Multidimensional comparative analysis as a tool of spatial order evaluation: A case study from southwestern Poland

Abstract

The quality of land development has an impact on quality of life. For better state of inhabitants the land management process should contribute to social and economic development, taking care of the environment and tradition of a place. Consequently, in such well-developed places we will find spatial order. This multidimensional phenomenon is described by the polish law in the Spatial Planning and Land Development Act of 27 March 2003. Spatial order includes the environmental, socio-economic, cultural, functional and aesthetic aspects of some areas. This article presents a new methodological approach to the assessment of spatial order at the local level. As a method, we propose the multidimensional comparative analysis. This method allows for calculating the value of spatial order composite index, creating the ranking of communities, choosing the benchmark units and comparing the studied objects. The research area includes 110 urban and rural communities of southwestern Poland. The state of spatial order for 2009 and 2013 was studied. The obtained results show differentiation of the level of spatial order and disproportions between the rural and urban communities.