Jasne i ciemne strony miasta. Społeczno-ekonomiczna dywersyfikacja przestrzeni Gliwic

Abstract

City as a metaphor could be described as a living organism. It consists of many tissues with completely different functions. Cities are the sites of complex of social, cultural, political and economic spaces and forma. There are no cities with homogenous spatial structure. Distinct districts arise in the different parts of the city. Such process takes place in accordance with different spheres of life. Dwellings and users of the city perceive sectors in different ways giving them special meanings. Cities are the sites of complex global interconnections producing a multiplicity of social, cultural, political and economic spaces and forms. Over half of the world population now lives in cities and this proportion is predicted to grow significantly in coming years. We may call contemporary world as Globalopolis. The paper discusses distinct spaces and functions of different parts of the city of Gliwice. The author tries to point out multiplicity of spaces in the city. Gliwice is typical transforming city as many other in Poland during the period of economic and social transformation, which is also influented by processes of globalization. We may distinguish „good” and „bad” spaces in this transforming city.