A category of myth and the local development policies. Notes from a few projects in Lower Silesia between 2015 and 2017

Is there a Polish equivalent of post-developmentalism, which is a concept amongst development theories and practices contesting the whole idea of development in favour of the return to local traditions? How might it be expressed and what are examples of its possible usage? Is it possible for the analysis of urban myths and narratives to be translated into a development policy? What are new theoretical challenges of post-developmentalism? The paper explores these issues employing the example of three projects undertaken in Wrocław and Lower Silesia: Wrocław 2036/56 Social Foresight, the Wrocław 2030 Strategy and the City Reading. Two were conducted as a part of the European Capital of Culture 2016 celebrations. At the same time, the paper notes expressions of the cultural turn in Polish discussions on development. The article also draws attention to the eclecticism of the newest development strategies in the big Polish cities, which may be an indicator of a crisis in thinking about future – evidenced by the lack of bold visions