In 2018, around 700,000 people used daily the city space. They were people living in the city permanently, people staying in Poznan temporarily for a longer period of time and commuters to study or work, as well as tourists and businessmen staying in the city. On the other hand, almost 635 thousand people were spending nights in Poznan daily. According to the official statistics, in 2018, there were 536.4 thousand residents in Poznan. However, this number does not include nearly 100,000 unregistered people who lived in the city and benefitted from urban space and services on a daily basis. They were mainly school and university students from outside of Poznan as well as temporary employees from abroad (mainly citizens of Ukraine). Over 80,000 people commuted to Poznan every day to study or work.
In 2018, 50,000 citizens of Ukraine lived in Poznan. They were the largest group of foreigners staying in the city. Another 50,000 Ukrainian citizens lived in the neighboring municipalities of the Poznan poviat. They were mainly temporary employees. In 2018, the Poviat Labor Office registered 65.3 thousand employer’s statements on the intention of employing a foreigner in Poznan and the Poznan poviat, including 60.3 thousand statements concerned citizens of Ukraine. Over 5.5 thousand foreigners studied in Poznan higher education institutions, on a permanent basis or as a part of the Erasmus programme. Nearly 2.1 thousand of them were citizens of Ukraine. In 2018, approx. 3.7 thousand people originated from over 100 countries were registered in Poznan for permanent or temporary residence, including approx. 1.8 thousand citizens of Ukraine.
The presence of Ukrainian citizens and growing number of citizens from other countries makes Poznan an increasingly internationalized city. In 2018, activities to support and integrate foreigners were continued. The key project was the cooperation of the City with the non-governmental Migrant Info Point offering informational and counseling support for migrants, the activity of which was partially co-financed from the City budget. The City also cooperates with the Socio-Cultural Association Poland-Ukraine in Poznan. The Airbag Poznan project concerning security and support to foreigners facing discrimination in the city, with the AIRBAG Support point, was continued. A number of 400 pupils from other countries were learning in the schools of Poznan and preparatory departments for children from foreign families were opened in 2 primary schools. The programme “Study in Poznan” launched by the City was extended to current and potential foreign students. The city also supported repatriates from Kazakhstan. Preparations for the launch of subsequent municipal projects for foreigners were underway.
Young foreigners, whose number is estimated at over 20,000, increase the number of young people living in Poznan. Poznan is a city of young people, with about 150,000 people aged 15-29, and taking into account children under the age of 15, they made up more than a third of the population. In 2018, the City Council of Poznan adopted the “Policy for Young People of the City of Poznan for the years 2019-2025”, which assumes a greater commitment and co-responsibility of young people for the city development and creating space for them to actively participate in the city life. The city actively cooperates with youth organizations. In 2018, at the initiative of the Youth City Council of Poznan, the Mayor Plenipotentiary for Youth and Academic Cooperation was established and a competition for secondary schools called “Student Self-Government Fund” was launched. Poznan also reached the final of the European Youth Capital 2022 competition (in March 2019), which will be resolved in November.
In Poznan, there were 110,000 students studying in 25 higher education institutions. The most of them, it is one third studied at the Adam Mickiewicz University (UAM), one of the best universities in Poland. Over 80% of students were people from outside of Poznan, mostly from the Greater Poland voivodeship. The level of internationalization of the studies has increased. The offer of foreign language studies, mainly in English, has been extended. Students had the opportunity to select from over 250 fields of study, including over 50 conducted in foreign languages, also with an MBA profile. Most students studied the following fields: economics, finance, management, IT, pedagogy, administration, physiotherapy, foreign language philology. According to the ranking of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the group of TOP12 universities most often sought by candidates included: public Poznan University of Technology, and among non-public higher schools, the School of Banking. The faculties of 8 universities in Poznan: Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan University of Technology, University of Economics, University of Arts, Medical University, Music Academy and SWPS University have obtained a distinguished mark awarded by the Polish Accreditation Committee or the highest category A (leading level) or category A (very good) awarded by the Committee for Evaluation of Scientific Units.
Number of students and graduates in Poznan in the years 2014-2018
Number of students per 1000 residents in the major cities in Poland in 2018
As a part of cooperation with the scientific and academic community in Poznan, the City of Poznan additionally financed the organization of lectures by outstanding eminent scholars, artists and specialists from around the world, and conducted programs aimed at students and employees of Poznan universities, including: contests of the Poznan City Award for outstanding doctoral thesis and Poznan City Award for a distinguished master thesis, scholarship programmes for winners or finalists of nationwide subject competitions, for students preparing to take up employment with employers implementing innovative investments in Poznan, apprenticeship programme and paid student internships at the Poznan City Hall, the Poznan City Scientific Award and scholarships for young researchers from the Poznan scientific community, programmes: Ambassador of Academic Poznan, Study in Poznan, Poznan Attracts, Apartment for the Graduate, Stay in Poznan. As a part of cooperation with the scientific community, joint projects and studies were carried out aimed at strengthening the links between the research and development sphere and the economy as well as research on various aspects of the city development. The activities integrating foreigners studying in Poznan and projects promoting studies in Poznan in such countries as Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine were continued.
As a part of the implementation of the Family Policy for the City of Poznan for the years 2016-2020, activities were carried out to promote the family and support its development. In 2018, the Centre for Family Initiatives (CIR) in cooperation with partners and non-governmental organizations implemented projects in the field of family-friendly policy and intergenerational integration, including educational, development and artistic activities for children, such as: I read and feel, Traffic Jams in the Centre, Tips at CIR !, Sandwich from Dad, Academy of Health for Parents, First Aid Workshops, Family-Friendly Place certificates, Large Family Card. CIR provided comprehensive information services for families about the cultural-educational activities for families, the offer of crèches and didactic and educational institutions, the Poznan Benefits Centre. Cultural projects organized by the Children Art Centre included: ALE KINO! International Festival of Young Audience Films, Animator International Animation Film Festival, Children Art Biennale, International Creative Anxiety Workshops Biennial Vincent’s Pocket, The National Review of Animated Movies created by Children “THE EYE OF THE CALEIDOSCOPE”, the International Art Festival for the Youngest ART LOOKS FOR THE TODDLER, Library of Imagination, Great Adventure with the Film, Small Size Days, theatrical offer of the Common Stage, at which the Children Joy Monument was unveiled in 2018. During the holiday season, children and teenagers could enjoy a wide range of activities, such as: Summer at Madalina, Summer at the Fair, Castle Summer for Children, Summer Art Emergency Service, Winter Art Emergency Service, Winter at the Castle, Summer Toddler Academy, outdoor cinemas. Dedicated activities were directed to large families and single parent families. In 2018, the City organized various events for families, e.g.: Poznan Family Days, Family Gala, Nationwide Family Festivities, Poznan Energy Days.
Activities to support families with care and educational problems were implemented as a part of the Programme for supporting families and developing foster care for 2017-2020. The family care and upbringing functions were supported by 35 care and education centers, including daily support, carried out in the form of care, specialist or backyard work. Care and education of children and youth deprived of full or partial care and support from the natural family was carried out through the institutional and family foster care system.
