| Article of the Month - February 2020 | 
		Possibilities of implementing crowdsourcing 
		initiatives in rural development programmes in Poland    
		Wioleta Krupowicz, Adrianna Czarnecka, Poland, 
		Magdalena Grus, Netherlands  
		
			
				|   |   |   | 
			
				| Wioleta Krupowicz | Adrianna Czarnecka | Magdalena Grus | 
		
		
			
			This article in .pdf-format 
			(16 pages)
		This paper was presented at the FIG Working Week 2019 
		in Hanoi, Vietnam. The article presents the possibilities of 
		implementation of the idea of crowdsourcing in rural development 
		programmes in Poland
			
		
						SUMMARY
		Rural areas in Poland are inhabited by 39.8% of the country’s 
		population (GUS, 2018a). They face various challenges in the scope of 
		development of efficient and competitive agriculture and forest economy, 
		strengthening of area structures as an independent living and economic 
		space, and preservation of cultural landscape and natural environment. 
		Measures aimed at the improvement of rural development instruments have 
		been undertaken in Poland for many years. The Rural Development 
		Programme for the years 2014-2020, specifying the framework of 
		development of rural areas in Poland, draws attention to the need of 
		activation of residents of rural areas, and use of endogenic potentials 
		for the purposes of local development. The entire process of spatial 
		planning in rural areas in Poland requires undertaking measures 
		promoting creative attitudes among residents of rural areas and enabling 
		their involvement in joint undertakings. 
		One of the tasks of ongoing rural development projects is to take 
		social conditions into consideration. The research seeks potential 
		activities to be undertaken by local self-governments interested in the 
		development of local identity and sense of belonging. The development 
		and common use of the Internet and new digital tools come with a wide 
		range of new possibilities, challenges, and perspectives in the scope of 
		rural development. One of such tools is crowdsourcing. The survey 
		applies this relatively new approach to knowledge acquisition, 
		information diffusion, and exchange of thoughts and views among 
		authorities, experts, and the crowd. It entails a combination of 
		top-down, traditional, hierarchical process, and a bottom-up, open 
		process engaging an online community. The analysis of trends observed in 
		European policies reveals that the application of the idea of 
		crowdsourcing for strengthening social participation is a very desirable 
		and important issue. 
		The article presents the possibilities of implementation of the idea 
		of crowdsourcing in rural development programmes in Poland, particularly 
		in planning works related to the implementation of land consolidation. A 
		dedicated application was created in the GIS environment especially for 
		this purpose. 
		1. INTRODUCTION 
		Rural areas in Poland face many challenges in the scope of efficient 
		and competitive agriculture and forest economy, strengthening area 
		structures as an independent living and economic space, and preservation 
		of the values of the cultural landscape and natural environment. Poland 
		stands out in Europe in terms of its environmental and landscape 
		diversity. This results from the natural conditions (diverse land relief 
		and variability of soil and climate conditions), uneven 
		industrialisation and urbanisation of the country, high contribution of 
		permanent grasslands, and preservation of extensive agriculture over a 
		considerable area, particularly in regions with mosaic spatial structure 
		(in the eastern and south-eastern part of the country) (Kaługa 2009). 
		Arable land constitutes 60.2% of the territory of the country (GUS, 
		2018b). Half of it constitutes unique habitats disappearing in the 
		European landscape, with havens of rare and endangered species of flora 
		and fauna (Machnik and Kurczewski, 2014). High environmental and 
		landscape values of agricultural areas are confirmed by covering their 
		considerable part by the Natura 2000 network (Gwiazdowicz, 2010). 
		Reconciling the economic development of rural areas with environmental 
		and landscape protection is a difficult task. Activities with this goal 
		in mind have been undertaken in Poland for many years in the framework 
		of the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union.
		Rural development in Poland is currently stimulated by the Rural 
		Development Programme for the years 2014-2020. It draws attention to the 
		need of activation of residents of rural areas, and use of endogenic 
		potentials for the purposes of local development. The entire process of 
		spatial planning in rural areas in Poland requires activities promoting 
		creative attitudes among residents of rural areas, and enabling their 
		involvement in joint undertakings. One of measures related to the 
		transformation of the spatial structure of rural areas in Poland, 
		implemented in the scope of the programme, is land consolidation. 
		Consolidation works performed so far did not make the most of the 
		knowledge resources of the local community regarding their area of 
		residence (in the scope of resources of local material and intangible 
		cultural heritage, local environmental conditions affecting agriculture, 
		functionality and quality of access roads to arable and forest land, 
		problem areas, etc.). This translated into: a unilateral character of 
		the solutions of the consolidation plan, and the exclusive consideration 
		of the improvement of the area structure of agricultural farms and 
		transportation system, lack of implementation of the currently promoted 
		idea of sustainable development of areas, non-optimal use of funds for 
		the purposes, and a small number of implemented consolidation 
		procedures. 
		The development and common use of the Internet and new digital tools 
		comes with a broad range of new possibilities, challenges, and 
		perspectives in the scope of development of rural areas. One of such 
		tools is crowdsourcing – a tool allowing for effectively reaching the 
		interested social groups, use of their knowledge on the area, acquiring 
		their opinions and ideas, and then their involvement in the 
		implementation of the planning works. It permits the inclusion of the 
		community in the decision-making process regarding the type of aspects 
