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The Land Use of Decommissioned Coal Mines Areas in the Upper Silesian Agglomeration (Poland)

Open Access
|Aug 2022

Figures & Tables

Figure 1.

Silesian Coal Basin located in Silesian Voivodeship. Source: author study
Silesian Coal Basin located in Silesian Voivodeship. Source: author study

Figure 2

Post-industrial areas of decommissioned mining plants in the Upper Silesian Agglomeration. Source: author study
Post-industrial areas of decommissioned mining plants in the Upper Silesian Agglomeration. Source: author study

Figure 3

Post-industrial areas of decommissioned mining plants in the Upper Silesian Agglomeration. Source: author study
Post-industrial areas of decommissioned mining plants in the Upper Silesian Agglomeration. Source: author study

Figure 4.

Example of undeveloped areas. Source: author’s photo, November 2020 – January 2021
A – wasteland areas (post-industrial areas of ‘Jan Kanty’ Coal Mine),
B – wooded areas, forest areas (post-industrial areas of ‘Kleofas’ Coal Mine),
C – brownfield wasteland areas (post-industrial areas of ‘Szombierki’ Coal Mine),
D – abandoned areas (post-industrial areas of ‘Paryż’ Coal Mine).
Example of undeveloped areas. Source: author’s photo, November 2020 – January 2021 A – wasteland areas (post-industrial areas of ‘Jan Kanty’ Coal Mine), B – wooded areas, forest areas (post-industrial areas of ‘Kleofas’ Coal Mine), C – brownfield wasteland areas (post-industrial areas of ‘Szombierki’ Coal Mine), D – abandoned areas (post-industrial areas of ‘Paryż’ Coal Mine).

Figure 5.

Use of decommissioned coal mines’ post-industrial areas in the Upper Silesian Agglomeration – developed and undeveloped areas. Source: author study
Use of decommissioned coal mines’ post-industrial areas in the Upper Silesian Agglomeration – developed and undeveloped areas. Source: author study

Classification of the land use of coal mines’ post-industrial areas in the Upper Silesian Agglomeration

Land useDescription
mining areaAreas used as coal mines or areas used to protect them.
UNDEVELOPED AREASabandoned areasLand which was left unsecured by the owners and continued to be unused, gradually devastated and degraded. Consequently, these areas may have a negative and hazardous impact on the surroundings.
brownfield wastelandAreas where reclamation has not been properly carried out (or has not been completed) and areas where elements of construction facilities and technical infrastructure have been left (e.g. in the form of rubble). These sites may be highly contaminated or pose a high environmental risk.
wastelandAreas where the land has been cleaned up and the proper reclamation is carried out. Additionally, as a result of natural succession, weathering, leaching and sedimentation, the expansion of nature takes place.
wooded areas, forest areas
investment areasAreas where proper reclamation has been carried out, the site has been cleaned up, and the technical infrastructure has been prepared for a potential investment (e.g. post-industrial areas of the ‘Bogucice’ Shaft and the Katowice Special Economic Zone in the area of the ‘Powstańców Śląskich’ Coal Mine). They also include areas where construction works related to the new form of use will be carried out (e.g. the Climbing and Strength Sports Center in Bytom).
industrial areasLand used for industrial buildings and manufacturing services, logistics, wholesale trade, warehousing and storage facilities, etc., along with the necessary infrastructure.
DEVELOPED AREASservice areasLand used for administrative services, cultural and health services, commercial services, social services (educational buildings, nursing homes, etc.), entertainment and recreation services (entertainment and sports halls) and others, along with the necessary infrastructure.
green and recreation areasLand used as parks and other areas of arranged greenery, recreation and entertainment services (playgrounds, stadiums, sports fields, swimming pools, individual recreation areas, etc.), along with the necessary infrastructure.
low-intensity residential areasAreas used for low-intensity residential development or residential-service development (in particular single-family housing).
high-intensity residential areasLand used for high-intensity residential development or residential-service development (especially multi-family housing).
land transportLand used for roads, railway, car parks, etc.
otherOther use of land

Selected transformation examples of mining plants’ post-industrial areas in the Upper Silesian Agglomeration

FunctionLocationNameYearArea
business, industrial and technology parksBytom Sosnowiec Dabrowa G.Katowice Special Economic Zone199617.05 ha / ~ 5 ha / 8.29 ha
GliwiceEducation and Business Center – “Nowe Gliwice”2006–200823.67 ha
Ruda Śląska ŚwiętochlowiceIncubator of Technological and Service Innovations – Architecture and Construction2007–20081.35 ha
SosnowiecSosnowiec Science and Technology Park2011–20121.57 ha
JaworznoBusiness Center – Jaworzno Industrial Park0.34 ha
cultural and educationalBytomRozbark Dance and Movement Theatre2011–20140.40 ha
CzeladzContemporary Art Gallery “Elektrownia”2007–20130.73 ha
KatowiceSilesian Museum2006–20152012–6.1 ha
KatowiceNOSPR** headquarters2008–20144.32 ha
Katowice“Wilson” Shaft Gallery19982.32 ha
Siemianowice Sl.Tradition Park2009–20111.80 ha
ŚwiętochłowiceCoal Mine “Polska” towers20150.57 ha
ZabrzeCoal Mining Museum***1981–-
recreation and sportBytomClimbing and Strength Sports Center (under construction)2018–0.39 ha
ChorzówThe hoisting tower of the “Prezydent” shaft with the “Sztygarka” complex2009–2012~ 5 ha
SosnowiecClimbing centre – Poziom 4502010–20120.36 ha
residentialBędzinHousing estate “Podskarpie”2015~ 12 ha
BędzinHousing estate “Brzozowica”20162.08 ha
KatowiceHousing estate “First district” (under construction)2019–~ 7 ha
KatowiceHousing estate “Oak Terraces”2007–20142018–5.56 ha
otherKatowiceSilesia City Center200520.12 ha
SosnowiecDistrict Prosecutor’s Office in Sosnowiec2017–20190.89 ha
ZabrzeShaft “Maciej”2007–20131.19 ha
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/acee-2022-0015 | Journal eISSN: 2720-6947 | Journal ISSN: 1899-0142
Language: English
Page range: 57 - 70
Submitted on: Mar 26, 2021
Accepted on: Jun 7, 2022
Published on: Aug 9, 2022
Published by: Silesian University of Technology
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 4 issues per year

© 2022 Aleksandra WYRZYKOWSKA, published by Silesian University of Technology
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.