In 2018, the Club for Foster Families operated at the Swoboda Family Support Centre, which provided them with psychological, pedagogical and legal support. Biological parents could benefit from support at the Good Parents Club. As a part of the EU programme “Improving access to social services supporting family and family foster care in the Poznan City Functional Area”, various social services were implemented: family assistant and coordinator of family foster care, psychological, pedagogical, mediation and legal counseling. Children and adolescents could benefit from public psychological and pedagogical counseling centers, including counseling for children and young people with special educational needs and counseling for children with autism.
In 2018, according to the Central Statistics Office, 6.2 thousand children were born in Poznan. The number of children in the nursery aged up to 3 years amounted to 24 thousand and of pre-school children from 3 to 6 years to 21.2 thousand. Institutional crèche care was provided in 103 nurseries, including 14 public ones, 11 children clubs and 56 day caregivers, providing a total of crèche care places for over 4.9 thousand children. The share of children aged up to 3 years covered by nursery care in the total number of children in this age group was at the level of 22%.
In 2018, preparations for the implementation of Standards of Care of Children up to 3 Years of Age were started, training for care staff working in nurseries, children clubs and day caregivers was organized, 59 crèche care places at non-public facilities were adapted as a part of EU projects and 18 places for children at risk of disability were opened. A number of 2.1 thousand places of care at non-public crèches and the Poznan Crèche Benefit were co-financed from the city budget. The city gained additional funds under the national programmes: Maluch, Maluch + and Maluch plus 2017 – special edition For Life.
In Poznan, nearly 91% of children aged 3 to 6 years were covered by pre-school care. Institutional pre-school care was provided in 320 kindergartens and kindergarten departments in primary schools and 17 kindergarten points. They had a total of 21 thousand places of pre-school care. In 2018, the construction of the School and Pre-School Complex in the area of Naramowice, Umultowo, Radojewo and Morasko was completed, in which 150 pre-school care places were opened. As a part of the EU project “Active Forms of Pre-school Education”, activities related to the arrangement of didactic rooms and development of kindergarten gardens were carried out. The implementation of the project “Modernization and Expansion of Playgrounds in Preschools for the years 2016-2020” was continued. The City budget subsidized additional activities for children, including rhythmic, foreign languages, sports, dance and speech therapy.
In 2018 almost 83 thousand pupils attended the schools of Poznan. Over half of them received education at primary or junior high schools. In the group of secondary schools, the majority of students were educated at general secondary schools. A number of 5,400 students took the maturity exam (Matura). Students obtained the best results in modern foreign languages and the weakest ones in Polish.
In addition to compulsory courses resulting from the core curriculum, schools enabled students to develop their skills and interests in sport, culture, science and society through active participation, e.g. in extracurricular activities, workshops, concerts, sports centers and clubs, and volunteer centers. For special achievements in science, students received the Poznan City Awards. In order to improve the conditions of education, construction of new facilities and modernization of the existing educational infrastructure were carried out. The largest investments, also financed by EU funds, included e.g. the construction of a School and Pre-School Complex in the area of Naramowice, Umultowo, Morasko and Radojewo; extension of Primary School No. 46 and 48; modernization of the school complex at Słowackiego Street and of the building of the General Secondary School No 3; Thermomodernisation Programme of Educational Buildings.
In 2018, the first school year (2017/2018) of the school system reform in Poland ended. The reform resulted by key changes in the education system of the City of Poznan, and over 106 thousand Poznan schoolchildren began to learn according to new rules. The main changes were: establishment of the 8-year primary school (instead of 6-year), abolishment of lower secondary schools (gradual extinction), extending for a year the education in general secondary schools (from 3 to 4 years) and vocational secondary schools (from 4 to 5 years), transformation of vocational schools into sectoral schools (first and second degree – from 2019). In the 2017/2018 school year, there were major changes in the structure of education in the city, including the change of school regions limits.
42 current lower secondary schools were jointed in: primary schools (22), general secondary schools (5), vocational schools and sectoral schools (4), or were transformed into primary schools (8), general secondary schools (3).
In 2018, the implementation of the Senior Citizens Policy for the years 2017-2021 was continued. The City of Poznan undertook actions to ensure appropriate living and activity conditions for the growing group of seniors and counteracting social exclusion and the passivity of this age group. The Poznan VIVA Senior urban package has been extended. The new projects included: Golden Hand for the Senior Citizen, Taxi for the Senior Citizen, Book for the Senior Citizen, mobile beauty services, Poznan Medical Band, Poznan Life Box, urban rehabilitation equipment rental. The municipal programme “Apartment for the senior citizen” was continued. As a part of the Centre for Senior Citizens Initiatives, initiatives to activate the elderly and informational and educational activities aimed at social integration and intergenerational dialogue were implemented or supported. They included e.g.: Tytka Seniora, Senioralni.Poznań, SeniorWFormie campaigns, VIVA SENIOR CITIZENS!, 60+ Volunteer Centre, Senior Card – Poznan Gold Card, Senior Friendly Place certificate, Poznan Academy of Security, projects: We love eating! Enjoy the health, Animator for the Senior Citizens, Creating support groups for people with obesity. The senior citizens could take advantage of the offer of over 60 senior clubs and Universities of the Third Age. Elderly people could participate in the Senior Coach programme. The City of Poznan financed health prevention programmes dedicated to the elderly, such as the Prevention of Seasonal Flu Programme for the residents of the City of Poznan for the years 2016-2018. Elder people could use the following municipal health projects: free cataract surgery and free rehabilitation 65+.
In 2018, the City of Poznan ran assistance programmes targeted at selected people at risk of social exclusion: disabled, homeless and with mental disorders. Actions were taken to counteract various forms of social exclusion, domestic violence and begging. In 2018, the pilot project Mobile Aid Point for socially excluded people due to low life resourcefulness, low income or poverty was co-financed. A number of 300 people took advantage of this offer. The City of Poznan participated in partner projects, such as: Social services for the residents of Poznan, addressed to people at risk of poverty and social exclusion, including dependent and with disability, Recipe for Greater Poland Social Innovation – care services for dependent people, Feniks. As a part of the support for people with mental disorders, the project of Providing Integrated Environmental Forms of Health and Social Care to Persons with Mental Disorders was started and the Mental Health Promotion and Mental Disorders Prevention programme was continued. The City of Poznan implemented activities aimed at addicts, implemented as a part of the Municipal Programme for Counteracting Drug Addiction in Poznan for the years 2018-2020, including the following projects: School free of drugs and violence, Drug addiction programme targeted at primary and secondary school students, We fight with drug addiction with sports addiction. The Municipal Programme for Preventing and Solving Alcohol Problems in Poznan in 2018, including the following projects: A 24/7 Phone Helpline for people with an alcohol problem, Sporty youth – Sober future, Poznan Addicted to Prevention, Specialist Support Programme. Homeless people or those in a difficult life situation could receive support from social economy entities operating in the city, such as: Barka Foundation for Mutual Help, managing the Greater Poland Solidarity Economics Centre, educating socially and professionally long-term unemployed people, the Association Social Emergency Service deriving from it, helping people without shelter or social cooperatives combining economic activity with the social and professional integration of their members – people with disabilities or experiencing difficulties in the labor market. In 2018, there were nearly 30 social cooperatives in Poznan, including the Poznanianka Social Cooperative, co-created by the City of Poznan for the professional activation of unemployed and disabled people. It is a member of the Association for Social Cooperatives operating in the city, which runs the Greater Poland Centre for Social Economics. Activities for people with disabilities were implemented as a part of the following municipal programmes: Directions of activities and tasks of the City of Poznan for the social integration of disabled people for 2012-2020 and the Programme for Integration and Professional Activation of People with Disabilities for the years 2016-2020. In 2018, among others the Accessibility Standards for the City of Poznan were introduced, aimed at counteracting the creation of architectural and functional barriers in public space.
