The project involves the delivery of research services focused on expanding and implementing Smart Villages solutions for the Mazovia region, including the development of practical guidelines and educational materials for farmers, rural residents, and representatives of local government. The project is funded by the Mazovia Province, with a total budget of PLN 2,000,000 gross, and will be carried out between 2025 and 2027. 

WUT Faculty of Geodesy and Cartography involved at the helm

The initiative originated within the Department of Digitization, Geodesy, and Cartography of the Marshal’s Office of the Mazovia Province, which held a series of consultations with experts from various scientific institutions. As a result of these consultations, a consortium was formed, with the Faculty of Geodesy and Cartography at WUT serving as its lead institution.

The project is designed to produce concrete results, including:

• development of functional design materials aligned with the Common Agricultural Policy (FEM) 2021–2027 and practical guidelines for farmers and rural communities in Mazovia;
• a concept for updating the soil and agricultural map and proposals for applying thematic cartographic analyses;
• strategies for implementing modern rural infrastructure and piloting Smart Village solutions through social testing and evaluation.

The core research and coordination tasks are carried out by staff from the Department of Cadastre and Real Estate Management, with involvement from other academic units. The project leadership includes: Professor Katarzyna Sobolewska-Mikulska, (project leader), Anna Bielska, PhD, (Chair of the Consortium Council), Natalia Sajnóg, PhD (Chair of the Steering Committee).

Modern technologies for the Polish countryside

The Smart Villages Plus initiative covers a broad, interdisciplinary scope that integrates science, geospatial technologies, socio-economic research, and field-based implementations. It addresses key challenges facing rural communities and seeks to counteract negative demographic, environmental, and infrastructural trends.

Researchers from WUT are responsible for conducting fieldwork, preparing technical documentation, and delivering the following outputs:

• Recommendations for geodetic procedures in shaping the spatial structure of rural areas
• Recommended development directions for agricultural holdings
• Actions aimed at improving water management in agriculture
• Policy recommendations for local government units and Voivodeship Offices of Geodesy and Agricultural Land Management regarding agricultural holding models
• Conceptual framework for the Smart Villages – My Thesis, Your Village competition
• Regulations for the Smart Villages – My Thesis, Your Village competition
• Concept for updating the soil and agricultural map
• Methodology for conducting field research, including its implementation and course in a selected test area defined by cadastral boundaries
• Methodology for updating the soil and agricultural map, including: interpretation and verification of theoretical assumptions based on field research results, selection of tools and methods effective for carrying out the update
• Survey assessing social barriers to the development of green-blue infrastructure in rural areas
• Methodology for the development of green-blue infrastructure in legal and economic terms, including: identification of thematically relevant issues in the design and functioning of green-blue infrastructure, a proposed methodology enabling the comprehensive development of such infrastructure
• Legal and economic development plan for green-blue infrastructure in the designated pilot area
• Assessment of the current situation regarding the location of water drainage systems, land under ponds, forest land, wooded and shrubby land, and land owned by the National Agricultural Support Centre, based on data from the Land and Building Register
• Proposal for a set of forecasting indicators to assess the demand for investments based on natural resources aimed at increasing retention capacity, such as: construction of micro water reservoirs, environmentally and landscape-oriented investments enhancing landscape and soil retention
• Identification of priority directions for rural development, based on test areas, with the aim of aligning settlement expansion with strategic transport infrastructure at the regional level
• Proposal for indicators assessing demand for: new road investments, modernization of the existing road network, decommissioning of redundant road segments
• Proposal for settlement development planning, in relation to the conditions and directions of transport network development
• Concept for land-use planning regarding renewable energy sources, including wind, solar, and biomass
• Implementation of informational and instructional meetings, covering the scope of tasks and products delivered by the Faculty of Geodesy and Cartography at WUT; familiarization of identified stakeholders with the project deliverables and results
• Popular science publications 

– Smart Villages Plus is an initiative that clearly demonstrates the smart future of rural Poland – emphasizes Prof. Katarzyna Sobolewska-Mikulska, Project Leader. – By working together with a leading scientific institution like Warsaw University of Technology, we can deliver truly innovative and practical solutions that improve everyday life in the countryside.