Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy: the legacy of WUF11 sets the direction of development for cities

WARSAW, Poland, July 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Eleventh Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF11) is now history, but we have not been left empty-handed. Hundreds of hours of debates bore fruit in the form of conclusions from which tangible future actions will emerge. Two important documents were presented at WUF11: the new National Urban Policy 2030 and the Action Plan for Cities, the latter already being implemented.

Poland's commitment to urban development is recognised worldwide. This is confirmed by the choice of Katowice as the venue for the WUF11,interna the largest and most important event devoted to urban issues. Numerous discussions on the future of agglomerations were held and two documents produced that set out the direction for the development of Polish cities.

National Urban Policy 2030

The main objective of the National Urban Policy 2030 (NUP) is to create such conditions for cities and their functional areas so that they can develop in a sustainable manner, offering high quality of life to their residents.

"Poland needs policies that respond to the current challenges that cities face. The National Urban Policy 2030 is a government document that aims to guide cities towards sustainable development, to carry out a sustainable transformation towards strong and resilient agglomerations and to provide residents with a welcoming living environment" – said Grzegorz Puda, Minister of Development Funds and Regional Policy.

Action Plan for Cities

On 28 June representatives of central and local government discussed proposals for a new National Urban Policy and 104 Polish local government officials signed the so-called "Action Plan for Cities".

The Action Plan for Cities is a unique programme on a European scale. It brings together more than one hundred Polish cities that are responding in different ways to local challenges related to the Sustainable Development Goals set out in Agenda 2030 and implementing the recommendations of the National Urban Policy 2030.

The initiative is a legacy of WUF11 in the form of a catalogue of good practices in local urban policies. The Action Plan for Cities is the first joint document of so many local governments in Poland. It is a good example of government and local government cooperation for local development.