The central functions in the set of small towns and larger settlements in Poland = Funkcje centralne w zbiorze małych miast i większych osiedli wiejskich w Polsce

Abstract.

The elaboration concerns the central functions within the set of all settlement units in Poland which have population of 1-10 thousand people (about 3000 places). The set containing units of above category includes all 'mediate zone' settlements, which are located in the scale of rural-town continuum between villages not being urbanised and generally well formed town centres. There were realised three essential questions: 1) methodological, that among other consists in the presentation of new centrality index (formulas 1 and 2); 2) cognitive, including the statistical characteristic of rural-town continuum (which has been considered in the respect of centrality level) and the identification of more significant factors shaping central functions within the investigated set of settlements; 3) theoretical, realised by the attempt of finding regularities (which could result from the theory) in the distribution of central places in Poland.

The analysis of central functions in the set of small towns and larger rural settlements in Poland has allowed to formulate several conclusions referring the nature of these functions and the distribution of central places.

1. The level of centrality mostly depends on the formal-legal status and administrative rank of settlements. The influence of this factor is very strong and positive, what means, that usually those towns form specified urbanisation features in best way, while the villages having status of community centres make it more feebly and other rural settlements - most slender. This dependence can be also considered from two sides and this means the centrality is the factor stimulating the nature of settlements.

2. The second factor that stimulates central functions is the size of a settlement. So the conclusion that the bigger is settlement, the probability of formation of town functions (i.e. functions of public services) is higher, seems to be well-founded. In a way, the quantity changes to quality.

3. The economic factors have a decisive influence on the distribution of settlements which have performed central functions in the geographical space. This proves that universal regularities, which have been formulated in the Christaller's theory, still function, despite the fact that the system of public services for a long time has been acting in the conditions of centrally steered economy.

4. The central functions display weak dependence on the historical factor. The history (the location in the particular parts of partitioned Poland) has influenced only the rural settlements. No dependence was revealed in small towns. It confirms that - irrespectively of political conditions - universal regularities still exist. They are of economic character and rule the rank and the distribution of central places.

5. The situation of a settlement in relation to a voivodeship capitol, within succeeding zones of its functional influence, was verified as the second spatially formulated factor, that forms functions of services. The influence of a regional metropolis on settlements located within its influence zone is as a rule very weak, and in the case of smallest voivodeship centres - imperceptible at all. A big town on a whole negatively influences central functions in the neighbourhood, being often too strong centre in competition with settlements situated within its zone of indirect influence. This phenomenon is called 'the shadow of big town'.

6. The feeble statistical dependency between centrality and the dynamics of population change allows the statement, that during after-war period the central functions have not played significant role as a settlement-forming factor, because they were not able to 'generate' new jobs and apartments that would be adequate to the level of attractiveness which have responded for the level of population services.

7. The central functions strongly differentiate the particular categories of settlement, causing the creation of deviations of settlement dychotomy. Thus they influence the formation of rural-town continuum.