In 2018, the City supported almost 1.4 thousand homeless people, including through individual programmes for getting out of homelessness. The following projects were implemented: Map of Homelessness, Aid Bus, Mobile Medical Aid Point, Monitoring of Homeless People Camps, Half-way Flat. During the year, the Municipal Police inspected the living spots of homeless people over 3.4 thousand times, handing over food and drugstore packages to those in need. Therapeutic-supportive projects for homeless people addicted to alcohol were implemented.
In 2018, 21.1 thousand people from 13.1 thousand families benefited from environmental social assistance. The basic reason for granting financial aid was poverty, including as a result of long-term or severe illness, disability, helplessness in care and education matters and running a household, the need to protect motherhood and unemployment. During the year, various forms of assistance were paid out, such as, among others: housing supplements with a flat-rate energy supplement, scholarships and school allowances, benefits for families, alimony benefits and the Water Supply Fund founded by Aquanet SA, the company with the City shares.
Stationary social assistance covered more than 2,000 people, including over 0.8 thousand staying in social welfare homes. The most numerous group of residents were people who needed help with personal hygiene and permanent nursing assistance. Work was carried out on the construction of the new headquarters of the Social Welfare Home at Bukowska Street. Apart from institutional forms of social assistance, non-governmental organizations gathering volunteers also provided support to those in need.
In 2018, the City of Poznan implemented numerous preventive health programmes and information campaigns concerning a healthy lifestyle and encouraging regular check-ups, including: Programme for the prevention of infections caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), including cervical cancer for years 2016-2018; Infertility treatment by in vitro programme for residents of Poznan in 2017-2020; Prevention and early detection of cancer, in particular dissemination of knowledge about risk factors and self-control, prevention and early detection of cardiovascular disease, in particular knowledge about risk factors; Prevention and early detection of diseases of the residents of Poznan; Creating support groups for people with obesity; Intimate Prophylaxis Point – 24h.
In 2018, over 562,000 people participated in mass sports events in Poznan. As a part of the programme for the dissemination of physical culture and tourism, projects such as: Youth Sport Centers, Neighborhood Coach, Swimming lessons for primary school pupils, Sports, recreation and integrating activities for children from families affected by alcoholism and the Poznan School Youth Games were implemented. In 2018, the City of Poznan took the 1st place in the Sport City at the Gala of Sport and Business at the PKOL Olympic Centre and the 2nd place in the National Competition System for Children and Youth. The City budget co-financed the organization of 14 sightseeing events, in which almost 7.9 thousand people took part.
At Szpaków Street, a street out and a football field were opened, and the infrastructure of the Family Sports and Recreation Harbor on Malta was created. Construction of a swimming pool in Rataje, modernization of the summer swimming pool complex in Kasprowicza Park, construction of ARENA Show and Sports Hall, Regatta Course in Malta, bathing areas in Kiekrz and Strzeszynek were being carried out.
In 2018, 136 Poznan sportsmen took part in international sports events. The Poznan league teams are regularly successful in international and national matches, including: WKS Grunwald Poznan, Lech Poznan, Posnania Rugby 7, AZS Politechnika Poznan, LOMS Poznan, Black Roses.
In 2018, 145 mass cultural events were organized in Poznan. Over 446 thousand viewers and listeners participated in them. Municipal cultural institutions organized over 8.9 thousand events. In the city, activities were undertaken to create new spaces for culture, accessible to all residents. Among others, a new branch of the Raczyński Library at Naramowice and the Jerzy Piotrowicz Pod Koroną Gallery were established. Modernization and extension of the Muza Cinema, preparations for the construction of the Museum of Communication with the Cultural Centre at Madalina and the ENIGMA Museum were underway. The Activator project Culture for Space, Space for Culture with the KontenerART initiative and local projects, such as: Cultural Old Market, Local Culture Zone at Łazarz with the Pireus Cultural Incubator were continued. The City of Poznan co-financed cultural events and initiatives for local community of settlements, including: Family Strong Together, Summer in Smochowice, Concerts of Sołacz, Folk Summer, We celebrate at Żydowska Street, StreetArt in the Old Town!, Accessible Culture. As a part of the Kultura na Wolnym project, a series of cultural events #NAWOLNYM was organized, including the Na Wolnym Theatre project and music, film and dance events that took place in the Free Courtyard of the Poznan City Hall. A summer music festival #NaFalach was organized. There were further editions of: The Night of Museums and the Poznan Festival of Science and Arts. As a part of the Culture 2.0 offer, i.e. the resources of the Poznan Local CYRIL Digital Repository and the Poznan Archive of Oral History were expanded and a project for the preservation and digitization of the valuable library collections of the Raczyński Library was carried out. In 2018, the City of Poznan funded the Artistic Award and artistic scholarships. As a part of the promotion of publishing materials about Poznan, the Poznan Literary Award and the Józef Łukaszewicz Posnaniana Award were awarded.
In 2018, the Municipal Revitalization Programme for the City of Poznan was implemented, which mainly covers the designated area of revitalization: City Center and some adjacent areas. There were activities aimed at reviving the space of City Center, supporting the local community, cultural potential and entrepreneurship. In 2018, the City implemented or prepared revitalization projects covering the whole City Center area or its parts, some of them financed from EU funds, such as: Centre Programme, Stage 1 and Stage 2; Revaluation of the Old Market plate; Revaluation of Kolegiacki Square; Modernization of Łazarski Market; Development of the Jeżycki Market Square; Revitalization and extension of the Madalina depot; Revaluation of the Pod Słońcem Children and Youth Courtyard; Construction of the Wartostrada cycle-walking route; Park in Fort 9 and Fort 7; Revitalization assumptions for Garbary Street. Illuminations of architectural objects and new transport and organizational solutions have been introduced to the public space of the City Center, including also the revitalization of Św. Marcin Street. As a part of the EU project REFILL – Temporary Use. Dynamics for Life, the Localizer Tool for Places was developed for the residents. The Archdiocese of Poznan, in partnership with the City of Poznan, implemented the EU project Here it all began – the exhibition of testimonies of the beginnings of Polish statehood at Cathedral Island. The Cultural Park of the Old Town was constituted. For improvement of the quality of public space, as well as for integration and social activation, projects and events were implemented concerning the revitalization and support process of local communities: Centre Worth of Poznan, Cultural Old Market, Friendly Backyard, Change your Backyard, Christmas Carol Chain Following the Traces of revitalization, walks from the series Cinema, cafe and walk; Summer at Madalina; Poznan Fortress Days and programmes: Restoration of park greenery in City Center and Revitalization of riverside areas. Projects within the framework of the social City Center Coalition as well as the Lazarus Open Culture Sphere initiative (Pireus Culture Incubator and Lazarus Open Culture Zone) were continued.
