Warsaw, Zakopane, Sopot, Krynica Morska and Kobierzyce local authorities were, in their categories, the most successful in the term ending this year. The magazine “Wspólnota”, which prepared the ranking, considered four factors in its assessment including budget, local economy, infrastructure and social affairs.

The local government term, which began in 2018, is unique in some respects. For the first time, it was extended from four to five years by a central government decision. In addition, local authorities have had to deal with problems: a pandemic, high inflation, and an economic crisis.

The first place in the ranking in the category of provincial cities is held by Warsaw. According to the authors of the ranking, an extremely important factor contributing to the capital’s victory was the introduction of a new system for planning and monitoring urban investments in 2020.

In the category of poviat cities, Zakopane was the winner. The success of the ‘winter capital of Poland’ is due to several factors: investment in urban infrastructure, high quality of public services and access to education and culture at an appropriate level. All this makes it “a good place to live,” according to the report’s authors.

The best city with poviat rights was Sopot. The city has invested heavily in road infrastructure, including cycle paths and pavements. During the implementation of the investments, particular emphasis was placed on a high level of safety and environmentally friendly solutions: traffic calming, attractiveness of the space and priority in communication for pedestrians and cyclists.

In the category of towns, the first place went to Krynica Morska. Its authorities are an example of how much can be changed during one term of office. Only five years ago, Krynica was ranked 585th. 

Kobierzyce, in Lower Silesia, topped the ranking in the rural municipalities category for the second time in a row. The local government in this municipality can boast large investments in education.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński