Abstract

he aim of this paper is to analyse the annual and long-term variability in the occurrence of these clouds in the Silesian Upland (on the example of Katowice) as well as to indicate its causes related to atmospheric circulation. The source material comes from the IMGW-PIB. The paper uses data on mid-level cloud cover in Katowice in the years 1971-2020. Altocumulus lenticularis (Ac len) clouds, coded C_M = 4, were analysed for eight time points a day (every 3 hours) during the study period. The study also used data on air masses, weather fronts, and types of atmospheric circulation based on the Calendar of atmospheric circulation types for southern Poland compiled by Niedźwiedź (2024). Most occurrences of Ac len were observed in autumn, and least in summer. The highest average number of days and number of cases of Ac len were recorded in October and November, while the lowest in April. In terms of the diurnal distribution, these clouds occurred most frequently between 6:00 and 15:00 UTC. Based on a 50-year dataset, a statistically significant decreasing trends for both number of cases and number of days were found for this type of cloud cover (-2.7 days per 10 years). The maximum number of occurrences was found in 1975, and the minimum in 2016. The highest conditional probability of occurrence of a lenticular cloud in Upper Silesia was found for advection of air masses from the south and southwest in cyclonic pressure systems (>25%) and for advection of a warm polar maritime air mass over southern Poland (20%)

Keywords: cloudiness, Altocumulus lenticularis, atmospheric circulation, Silesian Upland

Patryk Sikora [patryk.sikora@o365.us.edu.pl], University of Silesia in Katowice, Faculty of Natural Sciences
Małgorzata Falarz [malgorzata.falarz@us.edu.pl], University of Silesia in Katowice, Faculty of Natural Sciences

Citation

APA: Sikora, P., & Falarz, M. (2025). Long-term variability of Altocumulus lenticularis clouds in Katowice and atmospheric circulation conditions. Przegląd Geograficzny, 97(2), 149-163. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2025.2.2
MLA: Sikora, Patryk, and Falarz, Małgorzata. "Long-term variability of Altocumulus lenticularis clouds in Katowice and atmospheric circulation conditions". Przegląd Geograficzny, vol. 97, no. 2, 2025, pp. 149-163. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2025.2.2
Chicago: Sikora, Patryk, and Falarz, Małgorzata. "Long-term variability of Altocumulus lenticularis clouds in Katowice and atmospheric circulation conditions". Przegląd Geograficzny 97, no. 2 (2025): 149-163. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2025.2.2
Harvard: Sikora, P., & Falarz, M. 2025. "Long-term variability of Altocumulus lenticularis clouds in Katowice and atmospheric circulation conditions". Przegląd Geograficzny, vol. 97, no. 2, pp. 149-163. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2025.2.2

Abstract

Small towns witness a variety of phenomena and processes that pose challenges to their contemporary and future development. Among these are growing expenditure on social welfare, labour-market problems, the transition out of conventional energy sources in the face of simultaneously increased demand, a shortage of drinkable water, and extreme weather phenomena. Focusing on these problems, the authors took on the task of identifying the relevant perceptions and expectations of authorities in Poland’s small towns.

As the main aim was to indicate the relationship between recognised types of such small towns and the manner in which authorities perceive ongoing processes, the authors developed a survey including 26 trends grouped as social, economic or environmental, which was sent out to representatives of the authorities of selected small towns. The rate of return of the survey in the base year totalled 32% of all the small towns targeted. Analysis of the findings progressed via two steps, with the authors first examining the survey results within each trend/process category. Subsequently, towns were categorised in relation to the selected criteria of economic structure, location, and position in the administrative hierarchy. With such a procedure, it was possible to identify differences of opinion among town authorities that could be related to characteristics of the centres they represented; as well as trends representing the most important development challenges in each category of town across a time horizon extending to 2040.

