World Urbanism Day in Katowice

KATOWICE, POLAND - NOVEMBER 06: General view of buildings built in different decades and in different architectural styles in the center of Katowice, on November 6, 2022 in Katowice, Poland. The city of Katowice is located in the heart of Silesia, a historic region of Poland, known for its coal mines. The economic decline and unemployment affected many cities in the region, including the Katowice Agglomeration. Despite foreign investment in technology, productions and cultural institutions, the area still faces serious challenges with widespread environmental degradation, a shrinking population, obsolete industrial and communist construction, and continued dependence on declining coal reserves. Since the EU set goals for the transition to cleaner energy, the region has faced a double challenge: how to recover a heavily degraded coal landscape in the future while shifting to a new energy and economic paradigm. (Photo by Artur Widak/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)