As a part of the coastal area activation project, in the summer there were opened 3 City Beaches: Chwaliszewo, Szeląg and Wilda, equipped with beach infrastructure and beach equipment that offered a cultural, entertainment and recreational programme with a multifunctional playground, barbecue areas and a jacuzzi, as well as temporary marina and water equipment rental point. On the Politechnika-Rataje-Wilda-Chwaliszewo-Szeląg route, the Poznan Water Tram ran. A slip was built for emergency services as well as stairs and ramps for people with disabilities. Design work for the construction of a river marina began. The stairs at Cathedral Island enabling descent to the lower terrace of the Warta River and stairs at Nadbrzeże Street riverbank allowing descent to the Szeląg water bus stop were renovated. There were organized numerous concerts, including the shanties festival and the outdoor festival, film, opera, jazz and gospel music concerts for children, as well as Parada Sobótkowa, Kajakowa Masa Krytyczna, stage of the Wielki Flis Niepodległości. The riverside areas were covered by the duty to keep constant cleanliness and order, permitted alcohol consumption zones at Warta River were introduced. The eco-friendly Keep Warta Clean action was continued.
In 2018, the evaluation of the Basic Guidelines for Public Transport Infrastructure Design and evaluation of the Urban Furniture Catalogue was completed. Work continued on the preparation of a resolution establishing the rules and conditions for the location of small architecture objects, billboards and advertising devices and fences, their dimensions, quality standards and types of building materials from which they can be made (landscape resolution). Work continued on the organization of public space, including at the Dworcowy Bridge.
In order to preserve the urban cultural and historical heritage, renovation and conservation works of historic buildings in the City Centre area as well as conservation subsidies for historic private buildings were financed from the City budget, including the most valuable art nouveau housing buildings.
In 2018, green areas accounted for 27% of the city area, including 47 public parks and 116 green areas covering in total 429 ha. The Rataje Park, with an area of 13.8 ha and the View Tower and a bridge over the Rozlany Staw at Szachty were put into operation. The facilities at Szachty were recognized as the Best Organized Public Space in Greater Poland. Renovation of the Wodziczki Park, the Square of the Righteous Among the Nations and the Kazimierz Nowakowski Square were ended. Works on, i.e., the construction of the Ecological Education Park in Kiekrz, revaluation of the park at Browarna Street and Lasek Dębiec Park, development of the square at Lubeckiego and Rycerska Streets, revalorization of the Sołacki Park, modernization of Wilson Park and within the following programmes: Revitalization of street greenery and Rescue of old, valuable trees and planting new ones were carried out. Design work of the honey garden in the Cytadela Park was undertaken. In 2018, the ecological utility Kobylepole with an area of 8.66 ha was established.
Municipal forest areas with a protective and recreation function occupied an area of 2,567 ha with 92 recreation and recreation facilities. In 2018, 182 events for residents took place there. In 2018, the first stage of the Cognitive recreational and tourist trails of the Antoninek Forest District with innovative arbors of artistic and utilitarian function project was completed. The Jerzyki Programme and the Bird Asylum project were continued. The attendance at the Poznan Palm House and Zoological Garden amounted to 669 thousand people. A total of 1,256 events for residents were organized there. The project of the Zoo History Museum was implemented. The reconstruction of aviaries and catwalks for predatory mammals within the New ZOO project was awarded in the 22nd edition of the Modernization of the Year competition. Preparatory works for the construction of a new animal shelter were underway. The City of Poznan organized the 25th edition of the Green Poznan competition, in which over 7,1 thousand greenery objects were registered.
According to the state monitoring of the environment, in Poznan in 2017 (the latest available data) the standardized concentrations of specific types of substances have not been exceeded, taking into account criteria for health protection, except for the permissible number of days with exceedances of PM10 dust daily norm and target benzo(a)pyrene level. Exceedances for PM10 dust norm (for 24 hours) and for target level of benzo(a)pyrene in 2017 caused that in 2018 Poznan was classified as the lowest class C in the classification of residential zones in terms of the level of pollution in the air. In 2018, the resolution of the Greater Poland Regional Assembly regarding the introduction of restrictions or prohibitions of the operation of installations in which fuels are combusted in the city of Poznan. As a part of the activities aimed at reducing emissions from low emissions, the City of Poznan implemented (alone or in cooperation), among others, the following programmes: KAWKA BIS, Keep Warm and information and educational projects, such as: Atmosphere for Poznan, Ecoforecast, ESA – Educational Anti-smog Network, Green Service of Poznan, animated film Better atmosphere for Poznan, TV and radio spots, folder Quality of air in Poznan – this is what is being talked about. Eco City Guard Patrol, which was equipped with a mobile device for measuring the level of particulate matter, carried out checks on the legality of combustion. The City of Poznan participated in EU projects related to adaptation of the city to climate change: ADAPTCITY Preparation of strategies of adaptation to metropolitan city climate change using a climate and social participation map, MPA – Development of adaptation plans for climate change in cities with over 100,000 residents and CONNECTING Nature – COproductioN with NaturE for City Transitioning, INnovation and Governance. The aim of them is to popularize innovative solutions based on the environment counteracting the negative effects of climate change in cities.
In 2018, 210,000 Mg mixed municipal waste was processed at the Municipal Waste Treatment Plant in Poznan, producing 300,000 GJ thermal energy and over 113,000 MWh of electricity. The full operation of the Biocomposting Plant with the installation for the recovery of biodegradable waste at the landfill in Suchy Las with an annual capacity of 30,000 Mg also started. Over 3.1 thousand MWh of electricity from 1.6 million m3 of biogas produced during landfill was produced by a biogas power plant operating in the municipal waste landfill site in Suchy Las.
As a part of the system of urban selective waste collection, in 2018 almost 36 thousand tons of waste paper, glass cullet and plastics, and 9,000 tons of problem waste were collected. A Pilot BIOwaste Collection Programme was developed. There were 3 Selective Collection Points for Municipal Waste, Mobile Waste Collection Point, Second Life by Re-use Point, Cleanliness Emergency Service and Biocomposting for the Environment Information Center. The municipal waste collection system was managed by the Inter-municipal Association for Waste Management of the Poznan Agglomeration.
