The subject of the article relates to the current state of affairs of spatial planning system in force in Poland and the possibility to introduce positive changes to it. The author adopted the examples with which she attempts to illustrate the system from her own extensive experience in urban planning, especially in Warsaw, which was assumed as the main research field. In the article, the discussion on the abovementioned planning system starts with the statistics of urban plans made in Warsaw, the scope of social participation and analyzes conducted prior to projects. Then, focus was placed on contemporary trends: functional diversity, land and building ownership, the European Green Deal trend, as well as the necessity for management principles in urban planning and project implementations. The basic assumed research method was to compare the achievements of urban development elements in Poland with similar ones located in countries of Western Europe. In the conclusions, the final summary is presented. It consists in the author’s own recommendations for corrective action for functioning of the spatial planning system in Poland.