Cities are the places where the science, public services, and business are concentrated, and where the economic development is stimulated. Cities are the hubs of company networks, employees, knowledge and skills, which translates into better productivity and better growth dynamics of these areas. Even the smallest city is also a  cultural phenomenon and a  carrier of civilization.

The widely perceived cultural heritage resources, keeping and protecting them, are of key significance for the cultural identification and the sense of identity of the residents, as well as for the economy and education. An appropriately implemented development policy at all levels, both towns and cities may and should serve as the driving force for the development at the local scale or – to a higher extent – at the regional, national, and European scale. On the other hand, urban areas are places where multiple social, economic, and spatial problems emerge.

Social disparities within cities are often bigger than between regions. Problems also concern the degradation of the urban tissue, chaotic urban sprawl, economic and social segregation, lack of cultural awareness and the sense of identity and co-responsibility of residents, poverty, condition of the environment, traffic congestion, and many other aspects. In order to ensure sustainable development of the urban areas and to improve the quality of life, these issues must be given priority and must be resolved in a comprehensive and integrated manner.

On 14 June 2022, the Polish government adopted the most important document for conducting urban policy: National Urban Policy 2030 (NUP 2030).  The National Urban Policy is a document focused on the sustainable development of cities and urban functional areas. It is guided by the principle that the key element of conducting urban policy is to face development challenges and to build conditions for strengthening the capacity of cities and their functional areas for sustainable development, as well as building resilience to climate change and, above all, improving the quality of cities inhabitants life.

NUP 2030 is aimed at providing tools and solutions across Poland which will make it easier for self-governments of cities and functional urban areas to implement local and supralocal sustainable development policies. Postulated changes in legal provisions and modifications of financial mechanisms are aimed at extending the range of solutions applied by self-governments. Therefore this document is primarily addressed to central government and the National Urban Policy is as such subservient to local governments and communities.