In the year 2015 the Polish government adopted the National Urban Policy (NUP) – a long-awaited document, that by identifying and defining 10 thematic threads holistically addresses the problems of Polish cities. 

The paramount goal of the NUP document is, by enhancing national and local urban policies,  to strengthen the ability of the cities and urban areas to create sustainable development, workplaces, and to improve the quality of life of their inhabitants. To ensure the proper achievement of set goals, it is crucial to systematically monitor development processes in Polish cities in the context of the adopted objectives and to tailor the policy to changing conditions and to address the identified challenges.

As a result of the Urban Policy Observatory research works are reports on the condition of Polish cities. Each of them consisting of two quintessential parts. One aims to monitor all Polish cities in the light of a respective area, while the other provides insight into a particular issue. Research topics are selected in terms of significance of the problem, which (depending on the specificity) may be referred to a specific group of cities or discussed as a ‘case study’. The  indicators adopted are to ensure the best possible approach to the studied matter in the context of the main objectives listed in the NUP document:

1. An efficient city
2. A compact and sustainable city
3. A cohesive city
4. A competitive city
5. A strong city

The Final Product of the research cycle will be an all-encompassing report on the state of Polish cities – a synthesis of knowledge disseminated in all preceding thematic reports. It will show the relationship between the NUP goals and the status of their implementation.