The Institute for Urban and Regional Development (Instytut Rozwoju Miast i Regionów, IRMiR) is a Polish research institute that supports national and local government in managing cities and functional urban areas, shaping space, and planning local and regional development. Its work combines research and expert analysis with practical recommendations for public authorities, researchers, specialists and others interested in urban and regional issues.6 The institute’s registered headquarters are in Warsaw, while its correspondence address is in Kraków.34
IRMiR’s present institutional form has a layered history. The Institute of Urban Development was established in 2002; in 2018 it was incorporated into a new national institute alongside the Institute of Spatial Management and Housing, and the current name took effect on 1 March 2019.6 The institute is directed by Wojciech Jarczewski.411
A key programme is the Urban Policy Observatory, established within the institute in 2016. It monitors urban policy, brings together and makes available data about cities, and shares research intended to inform debate on urban policy in Poland.[Page excerpt] IRMiR also serves as a strategic partner to the 11th World Urban Forum, providing substantive support to the event’s organisers and sharing knowledge about cities with both specialists and wider audiences.[Page excerpt] Its work is national in scope, focused on Poland’s cities, regions and public institutions.6