As a part of the educational and information activities on waste management and cleanliness of public space, and raising energy awareness, the following events and projects were organized: Spring Cleaning and Cleaning the World actions, projects: Biocomposting for the Environment Information Centre, Poznan Energy Day, educational trips and eco-tourism lessons for pre-school and school children, EKO – RAJD through bicycle roads of Poznan. The EU EKO-LOG project addressed to secondary school youth was implemented. For its activities for sustainable ecological development, in 2018 the City of Poznan was awarded the title of the Most Ecological City in Poland and the Green Phoenix statuette for supporting and disseminating the idea of eco-energy.
Public space security monitoring was conducted as a part of the City Video Surveillance System, which in 2018 was expanded by 32 cameras and covered 686 cameras. As a part of the interactive National Map of Risks to Security project, residents reported 15.2 thousand risks that do not require urgent intervention, of which 4.6 thousand have been confirmed by the Police. Most concerned speeding, incorrect parking and drinking alcohol in prohibited places. Police officers intervened 138,000 times. The number of crimes amounted to 12.6 thousand with a detection rate of 58.3%. The Municipal Guard of the City of Poznan received 66.3 thousand reports, usually in cases of improperly parked vehicles and negligence in public space. The State Fire Service of the City of Poznan intervened over 5.2 thousand times, especially in cases of local risks. Most fire interventions concerned small fires arising in residential buildings and means of transport. As a part of preventive activities, numerous educational and information projects in the field of counteracting threats to personal and social security were implemented, including: Safe District – Safe Resident, Senior Citizens – Personal Safety, Grandson Advises and Warns, School Free of Drugs and Violence, Security Assurance in Water Areas, I know how to save life, Poznan Academy of Safety, Poznan bike – Safe bike, actions: A detector in every home and Open guards.
Number of crimes in Poznan in the years 2014-2018
Crimes per 1000 residents in the major cities in Poland in 2018
In 2018, the most dangerous places in terms of traffic safety included the following streets: Głogowska, Hetmańska, Krzywoustego, Bukowska, Dąbrowskiego, Grunwaldzka, and Warszawska, where over 1.5 thousand accidents and collisions were recorded. The implementation of the Traffic Management Support System, which will ultimately also help to reduce road safety hazards, was in progress. There were 497.3 thousand motor vehicles registered in Poznan, including 389 thousand passenger cars. In 2018, there were 4 private car sharing systems in the city: Traficar, Click2Go, Easyshare and 4mobility, as well 2 scooter-sharing systems Blinkee and jedenslad, and the Lima scooter-sharing system. Ecological car-sharing systems used amenities in fees in the Paid Parking Zone and parking on designated parking lots. The Park & Ride car park was opened at Szymanowskiego Street, constituting the first stage of the EU Program for the Construction of P & R Parking System in Poznan and, as a part of the second stage of this project, preparatory work for the construction of P & R car parks at Biskupińska, Św. Michała and Wągrowska Streets were underway.
Number of passenger cars per 1000 residents in the major cities in Poland in 2018
Activities were carried out to calm road traffic in the City Centre, including: the calm traffic zone TEMPO 30, turning off other traffic lights in the City Centre, correcting operation programmes for signaling devices to improve pedestrian and bicycle traffic, launching new bus lanes. In 2018, activities for the development of electromobility were continued. A tender for the purchase of 21 electric public transport buses was resolved, works on the development of electric vehicle charging stations in Poznan were in progress and preparations to submit an application for EU co-financing for the purchase of another 37 electric buses and the construction of new bus loading infrastructure were carried out.
In 2018, the length of the bicycle route network increased to 242.2 km. The Poznan City Bike (PRM) system was expanded, which at the end of 2018 included 113 stations with 1 240 bicycles. The number of PRM users has increased to 139.7 thousand people. During the year, they made almost 1.7 million rents.
In 2018, the number of passengers of urban public transport increased to 259.5 million people. The average transport speed was 20.7 km for trams and 23.5 km for buses. The number of users of the Poznan Electronic Agglomeration Cards (PEKA) was 621.1 thousand.
Within the city, solutions were implemented to improve the flow of public transport traffic, including, i.e., the introduction of a priority for public transport at subsequent intersections, permanent reconstructions and repairs of public transport infrastructure. In 2018, the delivery of 50 new low-floor Moderus Gamma trams and 37 new Solaris Urbino buses began. The works or preparations large transportation projects with EU funding were underway: Construction of a tram route from the Wilczak to Naramowice loop, Reconstruction of the tram route Kórnicka – os. Lecha – Żegrze Roundabout along with the construction of the section from Żegrze Roundabout to Unii Lubelskiej Street, Reconstruction of the tram route in Dąbrowskiego Street, Reconstruction of tracks in Wierzbięcice and 28 Czerwca 1956 Streets, Improvement of communication conditions along the national road No. 92, Correction of functioning of the communication system in the Rataje Roundabout.
In 2018, Poznan Metropolitan Railway was launched on the sections connecting Poznan with Grodzisk Wlkp., Jarocin, Nowy Tomyśl, Swarzędz and Wągrowiec,
In 2018, 4,000 new dwellings were completed in Poznan. The majority of them were built by developers for sale or rent. During the year, the construction of 5.6 thousand dwellings in 375 single-family residential buildings and in 79 multi-family buildings was initiated. The number of 140 municipal dwellings at Dymka and Zawady streets were completed, 170 municipal dwellings at Biskupińska and Darzyborska streets were in progress, and the construction of nearly 600 dwellings at Darzyborska, Hulewiczów and Opolska streets was underway. As a part of social housing construction, there were 360 dwellings in the Koszalińska, Literacka, Żołnierzy Wyklętych Streets in progress. The next stages of the investment were under preparation. In January 2018, Zarząd Komunalnych Zasobów Lokalowych Sp. z o.o., the company with the City shares, obtained from the European Investment Bank a loan PLN 178 million for the construction of over 1,000 municipal and social dwellings, renovations of 8 historic tenement houses and modernization of buildings in which health care facilities operate. It also signed an agreement for the issue of bank bonds for the amount of PLN 117 million, which is another source of investment financing.
Number of completed dwellings in Poznan in the years 2014-2018
The City of Poznan carried out projects for residents of municipal buildings and social housing, such as: “Rent with access to property”, “Apartment for the Graduate”, “Apartment for the Senior citizen”, “Pilot Program for Rewarding Persons Reporting Unoccupied and Subrented Apartment”, “Auction Project with Rent Auctions of Big Municipal Apartments”, “Project of Rent of Municipal Apartments in exchange for Renovation Works Made by Future Tenants”, “Municipal Rent Office” and social programmes.
As a part of the work on increasing transport accessibility and improving connection capacity, in 2018 there were modernization of sections of railway lines connecting Poznan with Warsaw (E20), Wroclaw and Szczecin (E59). These lines are a part of two European transport corridors of TEN-T network: Baltic – Adriatic and North Sea – Baltic that are crossed in Poznan, which is the core hub city of TEN-T. At the Poznan–Ławica Airport, 32 thousand aircrafts, including 15,2 thousand in cruise traffic to 36 airports in Europe and Israel and 5,000 in charter traffic were checked in. Over 2.4 million passengers used the flight connections. In 2018, four new cruise destinations and nine charter flights were launched. Poznań-Ławica Airport was ranked second in terms of air traffic dynamics in 2018 among European airports (with less than 5 million passengers annually). The location of Poznan on the New Silk Road transport route has increased the interest of Chinese partners in establishing cooperation with Poznan organizations and companies. In 2018, cooperation between Polish and Chinese universities was continued under the Chinese Belt and Road programme.
