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• Open source data and a dense in-situ air temperature measurement network were used. • The ratio of biologically vital areas impacts city thermal conditions the most. • Build-up indicators with vertical features present thermal regime better than others. • The area of radius of at least 100 m is the best for evaluating thermal conditions. • Spatial development particularly influences minimum and average air temperature. In the face of climate change and the growing frequency of thermally burdensome conditions, urban morphology and city planning are becoming increasingly important to human health. Architects and policymakers use various tools, including spatial development indicators describing the characteristics of built-up areas, to mitigate urban climate. This study purposed to (1) indicate which widely used spatial development indicators most adequately explained the thermal conditions of the environment, and (2) investigate how large an area most accurately represents the thermal features recorded at a given air temperature measurement site. Selected indexes were used to characterize each of the 21 measuring sites located in Warsaw. First, five spatial development indicators were calculated for three distances from each site. Then, based on data from the air temperature monitoring network, 17 selected thermal characteristics were calculated. The results of the analyses indicated that the Ratio of Biologically Vital Area has the highest impact on the thermal regime with particularly strong influence on the lowest daily temperature values. The paper proves that the thermal conditions of a given location in the diverse space of a city are more precisely represented by a large area than by its nearest surroundings. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The observed urban growth leads to rapid changes in landscape and environment, increase of demands on sources, education and social services, etc. causing both positive results as well as considerable threats. In the era of modern technology development, including the commonness of GIS tools, obtaining geospatial data sets and their visualisation become easier. Their application allow for quick and advanced analyses of the current needs and prediction of the future ones. The present article discusses the problem of spatial accessibility of educational services in the city. This issue is very important from the perspective of the changes that took place along with the educational reform and the absence of urban planning regulations pertaining to the location of primary schools within a residential unit. Using 6 parameters and 3 indicators, as well as the example of the network of primary schools in the district of Bemowo, Warsaw the Authors of the paper showed the positive and negative features of spatial accessibility of those facilities and proposed methodology for analysis of spatial accessibility of educational services which was validated with Huff's theory. The aim of the study was to obtain maps of the accessibility of educational institutions and to identify on their basis the areas that are educationally excluded. A Huff's relative gravity model was developed for the school sites, and the probability of the area of influence from each school was determined. Locations where the location of schools does not meet the demand of residents were identified. At the same time, they demonstrated the usefulness of GIS tools for geospatial analyses in terms of meeting the residents' needs. • The proper arrangement of space, including adequate provision of services, is a vital matter in sustainable development. • The application of GIS tools allows for quick and advanced analyses of current needs and prediction of the future ones. • Analyses of spatial accessibility of services are valid in view of changes caused by reforms and urban planning rules. • The spatial accessibility was analyzed, and a methodology for the procedure was proposed, then validated with Huff's theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a complex analysis of heat demand forecasting methods for the Warsaw District Heating Network, which is owned by Veolia Energia Warszawa, the largest district heating network (DHN) in the European Union. The analyzed network supplies heat for both domestic and heating purposes. Therefore, summer, intermediate, and winter seasons were delineated and separately evaluated. Numerous models were utilized including models broadly recognized and used (ridge regression, autoregression with exogenous input, deep artificial neural networks), as well as previously unexplored models (combination of summer and winter linear models with the utilization of fuzzy logic). A 72 h forecast horizon is evaluated for total heat demand (the sum of all substations), as well as for groups of buildings (local models for specific city areas), and individually for the majority of substations. Models of areas use an additional input variable, namely, the results of the total heat demand forecast, and are proposed to be developed as an auxiliary information variable offered to grid operators. An artificial neural network based model achieves the best accuracy for all analyzed seasons. The intermediate seasons prove to be the most difficult to accurately forecast for and only the combination of summer and winter linear autoregresive models with utilization of a fuzzy logic reached comparable accuracy. • Heat demand for district heating network is calculated. • A 24 h horizon heat demand forecasts are proposed and evaluated. • Artificial neural network for total heat demand presents the best accuracy. • Ridge regression and fuzzy logic for network areas presents the best accuracy. • Implementation in on-line system is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents Łódź, Poland's third-largest city in terms of population, and which is a part of the urban heritage of the industrial age. At the start of the twentieth century, it was a major textile industry centre and achieved the highest population growth rate in Europe, with a scale comparable to the rapid development of American cities in this period. Prior to the First World War, Łódź was among the world's 35 largest cities. This profile presents strategies for addressing critical shrinkage by building a relationship with Warsaw as a part of a duopolis. The authors explored the processes by which Łódź enhances its competitiveness by improving its urban structure, altering its economic profile and changing its image from that of an industrial city to a cultural city. The case of Łódź demonstrates that understanding the necessity of introducing synergic layouts can be an element of building resilient city policies in Central and Eastern Europe, which has been hit by city shrinkage particularly hard. • Łódź as Poland's third-most populous city with an industrial origin. • Analysis of influence of demographic and economic change on Łódź's urban development. • Significance of the urban regeneration of the 19th-century post-industrial heritage. • Strategy studies: Duopolis Warszawa – Łódź and new image of the city as an anti-shrinkage resilience concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]