urban area consists of 19 bordering cities in the Silesian Voivodeship: Będzin, Bytom, Chorzów, Czeladź, Dąbrowa Górnicza, Gliwice, Jaworzno, Katowice, Knurów, Mikołów, Mysłowice, Piekary Śląskie, Ruda Śląska, Siemianowice Śląskie, Świętochłowice, Sosnowiec, Tychy, Tarnowskie Góry, and Zabrze.^[1]

The cities and statistics (1 January 2008):^[24]

City	Population	Area (km2)	Density (km−2)
Katowice	312,201	164.67	1,896
Sosnowiec	222,586	91.06	2,444
Gliwice	197,393	133.88	1,474
Zabrze	189,062	80.40	2,352
Bytom	184,765	69.44	2,661
Ruda Śląska	144,584	77.73	1,860
Tychy	129,776	81.64	1,590
Dąbrowa Górnicza	128,795	188.73	682
Chorzów	113,678	33.24	3,420
Jaworzno	95,520	152.67	626
Mysłowice	74,912	65.75	1,139
Siemianowice Śląskie	71,621	25.5	2,809
Tarnowskie Góry	60,975	83.72	728
Piekary Śląskie	59,061	39.98	1,477
Będzin	58,639	37.37	1,569
Świętochłowice	54,525	13.31	4,097
Knurów	39,449	33.95	1,162
Mikołów	38,698	79.20	489
Czeladź	34,072	16.38	2,080
Total	2,124,344	1,443.12	1,472

Metropolitan area

The Katowice urban area covers the majority of the population and area of the Katowice metropolitan area (also known as Upper Silesian metropolitan area),^{[25][26][27][10][11][28][29]} with a population of around 2.5 million (2023),^[4] and is a part of the Katowice-Ostrava metropolitan area, which has a population of 5.3 million people (2002).^[30] Also this is (with Kraków metropolitan area among others) a part of Kraków-Katowice-Ostrava metropolitan region ,^[31][32][7] which has a population of around 6.8 million.

Demographics

There are given differing population numbers in different sources.

• 2,225,000 (2024) – according to citypopulation.de.^[33]
• 2,535,354 (2023) – according to Eurostat^[4]
• 2,700,000 (2006) – according to Metropolis.pl^[34]
• 2,746,000 (2001) – according to the scientific description by Tadeusz Markowski.^[35]
• 2,733,000 (2002) – according to the scientific description by Paweł Swianiewicz and Urszula Klimska.^[36]
• 2,886,700 (2004) – according to the scientific description by Kazimierz Fiedorowicz and Jacek Fiedorowicz.^[37]
• 3,029,000 (2002) – according to the European Spatial Planning Observation Network. Markered as 13th largest metropolitan area in European Union and also 6th polycentric metropolitan area in EU.^[30]
• 3,069,000 – according to the United Nations.^[38]
• 3,239,200 (2003) – according to the Ministry of Regional Development of Poland^[39]
• 3,488,000 – according to www.worldatlas.com.^[40]
• 3,500,000 – according to PWN Encyclopedia.^[41][42]
• 3,500,000 – according to the scientific description by Jerzy Parysek and Alexander Tölle.^[43]

See also

• Metropolis GZM
• Upper Silesian Industrial Region
• Upper Silesian Coal Basin
• Katowice-Ostrava metropolitan area

