The social perception of the proposals of a new administrative division of Poland among inhabitants of the Rawa region

W zebraniu materiałów uczestniczyli studenci III roku studiów zaocznych geografii: A. Antosik, G. Kocik, A. Krzemińska, A. Paprota, W. Perka, A. Piekasik, P. Prochoń, J. Rojecka, A. Rozmarynowski, M. Siwa, E. Skóra, T. Sobis, W. Strojek, T. Strzelczyk, A. Szabelska, I. Szanda, D. Szczęch, R. Świderska, D. Tumielewicz, I. Tylman, K. Wawrzyniak, J. Wiśniewski, E. Wojciechowska, A. Wudarczyk, I. Zborowska, S. Zel.The paper discusses preferences regarding the regions (voivodeships) and districts in the proposed administrative division of Poland. The questions were addressed to the respondents from the regions situated along the eastern border of the Łódź region before 1975. The territory covered by the study included 2 communes from the Radom region, 2 communes and 2 towns (Biała Rawska and Rawa Mazowiecka) from the Skierniewice region. Together with the characteristics describing the respondents other factors decisive for the choice of future district capitals and regions are presented as well as the functional links of the respondents with other places and institutional infrastructure of settlement units included in the study. Male group interviewees were more numerous the study conducted in the communes and females were more numerous in the towns. More than 50% of respondents lrom rural areas found the administrative changes unnecessary, 29% were of the opposite opinion. The majority of the urban group of respondents believed the administrative reform was necessary. Summing up we should state that the population of Rawa Upland and surrounding areas situated beyond the Pilica river was against the reform and three-level administrative division of the country into communes, districts and region (voivodeships). The older the the respondents are the more convinced they are that the reform is completely pointless. Rural population was for the present two-level administrative division while the inhabitants of a potential district capital - Rawa Mazowiecka - were for the three-level administrative division (68% answers). In response to the question whether there should be 12 or 17 regions 55% out of 600 respondents were for the Warsaw region and 43% for the Łódź region. It is worth emphasising that the support for the Warsaw region was stronger among the group of 60 people representing the so called establishment (67 and 62% respectively for the options of 12 and 17 regions) while only 33% of representatives of local authorities opted for the Łódź region. With 25 regions 47% of all the respondents were for the Warsaw region (55% of the establishment). Eleven towns were suggested as the future district administrative centre among which Rawa Mazowiecka was supported by 48%, Skierniewice by 19%, Grójec by 13%, Opoczno by 12% and others by less than 2%.W artykule zaprezentowano wyniki badań dotyczące identyfikacji terytorialnej ludności zamieszkującej obszar pogranicza województw skierniewickiego i piotrkowskiego. Zbadano również zasięg oddziaływania potencjalnych miast powiatowych i ich wyposażenie w instytucje o znaczeniu ponadlokalnym. Głównym celem badan było ustalenie preferencji ludności dotyczących przynależności administracyjnej badanego obszaru i jej stosunku do planowanych zmian struktury administracyjnej Polski.Zadanie pt. „Digitalizacja i udostępnienie w Cyfrowym Repozytorium Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego kolekcji czasopism naukowych wydawanych przez Uniwersytet Łódzki” nr 885/P-DUN/2014 zostało dofinansowane ze środków MNiSW w ramach działalności upowszechniającej naukę