The aim of the union was the creation of a strong metropolitan center with pooled resources, an internationally competitive profile and unified management of common infrastructure.[5]
Goals
The main goals of the union included the following:[5]
Arriving at a common development strategy for the cities of the union, in accordance with the current law governing planning and land use
Implementing projects joined by a common development strategy of the cities
Obtaining financing from domestic and foreign funding sources
Managing the roadways transferred to the union by its constituent cities
Obtaining aid from the European Union
Stimulating the job market throughout the constituent cities
Supporting innovative economic programs, increasing the competitive standing of the cities
Influencing legislative and decision-making processes in matters important to the union and affecting the union's activities
Nationally, the union strived to address several problems including:
Poor recognition (often omitted from Polish maps)[6]
Under-investment (MAUS receives the lowest per-capita allocation of EU development funds in Poland)[7]
The effects of the union's activity included: improvement in managing the consortium, strengthening its economic muscle and increasing the competitive standing of the cities of the MAUS, coordination of public relations and promoting the member cities, and underscoring the importance of the region.
History
It was created by local authorities with little or no actual public discourse. The intent to form the union was formally stated by the mayors of the participating cities, who signed a declaration to this effect on 9 January 2006 in Świętochłowice.[8] The Union's registration was signed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration of the Republic of Poland (Polish: MSWiA) on 8 June 2007 with the city of Katowice.[9]
On 1 July 2017 a new sui generis entity, the Metropolis GZM (Polish: Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolia), was created.[10][11] Therefore, the Metropolitan Association of Upper Silesia was discontinued on 28 December 2017.[12]
Participating municipalities
Originally 17 cities were to enter into the union; due to technicalities in Polish law which could have prevented its legalization, only 14 of the 17 cities (that is, those with the legal status of a City with powiat rights) proceeded with forming the union. Towns of Będzin, Czeladź and Knurów declared their willingness to join the Silesian Metropolis, but due to legal issues canceled their candidacy.
The borders between the constituent cities have been for decades artificial, and sometimes absurd; for example, one side of a street would belong to one city and the other to another.
The constituent cities by population numbers were as follows (data of 2008):[13]
