Statutory task of the regional government/self-government/voivodeship local government is running/managing/keeping policy of development, whose supreme goal is to create conditions for improving the quality of life for residents constituting a regional self-governing community. Improving quality of life is seen nowadays as an additional objective of regional development policy, currently work is ongoing to create indicators to measure the policy. This trend is observed not only on the European level but also on regional one, a good example presenting this matter is a draft version of the Małopolska Region Development Strategy.

Modern concepts of regional development are trying to reconcile apparently confl icted development business – enhancing the capabilities of competitive regions with the prevention of socially and politically unacceptable differences between and within region. Main aim is to present selected theoretical and practical approaches, including the tasks of the regional government, understood as the formation of the cohesion and competitiveness.

The author of the article focuses on the subject of the quality of life within rural areas. She presents possible actions that might be undertaken at the local levels in order to improve the satisfaction of life in the country. The main area of the presented research concerns the Podlasie region, a typical agricultural part of the country. The author of the article analyses the defi nition of the quality of life and presents the variables shaping it, as well as focuses on the research initiatives within the area of the quality of life in Poland and other counties. The article demonstrates results of the research in the area of quality of life in Podlasie region, indicates its weak and strong sides, and examines the causes of the current states of affairs. At the end of the article, the author analyses instruments of fi nancial support form UE founds dedicated to improvement of quality of life in Podlasie region.

High level of quality of citizens’ life in a given region is a condition of citizens’ and visitors’ satisfaction and it influences on the socio-economic development in a given area. In the first part of the study the author carried out the analyses of theoretical aspects of quality of life. The second part of the article relates to the analysis of the factors which influence on the level of the citizens’ of the Podlaskie Voivodship and tourists’ visiting this region life. The analysis is based among others on the investigations of Eurostat, Social Diagnosis in Poland and on the author’s own investigations mainly relating to the natural values determining the development of quality of life in the Podlaskie Voivodship.

The main issue of the article is the role of intellectual and human capital in the economic development on national and regional level. Author has focused her analysis on potential of elderly people and activities which would support its optimum usage. In the article are presented two problems: increasing participation of elderly people in the whole population, and low level of professional activity among people aged 55 and more in Poland. Author has prepared short review of methods which could be taken up by regional authorities to stimulate the professional activity of elderly people.

Due to the processing competition, territorial units need to create their image of an attractive place. A region advanced in building a strong, adventurous image is the Silesian Voivodeship. This paper presents the Silesian image planned by the regional authority as well as marketing actions which enable to achieve the strategic goal.

The paper is based on the research of strategic plans of the Małopolska cities. It is focused on the results of cities’ strategies research concerning included SWOT analyses and settled strategic goals connected to the subject of the quality of life.

The paper presents sustainable development and quality of life defi nitions. The issues of quality of life measurement and monitoring of local sustainable development strategies were also presented. The role of local sustainable development strategies in the quality of life improvement on local level was indicated.

Information policy is an instrument of governance in the modern administration, which enables the achievement of public and strategic objectives. First stem of forming this policy would be considering the public information as a strategic resource, owned not only the local authorities, but mainly the local community. The scope of information policy should be compliant to the main purpose of the development strategy of local government units. Conscious of information policy is the foundation of the smooth and effective functioning of such units. In the longer term may signifi cantly increase the development potential of individuals and thus improve the quality of life of local communities.

The correct functioning local community are determined by high fi nancial infl uences to budget. The one of basic community incomes is the property tax, which the final construction can be shaped through community organs. In the article was introduced politics of the Bydgoszcz community in range of property tax since 2005–2009. The results of researches were presented of relating property tax to the all incomes, to the own incomes and to the taxes and local payments. The politics of the Bydgoszcz community in range of property tax rates and defraying of expenses by the property tax was introduced too.

Issues of autonomy in local government is considered primarily in relation to the basic units of this form of governance, it is in relation to the commune and district. Independence is conditional on having a certain financial autonomy or a substantial dose of financial decentralization. The situation is different as far as financial independence or its lack in auxiliary units (settlements and districts in medium and large cities) is concerned. The basic plan is the public budget which occurs only in the commune, district and province. In the case of districts and neighborhoods is the constituting authority to decide whether it will take the initiative of establishment of district councils, housing councils and equip those in the power and fi nancial resources to carry out their tasks. For the purposes of the characteristics of auxiliary units were selected: the 6 provincial cities, where effectiveness of the district councils, housing councils is noticeable, 6 cities, which have lost their status of the provincial capital, and 6 district towns of medium size. As a result of this study examples of large provincial cities has been the development of the district local government, housing estate. However, not all former provincial city and county have been set up auxiliary units, although there are housings in the tradition of the inhabitants, the nomenclature and housing cooperatives. As stated, most relied on ancillary units in the form of district councils, councils of settlements, districts, councils included actively in the management and operation issues of settlements, increasing the quality of life of their inhabitants.