Urban Features in Rural Landscape: A Case Study of the Municipality of Skawina

Events associated with growing suburbanisation and transport infrastructure lead to changes in the use of rural land reaching further and further from the central city. The present research focuses on the impact of the location of the municipality of Skawina and the functioning of its rural areas in the impact zone of Kraków. The first step to determine the transformations in the municipality of Skawina caused by the growth of Kraków and its suburban zone was to investigate the internal conditions in the municipality, such as its spatial development or functional structure, and external conditions such as its demographic transformations. Next, the development of the settlement structure in recent years and land management changes were investigated. The paper focuses on the introduction of typical urban features and functions into rural areas to identify the transformations and their dynamics. The status of the space was diagnosed by interpreting the map documentation for the administrative boundaries of the municipality of Skawina, regarding the presentation of the spatial development in 2006 and in 2014 to 2016, by verifying the existing planning documentation, and by visiting the site. The conclusions can be the basis for guidelines to protect the traditional rural and cultural landscape near Kraków.