The delimitation of functional areas in Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (Poland) concerning social, financial and economic as well as spatial and infrastructural criteria

Abstract

The article presents current trends in delimiting an area by function and covers various research issues. The main goal of the work was achieved through the author’s method of delimiting functional areas in Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, taking into account social, financial and economic, and spatial and infrastructural criteria. Among all 18 diagnostic features, the following indicators were the most useful: population density, net migration of permanent commune residents per 1000 population, non-working age population per 100 working-age, number of national economy entities on the REGON register per 1000 working-age population, number of dwellings per 1000 inhabitants, and proportion of commune agricultural land to total area. The starting point for creating a fixed classification for communes was the functional typology developed by J. Bański in 2009 at the special request of the Ministry of Regional Development. As a result of the delimitation, the following functional areas in Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship were designated: urban (5), diversified urban (7), tourist and spa (2), tourism and recreation (7), agricultural and horticultural (4), agricultural production (22), semi-subsistent smallholdings (30) and multifunctional (25).