How industrial transformation shapes suburbanisation in the XXI century: insights from the Wrocław urban agglomeration in Poland

Abstract This article aims to examine the relationship between industrial transformation and suburbanisation processes in an urban agglomeration in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), using the case of the Wrocław agglomeration (south-western Poland) in the 21st century. This relationship is analysed in the context of economic, demographic, and spatial changes occurring within the area under study. The analysis demonstrates that the observed shifts in the spatial distribution of industrial activity reinforce the dynamics of suburbanisation in the urban agglomeration. Conversely, changes in the use of industrial land and the accompanying demographic transformations (primarily within the core of the agglomeration) tend to mitigate the intensity of suburbanisation. These findings may have significant implications for spatial policy-making in CEE cities and contribute to their more sustainable development.