There is the least amount of concrete here. These are the greenest cities in Poland

Are Polish cities really turning into concrete jungles? The analysis of Geoportal.gov.pl data conducted by GetHome.pl does not provide clear confirmation of this thesis. In most provincial cities, the area of ​​forests and land covered with trees and shrubs has changed little in the last year. However, there are also leaders of the green change.

– Green areas alleviate the effects of heat, help retain rainwater and improve the quality of life of residents. That is why cities are increasingly investing in parks, trees and the so-called blue-green infrastructure – says Marek Wielgo, expert of the GetHome.pl website.

Zielona Góra is still the leader. Katowice is right behind it

The GetHome.pl portal compared Geoportal.gov.pl data on the area of ​​forests and land covered with trees and shrubs in provincial cities. The top of the ranking remains similar to that observed in previous years.

The largest share of such areas is in Zielona Góra, where they occupy nearly 55%. city ​​area. Second place went to Katowice with 43%, and Bydgoszcz was third – 30%. The next ones are Toruń (27%), Olsztyn (23%) and Kielce (22%).

At the other end of the ranking were Rzeszów (3%), Gorzów Wielkopolski (5%) and Kraków (6%).

However, Zielona Góra’s result requires additional context. The city has an exceptionally large administrative area, which affects the structure of its land.

– As a result of the inclusion of the surrounding rural areas in 2015, Zielona Góra increased its administrative area almost five times. As a result, the area of ​​agricultural land is one and a half times larger than that of urbanized areas, and forest, wooded and bushy areas are three times larger than that of urbanized areas, explains Marek Wielgo.

Katowice is also an interesting case. The city is associated primarily with industry and has a very large share of green areas. Forests and land covered with trees and shrubs cover approximately 43%. its area, while industrial areas account for less than 8%.

Wrocław and Poznań have significantly increased their green area

A comparison of data from 2020 and 2026 shows that in some cities the changes were much more visible. The greatest increase in green areas was recorded in Wrocław. Their area increased from 1,578 to 2,383 ha, i.e. by 805 ha. During this time, the city’s administrative boundaries have not changed – its area is still 29,280 ha.

Poznań takes second place in terms of growth. In the capital of Greater Poland, the area of ​​the analyzed areas increased from 3,571 to 4,083 ha, i.e. by 512 ha. This means an increase of almost 14%. Also in this case, it was not the result of expanding the city limits, the area of ​​which remains at 26,182 ha.

More green spaces have also appeared in several other cities:

• 201 ha were added in Krakow,

• in Szczecin – 32 ha,

• in Warsaw – 10 ha,

• in Opole – 10 ha.

– Poznań is especially noteworthy. For several years, the city has been consistently increasing the share of greenery in public space – new squares and small parks are being built, streets are being uncobbled and trees are being planted. It is impossible to clearly state to what extent these activities translated into registration data, but the scale of changes visible in the Geoportal is clear – says an expert from the GetHome.pl portal.

There are fewer green areas in five cities

Not all provincial cities can boast of an increase in the area of ​​forests and land covered with trees and shrubs. The largest decrease in the analyzed period was recorded in Zielona Góra – by 189 ha. In Bydgoszcz it was 59 ha, in Toruń 52 ha, in Gdańsk 35 ha, and in Katowice 20 ha.

However, these data should not be automatically identified with the actual disappearance of greenery from urban space. Geoportal.gov.pl data comes from the land register, and changes in their area may also result from updating the records or reclassifying specific plots.

– However, this does not automatically mean that cities pursued a policy of limiting greenery. Since Geoportal.gov.pl data comes from the land register, changes may result not only from actual land transformations, but also from updating the records or changing the classification of individual land. Especially since both Zielona Góra and Katowice remain clear leaders in the ranking of the greenest cities in Poland – notes Wielgo.

Therefore, as he emphasizes, individual changes should not be treated as a complete picture of urban greenery policy. The ranking shows primarily the area of ​​specific categories of land included in the register.

The green area itself does not tell the whole story

GetHome.pl experts emphasize that the presented list does not cover all biologically active areas in cities. The statistics do not include, among others: many small green areas, home gardens, trees growing between buildings and meadows.

– Raw data from the land register do not show the entire amount of greenery in cities. They do not take into account many smaller forms of greenery, such as home gardens, trees between blocks of flats or meadows. In fact, the share of biologically active areas is much larger than it would result solely from data on forests and land covered with trees and shrubs – emphasizes the GetHome.pl expert.

What matters is not only the area of ​​green areas, but also their location. A city can have a relatively small share of forests and wooded land, and at the same time provide its residents with good access to parks, squares and recreational areas.

The GetHome.pl portal expert points out that the importance of greenery will increase with the intensification of extreme weather phenomena.

– One thing is certain. As heatwaves and violent downpours become more frequent, each new tree, park or urban forest becomes more important. They are an element of infrastructure as necessary as a road, tram line or retention reservoir. More and more local governments seem to notice this, says Wielgo.

Greenery also has an economic dimension. Its presence may influence the attractiveness of residential locations and the interest of buyers.

– Apartments located near parks, forests or large recreational areas are more popular with buyers. Today, the proximity to greenery is one of the most frequently mentioned advantages of the location, especially in the largest cities – adds Marek Wielgo.