Public Perception of Innovative Technical Solutions for the Development of the ‘Sponge City’ Concept in Poland: A Case Study of the Tri-City Area

Abstract

Water resources in the European Union are diverse. For example, Croatia has almost 18 times the water resources that Poland has. Although the key factor causing water shortages is population growth, in Poland this crisis is primarily determined by dynamic development manifested in the country’s urbanization and industrialization. These changes are particularly troublesome in urban areas. Therefore, sound remedial and adaptive actions related to the development of the “sponge city” concept are necessary. The implementation of this concept contributes to a reduction in rainwater losses and the heat-island effect. The success of this concept implementation is largely determined by the opinions of city residents towards it, which makes the results of this research important. This article presents opinions of respondents about innovative technical solutions surrounding the “sponge city”. This research was conducted by means of a survey method. The statements were formulated based on a critical analysis of the literature. The research was carried out in one of the Polish agglomerations, using the CAWI technique. The results achieved are discussed after their detailed statistical analysis. The respondents’ opinions on the impact of implementing innovative technical solutions for the development of the “sponge city” concept were not strongly differentiated. The level of their knowledge was relatively low. Therefore, it is important to undertake activities aimed at both education on this problem and marketing activities in promoting its importance for both the environment and quality of life.