Demographic changes, primarily the problem of progressive ageing, are one of the key challenges to development in Poland. The Opolskie voivodeship belongs to the regions characterised by extremely unfavourable demographic phenomena. This is because some population changes here have a broader dimension than on average in Poland and in the EU. Thereby, they have far-reaching as well as complex economic and social consequences in the region. Due to the fact that demographic processes are determined in the long term, and it is extremely difficult to influence them in the short term, the adaptation of social and economic spheres and, at the same time, the use of specific opportunities resulting from these changes, seems a useful strategy for regional development policy. Therefore, in the context of senioral policy, complex, coherent and diversified activities in the sphere of growth of professional activity of elderly people, support for life-long learning, improvement of seniors’ living conditions, including the development of health infrastructure, and seniors’ integration in society prove to be necessary. The multidimensional concept of the ‘silver economy’ creates specific opportunities for using the possibilities resulting from population ageing, and minimising the unfavourable consequences of this process, in the Opolskie voivodeship. However, the implementation of this concept demands the consideration of several determinants and barriers, that consequently affect its effective functioning. The direct objective of the paper is to present the current and projected demographic situation of Opolskie voivodeship, and on its basis, to determine the challenges resulting from the ageing of society for regional development.

Retail trade and services are becoming the most dynamically developing sector of non-agricultural activity in Polish rural areas. State-owned and cooperative stores have been closed down and they were replaced mostly by private stores. There are more and more commercial outlets of various formats, including supermarket chains, discount stores and integrated chains. Despite growing number of modern retail trade formats, traditional small-format, often referred to as local market is also really important. New trading posts in small towns and rural areas are mainly located in the zones of influence of larger cities. They affect many changes of spatial, social and economic character. Small towns and rural areas surrounding them more and more frequently start to compete for further retail trade investments while noticing lots of benefits and costs of this process. The aim of the article is to show the scale of new retail investment in small towns and rural areas in Poland. Research devoted to this field is important from the point of view of choosing the location of new investments related to discount chains and of the strategy for the development of small towns and rural areas. Identification of consequences of the operation of discount chains in chosen rural areas and in small towns can impact the verification of the policy adopted by local authorities in relation to spatial planning and forming the functional structure.

Shopping centers in the Silesian Voivodeship have a significant impact on smaller settlement units located in outer areas of agglomerations. It consists mainly in changes related to social, economic, as well as functional and spatial spheres. Studies shows that shopping centers take over more and more functions of higher order (services, public culture, administration) and restrict the economic activity in rural areas outer areas of agglomerations. At the stage of the irrepressible process of suburbanisation of rural areas surrounding large urban agglomerations and structural changes in towns, it is difficult to conclusively assess the consequences of the operation of shopping centers in outer metropolitan areas. The impact of shopping centers on small towns and rural areas is a very dynamic process and requires systematic research.

Rural areas are experiencing a dynamic, multidirectional change. It is the result of impact of many processes, including rapid, often spontaneous urbanisation and structural transformation in the agricultural sector and temporary and permanent movements of the population. Changes in the spatial structures of the countryside, on the one hand, influenced by European programmes and measures, linked to the processes of modernisation and organisation of rural settlements and economic systems. On the other hand, rapid economic development and spontaneous investment are resulting in the expansion of the urban forms of land use – not only in the immediate surroundings of the cities and towns, but also in remote, peripheral areas dominated until recently by farming. The paper presents the genesis of contemporary land use in rural areas in Poland, linking the countryside structures with the intensity and forms of residency and user economies in the rural areas. The main drivers of change, significantly affecting the emerging forms of farming villages, are processes of intensive suburbanisation and semi-urbanisation, the phenomenon of progressive peripherisation of large areas in different parts of the country, the depopulation of the countryside and profound changes in the demographic structure of the population, improvement of infrastructure and transport accessibility and economic revival of villages. There are also important issues related to advantages such as natural and cultural values of the village. The aim of the article is to present the main directions of functional and spatial transformations of rural areas in Poland from the beginning of the 21st century. The main hypothesis is that the development of rural areas in Poland proceeds in two directions: Urban “colonization”, which involves the invasion of both single- and multi-family housing in the surroundings of traditional villages and in areas previously used for agricultural purposes, is becoming increasingly widespread; this follows restructuring and diversification (spatial and functional) in urbanized rural areas. Much indicates that the rational development and use of rural areas will be one of the main challenges of Poland in the near future.

Spośród cech struktur przestrzennych wsi oraz charakterystyk obszarów wiejskich, które sprzyjają wielokierunkowemu rozwojowi społeczno-gospodarczemu i poprawie warunków życia mieszkańców wsi, szczególnie istotne znaczenie ma skupiony i zwarty charakter zabudowy. Jest to czynnik, który ułatwia integrację infrastrukturalną oraz społeczną, niejednokrotnie warunkując dostępność wsi dla zewnętrznych użytkowników. Nie bez znaczenia jest także potencjał demograficzny miejscowości wiejskiej, który uzasadnia ekonomicznie podtrzymywanie jej podstawowego sektora usług oraz tworzenie przestrzeni publicznych o cechach centrum, w tym elementów o charakterze węzłowym (czytelny i utwardzony system dróg i ulic). Sprzyja również występowaniu zabudowy usługowej, przemysłowej i wielorodzinnej w formach dogęszczających istniejące struktury przestrzenne wsi. Jeśli wziąć pod uwagę powyższe cechy układów osadniczych występujących na obszarach wiejskich, to uzasadnionym celem badań jest oszacowanie stopnia koncentracji zabudowy w różnych typach gmin w Polsce oraz wyznaczenie przestrzennego rozkładu tego zjawiska. Ocena stanu i zaawansowania zjawiska umożliwia wskazanie obszarów o różnej jakości układów osadniczych wsi pod względem działań związanych z poprawą wyposażenia infrastrukturalnego, możliwości lokalizacyjnych inwestycji, aktywizacji społecznej.

The authors of the article develop the concept of a migration region. The experiences of the Opolskie Voivodship in the sphere of external migration function as a field of reference. The issues connected with the factors preconditioning the formation of such a region are of utmost interest to the authors.