A very large area comprising 27 municipalities located within as many as 6 districts of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, located in the southern part of this province near the border with the Czech Republic.
Wałbrzych FUA in numbers:
| Population: | 415 377 |
| Number of municipalities (gminy): | 27 |
| Area (square kilometers): | 2168 |
| Number of localites: | 287 |
The area is undergoing an economic transformation (an old coal basin) and now the industrial function (numerous foreign investments, mainly in automotive industry factories) is supplemented by a tourist function. In addition, the northern part of the area also presenting high agricultural value (very good soil of the Sudety foreground).
Documents and strategies in place:
- Development Strategy of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship 2030
- Spatial development plan of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship
- Sustainable development plan for public transport for the Lower Silesian Voivodeship
- Development Strategy of the Wałbrzych Agglomeration with an outlook to 2030
The future SUMP will have to be consistent with the aforementioned documents.
Main stakeholders:
| Local Authorities and Local government units implementing a joint supra-local strategy | The Wałbrzych Agglomeration operates within the framework of the functioning of the Wałbrzych Agglomeration ITI Association managed by the Intermediate Body of the Wałbrzych Agglomeration (IPAW), which is a budgetary unit of the Wałbrzych Municipality established for the implementation of ITI, which has been operating since 2017 (systematically expanding its range). Municipalities Associated within the Wałbrzych Agglomeration: 1) The city with the rights of the Wałbrzych district – the Wałbrzych Commune, 2) Municipality of Boguszów-Gorce (urban) 3) Czarny Bór Commune (rural) 4) Municipality of Dobromierz (rural) 5) Głuszyca Commune (urban-rural) 6) Municipality of Jawor (urban) 7) Municipality of Jaworzyna Śląska (urban-rural) 8) Municipality of Jedlina-Zdrój (urban) 9) Municipality of Kamienna Góra (urban) 10) Municipality of Kamienna Góra (rural) 11) Municipality of Lubawka (urban-rural) 12) Municipality of Marcinowice (rural) 13) Municipality of Mieroszów (urban-rural) 14) Municipality of Mściwojów (rural) 15) Nowa Ruda Municipality (municipal) 16) Municipality of Nowa Ruda (rural) 17) Municipality of Paszowice (rural) 18) Commune of Radków (urban-rural) 19) Municipality of Stare Bogaczowice (rural) 20) Municipality of Strzegom (urban-rural) 21) Szczawno-Zdrój Health Resort Municipality (urban) 22) Municipality of Świdnica (urban) 23) Municipality of Świdnica (rural) 24) Świebodzice Municipality (urban) 25) Municipality of Walim (urban) 26) Wądroże Wielkie Commune (rural) 27) Municipality of Żarów (urban-rural) |
| Road or railway managing authorities | General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA) Lower Silesian Roads and Railways Service in Wrocław District Road Authorities Roads, Communication and City Maintenance Authority in Wałbrzych PKP Polish Railway Lines S.A. Municipalities of FUA |
| NGOs | Local Tourist Organization of the Wałbrzych Agglomeration Clean Wałbrzych Association Association of Wałbrzych Region Cyclists Association of Taxi Drivers “Mini Taxi” Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society, Wałbrzych Region Branch (PTTK) Association of Economic Initiatives in Wałbrzych Sudeten Branch of the Association of Engineers and Technicians of Transportation in Wałbrzych |
| Educational institutions | Angelus Silesius State Higher Vocational School in Wałbrzych, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Technology and Engineering in Wałbrzych, University of Management and Entrepreneurship in Wałbrzych, University of Social Sciences in Łódź, Branch in Świdnica, University of Technology and Economics in Świdnica. |
| Business and institutions | Representatives of local companies and institutions |
| Residents – community leaders | Representatives of residents |
Characteristics of the Transport System:
- The area is characterised by a strong industrial function and a large scale of commuting.
- Rail transport – one main line Wrocław – Jelenia Góra and several local lines.
- Several public transport systems and a dozen or so uncoordinated companies providing transport services in the field of collective passenger transport
Needs of the Functional Area:
- The need to integrate different carriers (timetables, coordination, common tariffs).
- Implementation of a parking policy.
- Construction and connection of existing bicycle paths into a coherent network.
- Increasing the accessibility of peripheral towns.
Institutional capacity assessment:
- The Intermediate Body of the Wałbrzych Agglomeration is a large entity with many years of experience in the preparation of strategic and design documents. The cooperation of the municipalities involved is good, and the fact that the Association is expanding to include more municipalities, resulting from a greater success in obtaining funds and implementing projects by IPAW than the neighbouring Intermediate Bodies, confirms its high institutional potential. The city of Wałbrzych – once an exemplary problem city – is becoming an important economic centre of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship with growing economic, social and institutional potential.
Interesting facts:
- Wałbrzych, thanks to its location among forests and mountains, is one of the greenest cities in Poland. There are as many as 7 city parks within the city.