The Grammar of the Forest
Administrative Boundaries
The Upper Silesian Agglomeration is an autonomous administrative territory and polycentric conurbation of fourteen cities in Southern Poland, formally joined as a union in 2007. The cities included in the conurbation are Katowice, Gliwice, Zabrze, Bytom, Piekary Śląskie, Świętochłowice, Chorzów, Ruda Śląska, Siemianowice, Mysłowice, Sosnowiec, Dąbrowa Górnicza, Jaworzno, and Tychy, with a population over over two million people. Each city has a unique identity and defining history which is identifiable for those who are familiar with the area. Katowice, the arts and cultural district; Gliwice, the technology hub. The main push for formal agglomeration has been driven by the desire of local governments to become a regionally and internationally competitive center for commerce and industry. While agglomeration has recently begun to impact some of the economic strategies for the region, including special economic zones which traverse more than one municipality, the agglomeration’s governing body still lacks experience in managing assets shared across a variety of administrative boundaries.
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