Gminas must prepare high-quality development strategies by July 2026 to defend local plans effectively, as the document becomes mandatory and integral to spatial planning.
The New Mandate for Development Strategies
In the new planning model, a gmina’s development strategy is no longer optional but a systemic element. By July 1, 2026, it will be mandatory, and its provisions must be incorporated into local spatial plans.
Failure to develop or improperly prepare this strategy weakens a gmina’s position in disputes over planning provisions.
Quality Over Compliance: Why Strategy Matters
A gmina lacking a sound development strategy or with one of poor quality loses arguments when defending its general plan and local spatial plans. Without substantive justification in the strategy, upholding planning decisions becomes difficult.
The strategy’s direct link to the general plan, local spatial plans, and development decisions shifts focus from whether to adopt it to how to prepare it effectively.
Preparing an Effective Development Strategy
Key questions include how to structure the strategy and what elements it must contain to fulfill its function, given its critical role in shaping local governance and planning.
The strategy must provide rigorous, evidence-based support to withstand legal and administrative challenges.
