Changes in the spatial structure of a large Polish city – The case of Poznań

The aim of the article is to identify changes in the contemporary spatial structure of a large Polish city and to answer the question of whether this post-socialist city tends to develop urban sprawl or a higher density intra-urban structure. The article consists of four parts. The introduction presents opinions of American and European scholars (including those from Central and Eastern Europe) on questions of urban structure in terms of development of suburban vs. intra-urban areas. In the second part the author discusses selected factors of special importance for the spatial structure of the Polish city: the distant past and the recent socialist regime. There are also theoretical reflections on current changes in the spatial structure of the post-socialist city and their mechanism. The third part presents the results of an analysis of changes that have been taking place in one of the biggest Polish towns – Poznań. The fourth is a conclusion providing an answer to the question of the tendency of change in the spatial structure of Poznań as an example of a post-socialist city.