References

1. AGLOMERACJA 19 MIAST WOJEWÓDZTWA ŚLĄSKIEGO NA TLE INNYCH POTENCJALNYCH AGLOMERACJI – Powierzchnia i ludność
2. Funkcje metropolitalne w Górnośląskim Obszarze Metropolitalnym – Elżbieta Zuzańska-Żyśko, ISSN 1509-4995
3. Demographia.com – World Urban Areas, 19th ANNUAL EDITION, August 2023
4. "Population on 1 January by five year age group, sex and metropolitan regions". www.ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
5. "Gross domestic product (GDP) at current market prices by metropolitan regions". www.ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
6. Marlena Dyszy: Changes in land usage of rural areas in suburban area of Katowice conurbation
7. Spórna, Tomasz; Kantor-Pietraga, Iwona; Krzysztofik, Robert (2016-03-20). "Trajectories of depopulation and urban shrinkage in the Katowice Conurbation, Poland". Espace populations sociétés. 2015/3-2016/1 (2016): 2. Retrieved 2024-07-03. Katowice conurbation, together with the agglomerations of Kraków, Rybnik, Bielsko-Biała and Częstochowa and the agglomeration of Ostrava in the Czech Republic, make up an interstate agglomeration zone
8. Interim Territorial Cohesion Report (PDF). Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities. 2004. pp. 98–101. ISBN 92-894-0000-0. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-09-26.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ignored ISBN errors (link)
9. Elżbieta Zuzańska-Żyśko: The Upper-Silesian conurbation on the path towards the “Silesia” metropolis
10. Zuzanna Neuve-Église: Od metropolii podzielonej do metropolii zjednoczonej - kształtowanie się tożsamości instytucji metropolitalnego zarządzania w kontekście relacji miast górnośląskiego obszaru metropolitalnego
11. W. Sroka, B. Pölling: The Potential and Significance of Urban Agriculture on the Basis of the Ruhr Metropolis and the Upper Silesian Metropolis, p. 182, footnote 5.
12. "Public Transport". katowice.eu. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
13. "Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolis (Metropolis GZM)". Statistics Poland. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
14. (PDF)Tadeusz Markowski, Tadeusz Marszał (2006). Metropolie Obszary Metropolitalne Metropolizacja - Problemy i pojęcia podstawowe (PDF). Warszawa: Polska Akademia Nauk Komitet Przestrzennego Zagospodarowania Kraju. p. 14. ISBN 83-89693-16-X.
15. Krajowa Strategia Rozwoju Regionalnego 2010–2020: Regiony, Miasta, Obszary wiejskie (M.P. z 2011 r. Nr 36, poz. 423, s. 1397, 1405, 1472, 1501).
16. Koncepcja Polityki Przestrzennego Zagospodarowania Kraju z 2001 r. (M.P. z 2001 r. Nr 26, poz. 432, s. 545, 546).
17. "DELIMITACJA REGIONU GÓRNOŚLĄSKO-ZAGŁĘBIOWSKIEJ METROPOLII "SILESIA"" (PDF). Górnośląski Związek Metropolitalny. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-04-28. Retrieved 2016-01-17.
18. Bielecki, Piotr (2009-04-18). "Gdzie jest Zagłębie w przyszłej Metropolii?". Regionalne Stowarzyszenie „Forum dla Zagłębia Dąbrowskiego”. Retrieved 2011-06-19.
19. "Zagłębiacy czują się przytłumieni przez "śląskość"". zaglebie.info/. Archived from the original on 2009-03-03. Retrieved 2009-03-08.
20. Narodowa Strategia Rozwoju Regionalnego 2007-2013 (projekt zaakceptowany przez Radę Ministrów 6 września 2005 r.) (PDF). Warszawa: Departament Polityki Regionalnej Ministerstwo Gospodarki i Pracy. 2005-09-06. p. 94. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-02-23.
21. Koncepcja Przestrzennego Zagospodarowania Kraju 2030. Warszawa: Ministerstwo Rozwoju Regionalnego. 2012. p. 26, 192. ISBN 978-83-7610-359-4.
22. Plan Zagospodarowania Przestrzennego Województwa Śląskiego. Katowice: Urząd Marszałkowski Woj. Śląskiego, 2004-06-21, s. 16–19, 22 (Dz. Urz. Woj. Śląskiego z 2004 r., Nr 68, poz. 2049).
23. Narodowy Plan Rozwoju 2007-2013 (dokument przyjęty przez Radę Ministrów 6.09.2005). Warszawa: Ministerstwo Rozwoju Regionalnego. 2005-09-06. p. 81. Archived from the original on 2006-02-27.
24. (in Polish and English) Powierzchnia i ludność w przekroju terytorialnym w 2008 Archived 2009-04-07 at the Wayback Machine – Central Statistical Office in Poland
