The Silesian-Zagłębie Metropolis (GZM) is aimed at the unification of several towns and municipalities located in Upper Silesia and Zagłębie to create a more efficient multi-city with its public transport and other services for the inhabitants. 

The project aims to create an association of 41 towns in Poland’s part of Silesia, the capital of which is Katowice. 

“With a population of over 2.1 million and covering an area of roughly 2,500 square kilometers, the size of Metropolis GZM is greater than Greater London at 1,572 square kilometers and Rome at 1,285 square kilometers,” TVP World informs in an article. 

GZM Chairman Kazimierz Karolczak says the project is aimed to “improve the quality of life of residents by using the potential of individual localities within one organism,” and responds to those who fear losing control over their towns, by saying “We do not plan to transform GZM cities into districts, so they will still have their presidents and mayors, as well as city councils”.

“What we are talking about is introducing a certain division of competencies and creating a metropolitan municipality,” says Karolczak.

The main idea behind the project is to use the cumulated potential in the areas of effective tax policy, differences in utility costs, and development strategies.

However, the President of Katowice, Marcin Krupa says it would be his dream to transform the metropolis into one big city in the future. 

Source: TVP World

Photo: Pixabay

Tomasz Modrzejewski