Land use institutions and social-ecological systems: A spatial analysis of local landscape changes in Poland

Deslatte, A., Szmigiel-Rawska, K., Tavares, A. F., Ślawska, J., Karsznia, I., & Łukomska, J. (2022). Land use institutions and social-ecological systems: A spatial analysis of local landscape changes in Poland. Land Use Policy, 114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105937 This episode examines landscape transformation in Poland to understand how governance and resource systems interact within evolving institutional contexts. Urban land-use patterns are viewed as integrated human-natural systems, where changes in human settlements, such as population density, wealth, and political institutions, can degrade natural systems, while ecological decline similarly impacts human well-being and sustainability. Using a socioecological systems (SES) approach, the study draws on Logan and Molotch's (1987) growth machine thesis, emphasizing coalitions of politicians and business leaders driving urban development. Focusing on Poland's transition from Soviet-style central planning to Westernized capitalist approaches, the research analyzes 12 years of land-use changes with spatial Durbin error models and Corine Land Cover data. Key findings include: local executive autonomy fostering development, farmer representation reducing transaction costs in governance, and municipal wealth mediating pro-development landscape shifts. Historical and adjacent land-use changes also influence outcomes. The study highlights SES frameworks as valuable for cross-national research on land-use dynamics.