Publications Repository - Gdańsk University of Technology

Abstract. Housing stimulates the development of SMEs (small and medium enterprises) in the suburbs. The multidisciplinary research in fields of urban planning and economics, carried out by the Authors, confirms this trend. The purpose of this paper is to present the multidisciplinary results of the research on the determinants of SME localization in the suburban areas of Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot (the Metropolitan Area Gdansk–Gdynia-Sopot – MAGGS). Many of researchers attach great significance to the term of urban sprawl. Most authors agree that this phenomenon is multidimensional. It also varies in the global perspective. The conducted research showed that urban sprawl in Poland had a positive impact on the development of entrepreneurship, leading to a situation when the SME location quotient (LQ) in some suburban areas is higher, in comparison to the core city itself. The communities characterized by an LQ significantly higher than in the core city have been identified by Authors as ‘entrepreneurship nests’. To identify the research problem, a two-pronged research in the fields of urban and architectural design as well as economics was adopted. The charter of suburban landscape was determined by site analysis and through a study of the architectural form. The results confirmed that more than 80% of the parcels, which encompass economic activity, also exhibit a residential function. Our study confirms that urban sprawl, with its characteristic housing patterns, stimulates business activity in the suburbs. According to our results, this phenomenon is not only determined by financial factors, but also results from social and spatial reasons.

Authors

• dr hab. inż. arch. Justyna Martyniuk-Pęczek link open in new tab ,
• Grzegorz Peczek,
• Olga Martyniuk link open in new tab