The Act on the metropolis in Pomerania adopted. Hundreds of millions at stake for the region
The document assumes the creation of a new form of cooperation between the communes and poviats of the region.
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The aim of the project is better coordination of the development of an area with over 1.5 million inhabitants. It is primarily about more efficient management of public transport, infrastructure investments and the development of the entire agglomeration.
A metropolis in Pomerania. Government: this is a long-awaited change
Even before the government meeting, Prime Minister Donald Tusk emphasized that Adopting the project is an important step for Pomerania. The head of government admitted that work on the project took longer than planned, but its implementation is expected to significantly improve the quality of life of the region's inhabitants.
The project prepared by the Ministry of Interior and Administration assumes: establishing a metropolitan union without interfering with the existing boundaries of local governments. The new structure is to perform a coordination and management function.
Its main tasks will include development policy, spatial planning, organization of public transport and activities related to urban mobility and adaptation to climate change.
The metropolitan association is also intended to support the economic development and innovation of the region. The project provides cooperation with business and the scientific community, as well as activities for the labor market, education and research.
New competences will include, among others: promoting employment, developing higher education, financing research and investing in culture and heritage protection. It will also be an important element development of municipal infrastructure.
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Hundreds of millions of zlotys for the region
As local government officials point out, thanks to the new regulations, part of the residents' income will remain in the region. It is estimated that this may mean additional revenues of PLN 450–500 million annually.
These funds are to be allocated, among others, to: on development of public transport – purchase of buses, trams, trolleybuses and trains – as well as the construction of new connections and modernization of road infrastructure.
Second attempt to create a metropolis
This is the second attempt to create a metropolis covering the Tricity and surrounding local governments. The first draft, prepared in 2020, got stuck in parliamentary work and was ultimately rejected.
Currently, the government is counting on the efficient conduct of the legislative process. As its representatives emphasize, this solution has wide support and responds to the real needs of the region's inhabitants.
The Gdańsk-Gdynia-Sopot Metropolitan Area, which brings together 61 local governments and approximately 1.6 million inhabitants, has been striving to create a metropolis for years. The initiative was established in 2011 on the initiative of Paweł Adamowicz.
According to the project's supporters, the new solutions will benefit not only large cities, but also smaller centers and rural areas, improving access to public services, education, health care and the labor market.