In 2018, Poznan was visited by over 916,000 tourists staying overnight in tourist facilities, including 208.5 thousand foreign tourists, and the number of overnight stays amounted to almost 1.5 million. Most foreign tourists originated from Germany, Great Britain and Spain. There were 9,400 accommodations in Poznan, including over 7,000 places in hotels, mainly in 4- and 3-star ones. Three new hotels were opened and subsequent buildings were under construction. In Poznan, there were organized large events promoting the tourist attractiveness of the city and supported by the City of Poznan, such as: Poznan for Half Price, St. John Fair, Poznan Fortress Days, Św. Marcin Street Name Day; urban tourist projects were developed, such as: the Royal-Imperial Route in Poznan with the ICHOT Porta Posnania and the Genius Loci Archaeological Reserve, the Poznan Fortress Trail, the Wartostrada cycle-foot route, the Bicycle Ring around Poznan, the Great Loop of Greater Poland, the Branded Railway Tourism TurKol.pl
As a part of the tourist promotion of Poznan there were study and press visits for journalists, bloggers and representatives of the tourism industry from different countries, cooperation with American Travel Agent Forum, online promotion campaigns Polennu.dk, memo game Poznan and the surrounding areas was released. The offer of urban tourist games implemented as a part of the Sightseeing by Playing – Playing by Sightseeing project was developed and a card game Top Trumps Poznan Winning Moves was released. The City of Poznan actively participated in the works on increasing the attractiveness of the Szlak Piastowski tourist trail running through Poznan. In 2018, urban tourist information was integrated with tourist promotion and a new 7th edition of the Poznan Tourist Card was launched.
As one of the largest metropolitan centers in Poland, Poznan actively participates in network and bilateral cooperation initiatives. The City of Poznan cooperated with 15 foreign twin cities and the Nottinghamshire county. The City of Poznan has awarded public benefit organizations 12 subsidies for a total amount of PLN 100,000 for the implementation of cultural, sports and scientific cooperation projects for residents, especially young people, with twin cities: Assen, Brno, Hannover and Rennes. As a part of institutional cooperation, representatives of the City participated in the work of 11 organizations and international cooperation platforms bringing together cities and regions: Cities for Cyclists’, EUROCITIES, European Cities Marketing, International Congress and Convention Association, Le Club de Strasbourg, Open & Agile Smart Cities, WHO Global Network for Age-friendly Cities, Mayors for Peace, Oder Partnerschaft, Poznan – Ille-et-Vilaine Foundation, WHO Healthy Cities Network – VI Phase, and the Polish-German Intergovernmental Commission on Regional and Border Cooperation. Through the organizations of the Association of Polish Cities and the Union of Polish Metropolises, to which the City of Poznan belongs, the City was represented in the Council of European Municipalities and Regions, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe and the Congress of Regions. As a part of the local cooperation, the City of Poznan actively participated in the work of the Poznan Metropolis Association, which associates also the municipalities of the Poznan poviat, the Poznan poviat and Oborniki, Szamotuły, Śrem and Skoki. In 2018, joint metropolitan projects were implemented, including Poznan Metropolitan Railway, Active Seniors in the Poznan Metropolitan Area and the Kalisz-Ostrów Agglomeration, and the Educational Anti-smog Network.
The City of Poznan promoted its investment, tourist, cultural and sports offer itself and as a part of the Poznan Metropolis Association. The city offer was presented at prestigious industry trade fairs such as: International Property and Investment Fairs MIPIM in Cannes, Business Tourism Fair IMEX in Frankfurt on the Main, Real Estate Fair EXPO REAL in Munich, Innotech Summit 2018 Destination Nordics Emerging Europe in Stockholm, 1st Polish IT Summit in London, ITB International Tourism Exchange in Berlin, WTM London, IMTM Tel Aviv, Ferie for Alle, TBEX Ostrava, Fitur Madrid and during Workshops for tour operators from Singapore in Warsaw and in Poznan, among others at the Game Arena Fairs and Fairs of Regions and Tourist Products Tour Salon.
In 2018, the brand of the City of Poznan was promoted at large, prestigious events taking place in the city, such as: Wings For Life World Run, The Color Run, Bike Challenge, Super League Triathlon, ATP Poznan Open, Cavaliada, urban thematic events, including: STIHL POZnan Ice Festival, Kultura na Wolnym, #naFalach Festival; outdoor campaigns; campaigns in social media: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, as well as in portals and magazines of the business tourism industry.
The promotion of Poznan was also held during major cultural and sports events. The largest international cultural events included: International Jazz Festival – Made in Chicago, Animator International Animated Film Festival, Ale Kino! International Young Audience Film Festival, Biennale of Art for Children, Contexts Theatrical Festival, Nostalgia Festival Poznan, International Early Vocal Music Competition Canticum Gaudium, International Contemporary Music Festival Poznan Musical Spring, Malta Festival Poznan, Art & Fashion Forum by Grażyna Kulczyk, Guitar Academy Festival, Poznan Baroque, Ethno Port Poznan Festival, OFF CINEMA International Documentary Film Festival, Short Waves Festival, Pyrkon Fantasy Festival, as well as the World Press Photo exhibition. As a part of the promotion of Poznan through sport, 22 international sports events took place in the city, including, among others: European U-18 Rugby Championship, U-23 World Rowing Championships, International Jumping Competition Through Obstacles CSI14 * Poznan as part of the Cavaliada Tour Poznan, PKO Poznan Marathon, PKO Poznan Half Marathon and many national and regional sports events.
In 2018, the City of Poznan was awarded the organization of two large international sports events in the years 2020-2021: the European Junior and U-23 Canoe Sprint Championships and the European Rowing Championships.
In 2018, International Poznan Fairs (MTP) organized 90 trade fairs and exhibition halls, in which 11,000 exhibitors participated, including 2.1 thousand from abroad, and the number of visitors amounted to almost 854 thousand people. The biggest events were: Poznan Motor Show / TTM, PGA Game Arena, Poznan Air Show, which was visited by over 240,000 people. There were organized 9 new fair events, including 7 in Poznan. As a part of promotion of the Polish economy on international markets, MTP organized 14 speeches abroad in Berlin, Dubai, Hannover, Cologne, London, Moscow, Rimini, Santa Clara, Sao Paulo and Shanghai. Over 40 exhibitors and sub-exhibitors took part in them.
In 2018, 49 congresses and conferences were held at the fairgrounds, including the largest ones: Microwave and Radar Week, HOPE Congress, World Computer Congress, Euroson International Ultrasound Congress, 44th EIBA Annual International Business in a Transforming World Conference. Poznan Convention Bureau conducted activities aimed at promoting the city as a place of organization of prestigious congresses and international conferences, obtaining confirmation of the organization of the European Cities Marketing Congress 2020.
