Inter-municipal cooperation as an element o f territoriallyoriented development policy and its role as a factor o f delimitation o f functional urban areas

Abstract

The paper includes a discussion of the territorially oriented development policy as a currently leading concept of the development which promote inter-municipal cooperation and collaboration with bodies from social and private sector. The focus is on highlighting the importance of taking into account the operating range of inter-municipal partnerships in determining the boundaries of municipal functional areas that play a key role in the implementation of the territorially oriented development policy. In the beginning are presented assumptions of new regional policy developed since the nineties of the twentieth century. This policy, accentuated by the European Union, seeks to promote the competitiveness of areas among others by supporting the cooperation of the different sectors within the urban functional areas. In Poland, along with the development of sub-urbanization is increasing need to coordinate activities within the municipal functional areas. Local government units form an inter- municipal partnerships to coordinate development policy and jointly provide public services. The Government, in accordance with the European Union policy, is developing programs to support the integration of local authorities among others by promoting cooperation between local government units and the delimitation of the boundaries of urban areas for which wants to run specific investment projects. The author proposes that the setting ranges for these interventions take into account the existing partnership between the self-governments in order to benefit existing experience and trust between the representatives of the local authorities. It is important to protect the capital of cooperation, which was built on part of the emerging municipal functional areas. This paper also presents examples of different treatment by the regional authorities existing intermunicipal partnerships in process to launch in Poland integrated territorial investments as part of the European program. Only in some regions were appreciated the importance of the existing efforts made to determine eg. common strategy, development projects and organize joint municipal services.