Habitat and Human Development: Poland 1996

Whereas the first Polish NHDR summarized the first years of transition and emphasized the social cost of the process, the 1996 NHDR focused particularly on the themes of the Second UN conference on Human Settlements (HABITAT II), with particular reference to the critical housing situation in the country and the search for solutions. The particular situation of housing problems in the Katowice and Gdansk voivodships and the solutions in terms of affordable housing developed by a publishing company MURATOR active in advocating housing issues, are discussed. In addition, the Report provides a methodological review of the Human Development Index in relation to Poland, and of the various methods of poverty measurement. Certain areas of human development are given special treatment, for instance relating to education and the development of the intellectual potential of Polish society, to information, health, social security and the disabled. Changes in the organization of society in terms of political and economic systems and the growth of non-governmental organizations, foundations and associations, are also discussed. The Report also provides a valuable summary of the Programme for sustainable development of the Katowice agglomeration (SKAP), which is one of the ten "Sustainable Cities Programmes" in the world being assisted by the UN Centre for Human Settlements (UNCHS).