Poznan is characterized by a very high potential of economic growth on the national scale, it is one of the top Polish economically well-developed cities. The economy of Poznan is structurally diverse and well developed. It is dominated by the services sector, which creates nearly 73% of gross value added and is the workplace for 77% of employees. The value of gross domestic product per capita in 2016 (the latest available data) was PLN 96.1 thousand and was two times higher than the national average and there was a higher one only in Warsaw. There are 111,700 companies registered in Poznan, most of them SMEs, including over 3 thousand companies with foreign capital. In 2018, there were 208 business entities per 1000 people – the largest number among major Polish cities (outside of Warsaw). Most companies (61.3%) were owned by natural persons conducting business. The largest number of business entities conducted activities in the field of trade, industrial and construction production, professional, scientific and technical activities.
Entities newly registered in the REGON register in Poznan in the years 2014-2018
Poznan belongs to the group of the most-active centers of the meetings industry in Poland, with 596 conference rooms with 90,000 places. In the years 2016-2017 (the latest available data), over 3 million people took part in business meetings and events. The biggest events from the MICE sector take place at the Poznan Congress Centre located on the premises of the Poznan International Fairs.
Poznan is an attractive location for foreign investors who have invested EUR 8 billion here. The 2/3 of foreign capital comes from Germany, Great Britain, France, Japan and the USA, and the largest investors include: Asahi, Beiersdorf, Bridgestone, Exide Technologies, GlaxoSmithKline, Unilever, and Volkswagen. The city is one of the largest centres of business services in Poland, including such centers of: IKEA, Jeronimo Martins, McKinsey & Company, Rockwool, Mars, MAN or GlaxoSmithKline. Out of 80 business service centers operated in Poznan in 2018, over 30 are: IT, ITO or R & D centers specializing in IT, and another 10 have IT processes in their portfolio. The city is rated as a very good (32%) and good (48%) place to do business in the IT sector; 53% of the Greater Poland ICT sector companies have their headquarters in Poznan. In 2018, in Poznan there were 22.4 thousand programmers.
A total of 18 companies from Poznan were ranked by the Rzeczpospolita daily in the annual ranking of the largest Polish companies Lista 500. There were 6 companies from Poznan in TOP100: Eurocash SA (6.position), Volkswagen Poznan Sp. z o.o. (12th position), ENEA SA (16th position), Volkswagen Group Polska (20th position), Żabka Polska Sp. z o.o. (40th position) and GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals SA (77th position).
Good conditions for setting up and running a business activity as well as investor-friendliness are confirmed by the 1st place in the Outsourcing Stars competition of the Pro Progressio Foundation and the Investor Friendly Cities Ranking of the Polish Association of Real Estate Developers, and the 2nd place in the Business-Friendly Cities Ranking of the Forbes monthly. Every year, a total 30,000 students graduate from the universities of Poznan. Despite this, the unemployment rate in the city has been the lowest in the country for years and in December 2018 it was 1.2%.
Innovation, including a strong startup community and the games industry, platforms and cooperation networks supporting the development of clustering and high-tech, is playing an increasingly important role in Poznan economy. In 2018, in Poznan, almost 900 new creative companies were registered. Over the last 10 years, the employment growth in the technology sector has increased by 64%. In 2018, in the international ranking of the CBRE agency EMEA_Tech Cities assessing the locations in which the high-tech sector develops, Poznan was in TOP10 in the Growth Clusters category – the most developing locations in the EMEA region. The scientific and academic community is actively involved in building a knowledge-based economy in the city. Interdisciplinary inter-university research centers and Poznan technology parks operate. Apart from academic activities, R & D activities are also run by Poznan universities ranked as some of the best in the country. They educate students in 250 fields.
The wealth of the city and the very high potential for economic growth are confirmed by high credit ratings assigned by the largest international rating agencies. Poznan has obtained the highest available A- rating with stable forecast, from the Fitch Ratings agency. At the same level (A3 with a stable forecast), the credit rating of Poznan is assigned by Moody’s Investors Service.
In 2018, Poznan was also included in other prestigious international rankings and studies, such as the European Regional Economic Growth Index, FDI European Cities and Regions of Future, GaWC Cities Ranking, Best European Destination, European Capital of Smart Tourism. They emphasized the large economic and investment potential as well as the high level of wealth, tourist attractiveness, cultural life, social capital and the availability of jobs in the new media and communications industry, and good business climate. The City of Poznan was once again awarded in the Outsourcing Stars competition organized by the Pro Progressio Foundation for the activities for the development of outsourcing service.
The high level of entrepreneurship was actively supported by the City of Poznan, which directed its activities to people starting business activity and already operating micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. During the year, a total of 330,000 people benefitted from this offer. The scope of actions targeted at the development of entrepreneurship in 2018 included, e.g., training and consulting and information services, subsidies for the initiation of business activity by the unemployed granted by the Poviat Labor Office, sureties for the repayment of obligations related to business operations granted by the Poznan Credit Guarantee Fund, business support programmes, including innovative activities, services of the Poznan Technology and Industry Park, offer of the +jeden shared work zone. Most people took advantage of training, consulting and information services, including Internet ones, offered by the City Advisory and Training Center as a part of the Business Mentor programme, Poznan Business Support Center, Microentrepreneur Club run by the Poviat Labor Office and Poznan Credit Guarantee Fund Ltd. Entrepreneurship was supported by municipal programmes such as: Poznan for Export, Craftsmanship Corner, Startup Poznan and a project of entrepreneurship classes in Poznan vocational schools. A total of 4,3 thousand people took part in events addressed to entrepreneurs: Poznan Biznes Partner, Startup Poznan 2018, Social Media Ninja and Blog Conference Poznan and the final gala of the next edition of the Poznan Entrepreneurship Leader completion attended the 8th edition of the Poznan Entrepreneurship Days organized by the City of Poznan in cooperation with other entities. As a part of promotion of the Polish economy on international markets, Poznan International Fairs Ltd. organized 12 foreign presentations in Berlin, Kaliningrad, Cologne, Mumbai, Orlando, Beijing and Shanghai. Over 20 exhibitors and sub-exhibitors took part in them.