Examination of the results on social trends specifically reveals that representatives of the authorities in small towns foresee negative demographic phenomena in their settlement units, such as the outflow of young inhabitants and a general decline in population. They assess this phenomenon unfavourably, as they believe it denotes increased welfare expenditure and, consequently, cuts in spending in other areas. When it comes to the economic trends, the majority of local town officials share a belief that their towns’ technical infrastructure is going to improve, with this being beneficial to development in general. Relatively consensually, respondents likewise foresee and view as beneficial an improvement in the purity of the natural environment in their settlement units. The process of expansion of green areas received a similar assessment. However, such a change is no longer expected by respondents in such great numbers. The following phase, an analysis of findings by (structural, hierarchical and location-related) categories of town revealed certain significant differences in survey responses. Respondents from towns of specialised structure are less likely to mention a forecast population loss in their centre, and more likely to anticipate increased demand for energy output. A difference in population forecasts is also evident between representatives of the authorities of peripheral cities and those with good transport accessibility. More-peripheral centres are expecting a population decline. A similar pattern occurs amongst towns categorised in line with administrative criteria. Concluding, the research conducted on development trends in relation to a time horizon of 2040 yields findings stated quite commonly in the subject literature.

The classification of small towns in line with the three criteria of economic structure, location and position in the hierarchy points to societal trends (including issues relating to demographic processes) being associated with the most-divergent attitudes and assessments among respondents. The findings thus confirmed greater optimism relating to the forecast occurrence of trends, and the assessments of their impacts, when those involved represent centres generally characterised by a higher level of socioeconomic development (i.e. of specialised economic structure, featuring good transport accessibility, and enjoying a supra-local status).

Keywords: small towns, development challenges, local government, local development

Jerzy Bański [jbanski@twarda.pan.pl], Instytut Geografii i Przestrzennego Zagospodarowania im. S. Leszczyckiego PAN
Damian Mazurek [d.mazurek@twarda.pan.pl], Instytut Geografii i Przestrzennego Zagospodarowania im. S. Leszczyckiego PAN
Anna Grzelak [a.grzelak@twarda.pan.pl], Instytut Geografii i Przestrzennego Zagospodarowania im. S. Leszczyckiego PAN

Citation

APA: Bański, J., Mazurek, D., & Grzelak, A. (2025). Trendy rozwojowe małych miast w opinii przedstawicieli władz lokalnych. Przegląd Geograficzny, 97(2), 165-186. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2025.2.3
MLA: Bański, Jerzy, et al. "Trendy rozwojowe małych miast w opinii przedstawicieli władz lokalnych". Przegląd Geograficzny, vol. 97, no. 2, 2025, pp. 165-186. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2025.2.3
Chicago: Bański, Jerzy, Mazurek, Damian, and Grzelak, Anna. "Trendy rozwojowe małych miast w opinii przedstawicieli władz lokalnych". Przegląd Geograficzny 97, no. 2 (2025): 165-186. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2025.2.3
Harvard: Bański, J., Mazurek, D., & Grzelak, A. 2025. "Trendy rozwojowe małych miast w opinii przedstawicieli władz lokalnych". Przegląd Geograficzny, vol. 97, no. 2, pp. 165-186. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2025.2.3

Abstract

The primary goal of the work detailed in this article has been to articulate the theoretical frameworks of financial geography, as an essential branch of economic geography dedicated to the understanding of the spatial dimensions to financial systems and processes. Financial geography explores the spatial configurations of financial activities (including capital flows), the operation of financial markets, and the strategic significance of financial centres. By way of a far‑reaching review or the relevant literature, this article seeks to consolidate, and engage in the critical examination of, the various theoretical approaches now seen to be central to the field in question.

The core theoretical perspectives structuring the relevant discussion are seen to be financialisation, global financial networks (GFN), financial chains, and global financial centres. Each related theory offers distinctive insights, and emphasises the varying scales of analysis.

Financialisation, as the first significant theoretical approach discussed, addresses the increasing role of financial markets and actors in shaping broader economic and social structures (Węgrzyn, 2024). It examines how financial logic and priorities have penetrated various sectors, influencing housing markets, corporate behaviour, and government policies. Financialisation highlights uneven spatial impacts, such as urban displacement and intensified regional disparities. For instance, the role of mortgage‑backed securities in the subprime crisis vividly illustrates how local housing markets in the United States became entangled with global financial flows, generating severe regional consequences.

