REVITALIZATION AS A PART OF THE EU COHESION POLICY

Abstract

The aim of the paper is the general characterization of the process of the revitalization in Polish cities in the context of the EU cohesion policy on the example of Kujawsko-Pomorskie voivodship. The research has been conducted on the basis of data derived from the official websites of the Regional Operational Program of Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodship 2007-2013 and data obtained from the website of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development where all projects co-financed from the UE have been currently upgraded and monitored. From database, which contained more than six thousand projects implemented under the Cohesion Policy in Kujawsko-Pomorskie voivodship, 222 projects related to the revitalization have been analyzed. In the paper we have demonstrated that the cohesion policy realized by the EU, has significantly affected the process of the revitalization in Polish cities. This impact can be considered in two ways. On the one hand, the cohesion policy caused the necessity of long-term and integrated planning of all actions required for the activation of problem areas in a city. On the other hand, it initiated instruments by which Polish cities had a real opportunity to start the thorough revitalization.