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OFF THE SCALE – BIG-BOX STORES IN A SMALL TOWN

A. Wojtowicz-Wrobel

First published: 2017https://doi.org/10.5593/SGEMSOCIAL2017/HB51/S17.025View metrics

Abstract

The author of the paper discusses the subject of the importance of big-box stores in small towns in the second half of the XX century and the beginning of the XXI century. The goal of the paper is to point out whether – and if so, then in what manner – the placement of large area retail buildings influences the spatial structure of small towns. Particular focus was directed towards the changes that have occurred over the past 25 years (after the change of the socio-economic regime in Poland) and the retail buildings that have been built during this period, while the period of the second half of the XX century was used as a background for the purposes of comparison, in order to illustrate the scale of current changes. The scope of research includes small towns located within the Krakow Metropolitan Area, as these are locations which, apart from having their own processes of change, are under the influence of a large city. The study also includes those locations which are not municipalities (having lost their borough rights over the years), but still act as towns and have an urban spatial structure. Research was conducted on the scale of the development of large-format retail in townships. Afterwards, the results that had been obtained were compared with the qualities that determine the identity of small towns. Elements that were taken into account include the cultural qualities of towns (both measurable and non-measurable), environmental qualities of the surroundings of small towns (or within towns themselves – provided that they occurred), as well as the quality of their landscape. The influence that the construction of big-box stores that do not conform to the spatial structure of small towns that are located near Krakow with their scale, as well as on the identity and character of the place of those towns, in addition to the degree in which these changes distort the idea of sustainable development, has been discussed. The study can serve as comparative material for other metropolitan areas for the purposes of research on small towns, or on the modern changes of spatial structures.

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Publication details

Title
OFF THE SCALE – BIG-BOX STORES IN A SMALL TOWN
Authors
A. Wojtowicz-Wrobel
Proceedings
4th International Multidisciplinary Scientific Conference on Social Sciences and Arts SGEM2017, www.sgemvienna.org, SGEM2017 Conference Proceedings, ISBN 978-619-7105-96-4 / ISSN 2367-5659, March 28-31, Book5, Vol.1, 201-208 pp, DOI:10.5593/SGEMSOCIAL2017/
Publisher
STEF92 Technology
Year
2017
Pages
201-208
SWS Citekey
Wojtowicz-Wrobel201717201208
ISSN
2367-5659
ISBN
978-619-7105-96-4
Language
en
Publication type
Proceedings Paper
Keywords
big-box storessmall townmetropolitan areasustainable development
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