Global financial networks (GFN) constitute another critical theoretical perspective, with the emphasis here on the complex connectivity among global financial centres and market actors. Rather than viewing financial centres in isolation, the GFN perspective underscores their interconnectedness through financial and informational flows. Financial networks enable scholars to map the hierarchy of global cities and highlight shifting geographies of financial power. London’s post‑Brexit repositioning within Europe’s financial networks illustrates how changes in regulatory and institutional landscapes reshape global financial connectivity, influencing the distribution of economic power among major cities (Iliopoulos et al., 2024).

The concept of financial chains provides further analytical clarity by mapping the specific sequences of financial interactions connecting diverse geographical locations and entities, from individual households through to multinational banks (Sokol, 2017). This approach allows researchers to trace the ways in which value, risks and costs circulate across geographical and institutional boundaries, often illuminating profound inequalities embedded in these financial flows. Studies examining the European debt crisis, particularly as it impacts southern European economies and northern European financial institutions, serve to exemplify the utility of this analytical framework in revealing the spatial dynamics of financial risks and their political‑economic implications.

Global financial‑centres theory focuses explicitly on prominent nodes in the global financial landscape, such as New York, London, Frankfurt, and Hong Kong. This framework investigates the conditions and factors determining a city’s ascendancy as a financial centre, including regulatory environments, historical and institutional contexts, and connectivity infrastructures (Sassen, 2001). It also addresses challenges faced by financial centres, such as political instability or shifts in regulatory frameworks – with these seen to influence their international competitiveness and attractiveness from the point of view of global financial actors.

This study’s supplementary bibliometric analysis reveals that it is financialisation and financial centres that have attracted the most‑significant scholarly attention, while global financial networks and (in particular) financial chains represent newer approaches only so far explored to a more‑limited extent.

The review identifies a notable research gap, highlighting the lack of comprehensive theoretical treatments integrating the varied aforementioned perspectives on financial geography. An addressing of this gap is thus essential to any fostering of deeper understanding as to how spatial factors influence financial dynamics at different scales, and how the processes in question may reshape spatial structures at global, national, urban and local levels.

Our theoretical synthesis presented here can thus be seen as underscoring the importance of the multiple analytical scales being integrated, so as to offer a full grasp of the complexities that contemporary financial processes manifest. Collectively, the theoretical frameworks reviewed can be viewed as providing robust analytical lenses through which to understand the spatiality of finance, with facilitation also offered when it comes to further research into such emerging financial phenomena as green finance, fintech, and shifting global economic power structures.

Keywords: financial geography, financial chains, financialisation, global financial centers, global financial network

Paweł Węgrzyn [pwegrz@sgh.waw.pl], Szkoła Główna Handlowa, Katedra Geografii Ekonomicznej

Citation

APA: Węgrzyn, P. (2025). Od finansjalizacji do globalnych sieci finansowych – teoretyczne podstawy geografii finansów. Przegląd Geograficzny, 97(2), 187-208. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2025.2.4
MLA: Węgrzyn, Paweł. "Od finansjalizacji do globalnych sieci finansowych – teoretyczne podstawy geografii finansów". Przegląd Geograficzny, vol. 97, no. 2, 2025, pp. 187-208. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2025.2.4
Chicago: Węgrzyn, Paweł. "Od finansjalizacji do globalnych sieci finansowych – teoretyczne podstawy geografii finansów". Przegląd Geograficzny 97, no. 2 (2025): 187-208. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2025.2.4
Harvard: Węgrzyn, P. 2025. "Od finansjalizacji do globalnych sieci finansowych – teoretyczne podstawy geografii finansów". Przegląd Geograficzny, vol. 97, no. 2, pp. 187-208. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2025.2.4

Abstract

This article examines the frequency with which older adults in Poland (aged 60 and over) use medical, cultural, and entertainment services, primarily in relation to their place of residence (functional type of local-authority area/municipality) and level of education. This age group is particularly vulnerable to social exclusion in terms of service accessibility, especially in rural areas, due to significant changes on the transport-services market (Ciechański, 2023), as well as age-related declines in ability to use private transport. The article also evaluates the organisational aspects of accessibility (accommodation; cf. Penchansky & Thomas, 1981) to medical services, and investigates the impact of the pandemic on accessibility to the analysed categories of services, which are medical, cultural, recreational and sports-related.