25. Robert Pyka: The Upper Silesian and Zagłębie Metropolis as a local government innovation. Poland’s first metropolitan union – opportunities and threats, p. 6 – "The author’s analyses the institutional architecture of the first Polish metropolitan union, which is a hybrid organisation combining an inter-municipal association and a local government unit, from the perspective of turning the Upper Silesian metropolitan area into an efficient system of metropolitan governance."
26. Elżbieta Zuzańska-Żyśko: Metropolitan functions of the Upper-Silesian Metropolitan Area, p. 61 – "The purpose of the article is to study metropolitan functions, as well as to analyze the intrinsic structure of the Upper-Silesian Metropolitan Area, which used to be an industrial conurbation that evolved into a polycentric settlement arrangement. (...) The selected functional metropolitan area is formed by 15 municipalities, including 13 towns with county rights, and is inhabited by 1.9 million people. (...) The metropolitan centre of utmost importance and holding well-developed metropolitan functions is the city of Katowice, whereas Gliwice and Chorzów are first-class auxiliary centres."
27. Elżbieta Zuzańska-Żyśko: The Upper-Silesian conurbation on the path towards the “Silesia” metropolis, p. 119-120 – "(...) an attempt was made to delimit the Upper-Silesian Metropolitan Area (GOM) and to define its inner structure (Fig. 1)(Zuzańska-Żyśko, 2011). (...). It is a group of 14 centres with the highest population and rank. These cities simultaneously create a voluntary municipal union named the Metropolitan Association of Upper-Silesia (GZM). These cities create the core of the future metropolis. All the adjacent boroughs make the outer metropolitan zone."
28. Justyna Danielewicz, Maciej Turał: Inter-communal associations: the future of metropolitan area management?, p. 122 – "The Upper Silesian Metropolitan Area is composed of 73 communes, including 14 urban districts (large cities). The urban districts have created an Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union (shown in Figure 5a) (...)."
29. Karolina Szaton: Znaczenie „małych miast” w kontekście rozwoju struktur ponadlokalnych na przykładzie Aglomeracji Górnośląskiej
30. "Study on Urban Functions (Project 1.4.3)" - European Spatial Planning Observation Network, 2007
31. Koncepcja Przestrzennego Zagospodarowania Kraju 2030
32. European Spatial Planning Observation Network (ESPON) "ESPON project 1.1.1. Potentials for polycentric development in Europe" – Final report, March 2005, ISBN 91-89332-38-5
33. "The Principal Agglomerations of the World" - citypopulation.de
34. (in English) "Investment areas in the Silesian Agglomeration" Archived 2012-03-05 at the Wayback Machine - Metropolis.pl, Katowice 2006
35. (in Polish) Funkcje Metropolitalne Pięciu Stolic Województw Wschodnich Archived 2010-04-15 at the Wayback Machine
36. (in Polish) "Społeczne i polityczne zróżnicowanie aglomeracji w Polsce" – Paweł Swianiewicz, Urszula Klimska Archived 2009-01-24 at the Wayback Machine; University of Warsaw 2005
37. "The Influence of a Metropolis on Regional Development in Poland" - Kazimierz Fiedorowicz, Jacek Fiedorowicz; Częstochowa University of Technology
38. World Urbanization Prospects, Urban Agglomerations 2003 – United Nations – Department of Economic and Social Affairs / Population Division, The 2003 Revision
39. (in Polish) "Koncepcja przestrzennego zagospodarowania kraju" Archived 2010-03-31 at the Wayback Machine – Ministry of Regional Development, 2003
40. www.worldatlas.com
41. article about Upper Silesian Industrial Region coinciding with the Katowice urban area
42. (in Polish) "Górnośląski Okręg Przemysłowy" Archived 2014-07-14 at the Wayback Machine - PWN Encyclopedia
43. "Wybrane problemy rozwoju i rewitalizacji miast: aspekty poznawcze i praktyczne" - Jerzy Parysek and Alexander Tölle, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań 2008, p. 34-35, ISBN 978-83-61320-33-3