Ochrona usług ekosystemów jako element polityki spójności i zrównoważonego rozwoju miast śląskich
Protection of ecosystem services as element of cohesion policy and sustainable development of Silesian cities

Summary/Abstract: A growing environmental awareness, especially in highly developed countries, means that increasing attention in the work on the development of urban areas is devoted to ecosystem services. The condition of cities depends to a large extent on a healthy environment, which produces a number of advantages. Healthy ecosystems are the basis for sustainable urban development, as they have a positive impact on human well-being and economic activity. Currently, European cities seek to re-merge scattered green areas and protected areas into coherent, multifunctional systems. The aim is also to maintain the maximum extent of territories of the greatest natural beauty. In the most developed countries, new green areas in cities are focused on biodiversity, versatility, and education. Such activities are of particular importance in the context of the European Union's policy, and particularly the priorities for action set out for urban areas, which are also a determinant of the direction of the development of Polish cities. In the Polish economy, municipal governments often do not recognize the need to maintain an adequate proportion of green areas or to protect nature in cities. In many Polish cities nature and greenery are often still seen as a barrier to the development of new investment and municipal authorities are moving away from a systemic approach to green areas. EU policy supports sustainable urban development, improving environmental quality and protection of ecosystem services, thus prompting a change in the attitudes of decision makers. To better illustrate the problem of the use of ecosystem services in the Polish economy, the paper uses a survey conducted among Silesian municipalities and among the inhabitants of the region.

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