The frequency with which different types of services are used is found to relate to two main factors: their spatial availability and the needs of residents. Our research has shown that, in the 12 months prior to the survey, around 10% of respondents had not visited their general practitioner at all. Comparable studies conducted across different countries have revealed varying results. For example, the proportions of older adults not visiting a doctor in the previous six months proved to be 1% in Japan, 14% in Germany, 31% in Canada, 33% in the United Kingdom and 40% in the United States (Pilger, 2013). The frequency of use of medical services is also influenced by the functional type of municipality in which people reside. In general, residents of core municipalities access medical services more frequently than those living in peripheral areas (see Bowling et al., 1991). However, the degree of service centralisation moderates this pattern, as: the lower the level of centralisation, the more limited the variation in service utilisation between different functional types of municipality. Thus, functional and spatial structures shape service accessibility, though this effect is more significant for certain services, such as specialist medical or cultural services, than for others, such as pharmacies or general practitioners.

The medical services used by seniors are most often located within their municipality of residence (for basic medical services, e.g. general practitioners), or in another municipality within their county (for specialised medical services). Research in Sweden has shown that people’s frequency of utilisation of medical services is influenced, not only by transport (public and private) and the location of healthcare facilities, but also by the development of e-health services (Blusi et al., 2016). E-health solutions can increase the sustainability and accessibility of healthcare for patients and caregivers, and may reduce social exclusion, particularly among individuals with limited mobility (Keating, 2008; Manzoor & Vimarlund, 2017). However, in Poland, barriers remain, due to limited digital skills and Internet access among older people, particularly in rural areas (Kujawski, 2018; Czarnecka et al., 2023); as well as the slow implementation of e-services by healthcare providers. A study of 11,000 medical facilities revealed that almost 60% had not implemented basic e-services such as online appointment booking or access to lab results (Stawnicka, 2025).

Frequency of service use also varies in line with people’s ages and levels of education. Overall, utilisation tends to be lower at greater age. However, this does not apply to medical services, where visits to general practitioners, other doctors, and dentists/prosthodontists tend to increase in frequency with age. This pattern is consistent with the findings of other studies (e.g. Parslow et al., 2004; Pilger, 2013). Service use also correlates positively with educational level, in that the higher the level of education, the more frequently individuals engage with the various services analysed.

Poland’s over-60s rarely use cultural services, though this is more common among those living in urban centres and their surrounding areas. This is unsurprising, given the greater availability of cultural offerings in the latter areas. In contrast, recreational and sports services are only used with extreme rarity by the elderly. The most commonly cited reasons for non-participation in these two categories of service include health-related limitations, a perceived lack of need, and the lack of such services within the municipality of residence. Participation in cultural, recreational and sports activities is known to be influenced by a variety of demographic, cultural, economic and personal factors (Hillerås et al., 2001; Banerjee & Duflo, 2007; Panriansaen et al., 2024). Empirical studies have demonstrated a positive correlation between participation in sports and recreational activities, and overall life satisfaction (Lee & Hung, 2011).

Respondents offered surprisingly positive assessments of the organisational dimension to access to medical services (i.e. accommodation; cf. Penchansky & Thomas, 1981). Thus respondents were relatively positive about the organisational aspect of access to medical services (thus displaying accommodation). The highest ratings were given to pharmacies (likely due to their commercial approach), as well as to medical services like laboratory testing used only relatively infrequently. By contrast, the lowest ratings were those assigned to the accessibility of primary-care physicians other than general practitioners. Medical services are essential at all stages of life, though the frequency and type of services used vary with age. As the study indicates, frequency of use increases with advancing age. This trend poses a significant challenge to authorities at all administrative levels, which are to ensure adequate access to medical services amid rapid demographic changes, particularly population ageing. Of particular concern is the growing proportion of people aged 85 and over (a phenomenon referred to as ‘double ageing’), alongside rising average life expectancy.

