Adam Radzimski

Bike-sharing systems, also known as public bicycles, are among the most dynamically developing mobility solutions in contemporary cities. In the past decade, numerous Polish cities hoping to increase the modal share of cycling have also adopted bike-sharing. Such systems continuously register user movements through installed sensors. The resulting database allows a highly detailed representation of this segment of urban mobility. This article illustrates how a database accessed via a Web API (Web Application Programming Interface) could be used to investigate the spatial distribution of trips, using the case study of Poznań, the fifth-largest city in Poland. Using geographical information systems, we identify the hot spots of bike-sharing as well as areas with low usage. The research procedure outlined in the paper provides knowledge that allows better responding to users’ needs.

In recent years, numerous Polish cities and municipalities have become involved in the creation of bike-sharing systems. Although the contribution of bike-sharing to creating sustainable transport caused some controversy in the literature, the positive role of cycling in promoting low-emission mobility and a healthy lifestyle is widely acknowledged. As part of the European Union’s sustainable transport agenda, some Polish local governments have obtained funding from structural funds for the implementation of bicycle-sharing schemes. This article presents an overview of selected systems, as well as a preliminary analysis of their users’ activity based on data obtained through a Web API. Although the scope of the data was limited in time due to the shutdown of the systems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic shortly after their spring reactivation, some patterns could be observed. In particular, users activity was more evenly distributed over time in larger cities (over 300 thousand of residents), whereas in smaller cities alternating periods of high and low activity was observed.

Funding: This work was supported by the National Science Centre, Poland (grant number UMO-2017/27/B/HS4/00099).

Badania nad wpływem infrastruktury transportu publicznego na rynek nieruchomości stanowią dynamicznie rozwijający się nurt w literaturze z zakresu geografii transportu. W tym kontekście celem niniejszego artykułu jest dokonanie przeglądu aktualnego stanu międzynarodowych badań w tym zakresie oraz empiryczne ujęcie wybranego studium przypadku. W szczególności, przedmiotem badań jest wpływ Poznańskiego Szybkiego Tramwaju (PST) na kształtowanie się rynku mieszkaniowego na zespole osiedli „Winogrady”. W oparciu o dane o transakcjach sprzedaży mieszkań, w artykule przedstawia się analizę statystycznej zależności pomiędzy dostępnością PST a cenami mieszkań, z wykorzystaniem klasycznej metody najmniejszych kwadratów, metod ekonometrii przestrzennej oraz regresji geograficznie ważonej. Następnie, wykorzystując dane pozyskane drogą badania ankietowego, ukazuje się rolę PST jako czynnika wpływającego na satysfakcję z miejsca zamieszkania, mogącego skłaniać do przeprowadzki oraz kształtującego codzienne zachowania przestrzenne. Uzyskane wyniki wskazują, że znaczenie PST mierzone w kategoriach satysfakcji z miejsca zamieszkania było wysokie, natomiast wpływ na ceny mieszkań był niewielki, choć zauważalny. W konkluzji autorzy skłaniają się do wniosku, że w przyszłych badaniach należy w większym stopniu brać pod uwagę cechy charakterystyczne danego obszaru, takie jak na przykład odległość od centrum czy też istniejące alternatywne środki transportu publicznego.

The process of suburbanisation and the formation of new parishes. The example of Poznań agglomeration

The process of suburbanization has been recently one of the main topics discussed by geographers as well as other scholars from disciplines interested in urban issues. As people and companies relocate to the suburbs, it becomes necessary to supply new roads, schools, shops and many other facilities. Sometimes suburbanisation also leads  to the construction of new churches, especially in Poland, where a large part of the society still actively participates in the religious practices of the Roman Catholic Church. The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between the process of suburbanisation and the formation of new catholic parishes using the case of Poznań  agglomeration in which suburbanisation processes have been particularly intensive in the last years. Results show that a significant number of new parishes were grounded in the city of Poznań and its suburbs in the period between 1990 and 2013, and that the formation of some of these parishes can be attributed to the process of  suburbanisation. The paper also contains a discussion of arguments for and against the formation of new parishes in the suburbs. It has been argued by some that large urban parishes can better respond to spiritual needs of people than small suburban parishes, and that the construction of new churches in the times of crisis should be avoided in favour of charity. On the other hand, spatial proximity of the church is very likely an important factor for many persons, so every case should be considered separately. Since the process of suburbanisation in Poznań agglomeration will definitely continue in the coming years, the formation of new catholic parishes in the suburbs is also likely to take place.