Dr Tomasz Figlus and Dr Łukasz Musiaka from the Faculty of Geographical Sciences of the University of Lodz, together with other scientists from various research centres in Poland, examined the impact of railway transport on the urban morphology of Polish cities. The analyses were conducted for the eight largest urban agglomerations in our country, i.e. for Lodz, Warsaw, Krakow, Katowice, Szczecin, Poznan, Wroclaw and Gdansk.
The main objective of the research was to determine the historical, long-term impact of railway transport on the dynamics of morphological changes in the settlement network. The time frame of the research covered the period from 1842 to 1989.
The railway that has changed Polish cities
As the researchers write in their article: "The research revealed a strong correlation between railway transport and morphological changes in analyzed urban agglomerations. The most significant changes were observed within 1,600 meters of railway stations and up to 20 kilometers from central stations."
The hypotheses put forward in the article were also confirmed, stating that the intensity of morphological changes decreases with increasing distance from railway stations and from the central station within the urban agglomeration.
It was noted that the different historical and geopolitical conditions did not have a strong influence on the variation in morphological changes in cities with increasing distance.
According to Dr Musiaka and Dr Figlus, the development of railway transport has historically varied depending on geopolitical conditions. Areas that once belonged to Prussia, Russia and Austria had different investment strategies, which influenced the density of the railway network and the level of its integration with the settlement system. In the Prussian partition, the railway was densely developed and integrated into cities, which encouraged intensive suburbanisation and the development of settlements around stations. In the Russian partition, railway lines were built mainly for military purposes, and stations were often located far from centres, which limited their impact on urban development. In the Austrian partition, on the other hand, the railway network was adapted to the terrain and raw material economy, which resulted in a more limited, but locally significant impact of railways on the spatial development of cities.
Geographic factors such as terrain, rivers and coastlines played an important role in the described process, determining the directions and intensity of spatial expansion of cities. This can be confirmed by the linear development of settlements along railway lines. Despite these historical differences, research has shown that rail transport had a universal impact on the development of cities, shaping them in a similar way, regardless of political affiliation. It often led to the formation of a star-shaped system, instead of dispersed growth.
The strong influence of railway transport on urbanisation continued for over a hundred years. During this time, the railway contributed to relatively compact urbanisation, limiting sprawl and helping to protect natural areas. However, after 1989, the importance of railway transport declined due to the increasing availability of private cars and the expansion of road infrastructure. As a result, urban development was more decentralised and less dependent on rail transport.
Dr Figlus and Dr Musiaka add that in their opinion, the geographical-historical perspective adopted in the research can be useful for contemporary city planning, as it highlights the importance of integrating transport infrastructure with sustainable spatial policy. Understanding how the railway has historically shaped urban development can help create strategies that promote sustainable urbanisation, especially in the context of investments in high-speed rail and rail-based public transport.
The research results were published in the article entitled "Long-term impact of railway transport on morphological development of the largest urban agglomerations in Poland" in the scientific journal Moravian Geographical Reports (vol. 32).
The research was carried out as part of the OPUS NCN project (grant number 2021/41/B/HS4/01407) led by dr hab. Robert Szmytkie from the University of Wrocław. In addition to researchers from the University of Lodz (Łukasz Musiaka, Tomasz Figlus), the team included employees of the University of Wrocław, the University of Silesia and the Warsaw University of Life Sciences.