Poland Amends Its Zoning Act

An amendment to the Polish Zoning Act came into force on 24 September 2023. The general plan will replace the study of conditions and directions of spatial development of the commune. Unlike the study, it will be an act of local law. This means that its findings will serve as the foundation for the adoption of local zoning plans and the issuance of zoning decisions. It will need to define planning zones and municipal urban planning standards. It will also be possible to determine areas for supplementing development and areas for supplementing the development of the downtown core. The plans will have to be prepared by the end of 2025.

The general plan will be in digital form. This addresses the existing issues present in the traditional paper version of the study and local zoning plans, where the lines delineating the boundaries between zones lack the precision necessary for interpretation down to the square metre on the ground.