A total of 345,000 people worked in Poznan (the latest available data for 2017). Most of them, about 80%, worked in services, and 19% in industry and construction. The largest Poznan employers employing over 1000 people included companies operating in the manufacturing, construction, transport, communication, financial intermediation, education, health and administration sectors. The major employers in Poznan included: Volkswagen Poznan Sp. z o.o. and Adam Mickiewicz University. The good economic situation caused a revival in the labor market and an increased number of job offers. Entrepreneurs had the biggest problems with finding employees with specialist vocational education and employees for simple jobs. This situation meant that employers from Poznan were more willing to use the opportunity to employ foreigners. In 2018, 65.3 thousand employers declarations on the intention to employ a foreigner were registered in Poznan and in Poznan poviat, of which 92% concerned citizens of Ukraine. Almost half of them were employed by temporary work agencies. The situation on the local labor market caused a situation in which the unemployment level in Poznan was once again the lowest in the country. In 2018, the unemployment rate was 1.2%, and the number of unemployed amounted to 4.2 thousand people. More than half (55%) of jobseekers were people aged 25 to 44. The largest number of unemployed people had the lowest level of education (lower secondary school and below) and higher education. The unemployed could use the help system of the Poviat Labor Office, such as: mediating in the process of seeking employment through Individual Action Plans, directing to internships, vocational training and active job search training, intervention work and public works, subsidizing projects related to starting a business and integration services for unemployed people attending social and vocational integration workshops organized by Social Integration Centers, free vocational guidance, including group occupational information. There were regular job fairs, prepared, e.g. by career offices or student self-government organizations. The unemployed people from Poznan participated in projects financed from the European Social Fund and national resources, including: Activation of unemployed young people in the Poznan poviat, Professional activation of the unemployed and job seekers in the Poznan poviat, Activation and Integration, I still want to work, Improvement of access to care services for children under 3 years of age in the city of Poznan, Action Activation – ESF, implemented as part of the European Youth Guarantee programme.
Number of unemployed people and unemployment rate in Poznan in the years 2014-2018
Unemployment rate in the major cities in Poland in 2018
The City of Poznan monitored the local labor market, actively cooperated with employers, implemented joint ventures and targeted projects to increase employees competencies in the local labor market, including vocational training in deficit professions and education in technical and adult education by participating in the work of the Poviat Employment Council and Partnership for the Development of the Greater Poland Labor Market, Entrepreneurship and Employment and Entrepreneurship Support Network, as well as through the Observatory of Economy and Labor Market of the Poznan Agglomeration. The projects implemented in this area by the City of Poznan included, among others: Professional qualifications as a key to success – we support the development of vocational education in the Poznan City Functional Area, Pupil with Passion, Respect for Professionals with Job Arena educational fairs, Raising the competences in mathematics and informatics of high school students of MOF Poznan, Equipment of educational institutions with modern and highly specialized technological equipment in MOF Poznan, SSC / BPO week, German Language to Poznan, Development of Infrastructure Centre for Vocational and Continuing Education.
Vocational schools for the youth educated the most specialists in services for residents, engineering and technical, ICT, as well as business and administration services. In post-secondary schools, the majority of students were educated in the following fields: business and administration, medicine. Most graduates of higher education graduated from the following faculties: economics, accounting, pedagogy and social sciences. Universities made changes in the educational offer, mainly through the introduction of new specialties and curricula, more often conducted under the agreement of several universities and with entrepreneurs.
As a part of inclusion of residents into the co-management and co-responsibility for city development and to open social dialogue, 42 auxiliary units of the City functioned in Poznan, of which 5 including the City Center area were associated in the City Center Estates Coalition. In 2018, all auxiliary units of the City received almost PLN 28 million from the City budget. Most, over 60%, was spent on local activities in the field of construction of roads, pavements, bicycle routes and education.
As a part of the activation of local communities, the next edition of the Local Estate Initiatives competition, initiated by the local councils of estates, was organized. The City budget supported the implementation of local investments of technical infrastructure. The persons most involved in the implementation of local investments received the Golden Rose and Silver Rose awards from the City.
In 2018, the City of Poznan cooperated with non-governmental organizations on the basis of the documents adopted by the Poznan City Council: Multi-annual Programme for the Cooperation with of the City of Poznan with Non-Governmental Organizations for 2017-2020 and Annual Programme for the Cooperation of the City of Poznan with Non-Governmental Organizations for 2018, defining priority tasks implemented for public benefit and local initiatives, and tasks planned by the local councils of estates. Non-governmental organizations received co-financing from the City budget for projects being implemented, primarily in the field of social assistance; culture, art, protection of cultural property and national heritage; counteracting addictions and social pathologies as well as supporting and disseminating physical culture. The Poznan Centre for Supporting Non-Governmental Organizations and Volunteering (Centrum Bukowska) supporting non-governmental organizations and volunteering and Local Initiatives Centers (CIL) was operating in Poznan, aimed at developing cooperation between local government and non-governmental organizations and activating local communities. The City of Poznan organized the next edition of the competition for the INICJATORY Best Poznan Non-Governmental Initiative and the Poznan Volunteer of the Year competition.
Representatives of non-governmental organizations participated in social consultative and opinion-forming teams appointed by the Poznan City Council or the Mayor of Poznan, such as Poznan Public Benefit Council, City Council of Senior Citizens, Municipal Social Council for Disabled People, Large Family Council, Youth Consultative Council at the Mayor of Poznan, Youth City Council of Poznan and commissions for civil dialogue. Social consultations were conducted in traditional forms and using the Internet Platform for Social Consultation and the Metropolitan Consultation Portal. A modern internet platform “Open Poznan” for communication with the residents was launched. Other forms of social dialogue included: permanent consultations in planning decisions and road investments, and one-off consultations regarding various projects important to residents, direct meetings of the Mayor with the residents of locals estates, the Poznan Civil Budget (PBO) project. In 2018, as part of the PBO, the budget of which was increased to PLN 20 million, 425 projects were submitted, for which 55.6 thousand people voted.
Innovative social support projects for residents were implemented such as the information and consultation point in the field of legal and financial consultancy for individual owners of private residential buildings, Points of Unpaid Legal Advice, Admissions Office of the Ombudsman.
The City of Poznan organized social campaigns, including: We have it in the CV, Don’t be ridiculous! Let breathe! No, it was not a game; Airbag, promotional and informational campaign of the Centre for Local Initiatives, Respect for Professionals, Replace PITs for Benefits.
In 2018, the Poznan Contact Office operated as a part of the implementation of the principles of open administration, offering call center and contact center services based on municipal teleinformation services. During the year, the City of Poznan received 1 084 applications for access to public information, with most of them concerning urban planning and architecture, land management and social assistance. An online open database of city data BaDaM, presenting information and statistical data about Poznan, and the spatial 3D Model of the City of Poznan were launched. E-services and modern solutions in the field of Smart City were developed. The process of introducing modern management standards by the City of Poznan was continued. In 2018, in the local elections, the citizens elected 34 councilors and the Mayor of Poznan. Jacek Jaśkowiak was elected for the Mayor of Poznan once again. The institution supporting the implementation of the decrees of the Mayor of Poznan and the resolutions of the City Council of Poznan, responsible for the implementation of the majority of public matters of local importance is the Poznan City Hall (UMP). Own and commissioned tasks carried out by the UMP mainly concern the spatial order, budget, culture, education, health, greenery, road maintenance, municipal waste management.
At the end of 2018, 32 departments and equivalent organizational units operated in the Poznan City Hall, in which a total of 1,786 people were employed. In addition, in Poznan, there were over 350 municipal organizational units, commercial law companies and cooperatives with shares of the City, associations, inter-municipal associations and foundations of which the City is a member or founder. In 2018, the Poznan City Hall and municipal organizational units issued 669.6 thousand administrative decisions. The majority concerned civil matters and communication, tax, and social assistance entitlements.