Keywords: accessibility of services, perception of accessibility, seniors, social exclusion, Poland

Rafał Wiśniewski [rafwis@twarda.pan.pl], Instytut Geografii i Przestrzennego Zagospodarowania im. S. Leszczyckiego PAN

Citation

APA: Wiśniewski, R. (2025). Aktywność seniorów w zakresie korzystania z usług medycznych, kulturalnych i rekreacyjno-sportowych. Przegląd Geograficzny, 97(2), 209-226. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2025.2.5
MLA: Wiśniewski, Rafał. "Aktywność seniorów w zakresie korzystania z usług medycznych, kulturalnych i rekreacyjno-sportowych". Przegląd Geograficzny, vol. 97, no. 2, 2025, pp. 209-226. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2025.2.5
Chicago: Wiśniewski, Rafał. "Aktywność seniorów w zakresie korzystania z usług medycznych, kulturalnych i rekreacyjno-sportowych". Przegląd Geograficzny 97, no. 2 (2025): 209-226. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2025.2.5
Harvard: Wiśniewski, R. 2025. "Aktywność seniorów w zakresie korzystania z usług medycznych, kulturalnych i rekreacyjno-sportowych". Przegląd Geograficzny, vol. 97, no. 2, pp. 209-226. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2025.2.5

Abstract

Stale powiększająca się polska literatura geograficzno-polityczna, nadal uboga jest w opracowania traktujące o granicach państwa, w szczególności zaś omawiające samo funkcjonowanie granic jako bariery, sposoby jej oznakowania oraz formy ochrony i obrony. Zaledwie kilka pozycji historycznych omawiało dzieje formacji granicznych, szczegółowiej traktując działalność Korpus Ochrony Pogranicza (KOP) na wschodnich granicach międzywojennej Polski.

Należy zatem z uwagą odnotować ukazanie się książki Bogusława A. Tomaszewskiego, badacza polskich formacji granicznych i oznakowania granic, związanego ze Stowarzyszeniem Weteranów Polskich Formacji Granicznych, która jest bardzo obszerną, nadzwyczaj szczegółową monografią, bogato ilustrowaną archiwalnymi zdjęciami, mapami fragmentów granic, schematami ich podziału na sekcje, rysunkami technicznymi prezentującymi zróżnicowane oznakowanie granic, w odniesieniu do wszystkich granic Polski międzywojennej.

Książka jest wyjątkowo starannie opracowana edytorsko, a prezentacji kilkuset ilustracji, w tym licznych barwnych, sprzyja jej niestandardowy format 4° (in quarto). Monografia powstała w oparciu o archiwalne kwerendy dokumentacji wytworzonej przez formacje straży granicznej i inne instytucje państwowe, uzupełnione poprzez drobiazgowe wieloletnie studia terenowe prowadzone przez Autora wzdłuż, niekiedy już reliktowej, a niekiedy nadal funkcjonującej, granicy Polski z sąsiednimi państwami.

…

Marek Sobczyński [marek.sobczynski@geo.uni.lodz.pl], Uniwersytet Łódzki, Wydział Nauk Geograficznych

Citation

APA: Sobczyński, M. (2025). Bogusław A. Tomaszewski – Od Piaśnicy po Dniestr. Przebieg i oznakowanie granic II Rzeczypospolitej. Przegląd Geograficzny, 97(2), 227-233. https://doi.org/
MLA: Sobczyński, Marek. "Bogusław A. Tomaszewski – Od Piaśnicy po Dniestr. Przebieg i oznakowanie granic II Rzeczypospolitej". Przegląd Geograficzny, vol. 97, no. 2, 2025, pp. 227-233. https://doi.org/
Chicago: Sobczyński, Marek. "Bogusław A. Tomaszewski – Od Piaśnicy po Dniestr. Przebieg i oznakowanie granic II Rzeczypospolitej". Przegląd Geograficzny 97, no. 2 (2025): 227-233. https://doi.org/
Harvard: Sobczyński, M. 2025. "Bogusław A. Tomaszewski – Od Piaśnicy po Dniestr. Przebieg i oznakowanie granic II Rzeczypospolitej". Przegląd Geograficzny, vol. 97, no. 2, pp. 227-233. https://doi.org/