It is estimated that around 20% of urbanised areas in Poland are degraded areas, where social, economic, spatial and environmental problems accumulate. Their renewal requires not only infrastructural investment but also effective involvement of residents and other local stakeholders.
The contemporary approach to regeneration assumes that lasting and socially accepted changes can emerge only when people directly connected with a given place have a real influence on decision-making. This idea has been reinforced by the Act on Revitalisation in force since 2015, which obliges municipalities to undertake broad participatory activities.
One of the most important participation tools provided for in the Act is the Revitalisation Committee. This is an advisory and consultative body bringing together representatives of various groups: residents, entrepreneurs, non-governmental organisations, councillors, public institutions and experts. Its role is to provide opinions on regeneration activities, monitor progress and support local authorities in decision-making regarding the development of degraded areas.
Revitalisation Committees Established but Without Significant Influence on Key Decisions?
A research team from the University of Lodz, composed of Edyta Masierek and Marta Borowska-Stefańska from the Faculty of Geographical Sciences, Dorota Sikora-Fernandez from the Faculty of Management and Magdalena Ślebocka from the Faculty of Economics and Sociology, analysed the functioning of Revitalisation Committees in 20 municipalities of the Lodzkie Voivodeship. As part of the research project, official documents were analysed and interviews were conducted with committee members.
The results show that most municipalities with Municipal Revitalisation Programmes established Revitalisation Committees in line with the Act. These committees meet regularly. They typically provide opinions on regeneration monitoring reports, analyse the progress of investments and address ad hoc issues as they arise.
At the same time, the study revealed significant limitations in the functioning of this tool. In none of the analysed municipalities did the Revitalisation Committees participate in the preparation of the key document defining the directions of regeneration activities, namely the Municipal Revitalisation Programme. This means that residents and other stakeholders were involved in the process only at a later stage.
The authors emphasise that the initial planning phase is crucial for effective public participation. It is at this stage that joint problem definition, the development of a shared vision for change and the building of a sense of responsibility for the future of a given area are possible.
The study also points to the need to inform residents earlier about opportunities to get involved in the revitalisation process. In many cases, interested residents only learned of the existence of the Revitalisation Committee after the call for members had been announced.
A Potential Worth Harnessing
According to the authors, effectively functioning Revitalisation Committees may become an important element in building dialogue between local authorities and the community. Regular cooperation facilitates a better understanding of residents’ needs, increases social acceptance of undertaken actions and enables the development of solutions better suited to local conditions.
However, the research findings show that fully unlocking the potential of this tool requires further development of participation mechanisms, educational activities and greater stakeholder involvement already at the regeneration planning stage.
The conducted analysis constitutes an important contribution to research on participatory governance and urban regeneration processes. The conclusions may serve as valuable guidance both for researchers studying urban development and for local authorities responsible for preparing and implementing regeneration programmes.
They demonstrate that effective regeneration is not limited to the modernisation of space but above all involves building cooperation between residents and institutions responsible for the development of local communities.
The scientific article was prepared as part of the project „Interdyscyplinarne granty badawcze” [Interdisciplinary research grants] – edition 2023, implemented in connection with the Excellence Initiative – Research University (IDUB) competition.
Source: Masierek Edyta, Borowska-Stefańska Marta, Sikora-Fernandez Dorota, Ślebocka Magdalena: Revitalisation committee as a participation tool in urban regeneration processes in Poland: case study of the Lodzkie Voivodeship, European Spatial Research and Policy, Lodz University Press, vol. 33, no. 1, 2026, article number: 02, DOI:10.18778/1231-1952.33.1.02.