		of space that should be considered in the implementation of works 
		related to the transformation of the space of rural areas, as well as 
		acquiring detailed information on the study area, not available in the 
		existing spatial data bases. It may also result in the development of 
		innovative solutions by reducing the cost and time usually required in 
		the traditional problem-solving process (Brabham, 2008). 
		Public participation is a key priority in public planning and 
		crowdsourcing. It is regarded a good way to engage citizens and 
		facilitate an open dialogue between them and planners (Bugs et al., 
		2010). The analysis of trends observed in the European policy (projects 
		CAPS – Collective Awareness Platforms for Sustainability and Social 
		Innovation) shows that the application of the idea of crowdsourcing for 
		the purpose of strengthening of social participation is a very desirable 
		and important issue. Numerous examples also include among others 
		crowdsourcing platforms engaging residents in common search for 
		solutions to local problems, as well as in transforming, improving, and 
		governing the city, e.g. WeDundee.com in Scotland, FixMyStreet.com in 
		Great Britain, or OtwartaWarszawa.pl in Poland. Holland also has 
		considerable experience in the scope (among others Bol et al., 2016; 
		Grus and Sjoukema, 2017). It has been applying the tool in works related 
		to updating topographic maps with the support of elementary school 
		pupils for several years. OpenStreetMap (OSM) is the most famous example 
		of crowdsourcing available today (Haklay and Weber, 2008). 
		Land consolidation is one of the processes shaping the spatial 
		structure of rural areas. Therefore, the implementation of 
		consolidations (but also preparation of strategic documents for local 
		development affecting the functional-spatial structure of rural areas) 
		requires undertaking measures promoting creative attitudes among 
		residents of rural areas, and enabling their involvement in joint 
		undertakings. The article presents the concept of implementation of the 
		idea of crowdsourcing in processes transforming the spatial structure of 
		rural areas based on a dedicated application. 
		2. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LAND CONSOLIDATION 
		PROCESS IN POLAND 
		One of the basic measures contributing to the development of 
		agriculture and rural areas in Poland, as well as in the countries of 
		the European Union (Vitikainen, 2004), is the land consolidation 
		process. Consolidation works in Poland currently gradually cease to be 
		treated as measures limited only to new planning of boundaries of 
		registered plots optimal only from the point of view of owners of 
		agricultural farms. From the moment of Poland’s accession to the 
		European Union (in 2004), land consolidation increasingly frequently 
		constitutes an element of a group of measures aimed at complex 
		development of an area subject to consolidation, with consideration of 
		complex renewal of villages, improvement of the transport system, 
		protection of the natural environment, protection of landscape values 
		and cultural heritage, and improvement of water relations (Bielska and 
		Leń (eds.), 2015; Krupowicz et al., 2017; Kupidura et al., 2014; 
		Sobolewska-Mikulska (ed.), 2015; Sobolewska-Mikulska and Wójcik, 2018; 
		Stańczuk-Gałwiaczek et al., 2018; Wilkowski and Pułecka, 2002). 
		Poland is one of the largest beneficiaries of EU projects oriented at 
		rural development, where the land consolidation process is of particular 
		importance (Janus and Markuszewska, 2017). Poland currently experiences 
		high demand for implementation of such works. The needs in the scope 
		cover more than 7 million ha, constituting approximately 69% of the area 
		of arable land of family farms in the country (Jędrejek et al., 2014). 
		Depending on the region, they are respectively larger or smaller. The 
		greatest needs concern the southern, south-eastern, and central part of 
		the country, due to a small surface area of plots and their high 
		dispersal (Jadczyszyn and Woch, 2017). In the programming-financial 
		perspective 2014-2020, approximately 285 million EUR is allocated for 
		the implementation of land consolidation procedures. This will permit 
		the consolidation of land with a total surface area of approximately 106 
		thousand ha (Programme, 2018).
		2.1 Legal regulations and technical procedures 
		As directly stipulated by the Act of 26 March 1982 on land 
		consolidation and exchange (Journal of Laws of 2018, item 908) 
		regulating the land consolidation procedure in Poland, the objective of 
		this type of measures is the provision of more favourable management 
		conditions in agriculture and forestry through the improvement of the 
		area structure of agricultural farms, forests, and forest land, rational 
		management of the plot layout, adjustment of real estate boundaries to 
		the system of melioration facilities, roads, and land relief. The scope 
		of the measure covers a number of surveying, legal, and administrative 
		activities necessary for initiating the consolidation procedure, 
		conducting administrative proceedings, and disclosure of the decision on 
		the approval of the consolidation plan in the land and buildings 
		register and in land and mortgage registers. It particularly covers the 
		preparation of the consolidation plan (surveying-legal documentation), 
		as well as implementation of post-consolidation management – 
		particularly considering the construction and adjustment of agricultural 
		transport roads, correction of the course and improvement of technical 
		parameters of melioration ditches, land reclamation, and implementation 
		of other measures resulting from the consolidation plan, permitting 
		taking possession of newly designated plots and land management in a 
		given area. Consolidation proceedings are performed by the starost as a 
		task in the scope of governmental administration from the resources of 
		the State Budget, with a prevalent contribution of financing from the 
		resources of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. The 
		highest authority in the scope is the voivode. Consolidation works are 
		coordinated and performed by the voivodeship self-government with the 
		support of voivodeship offices of surveying and arable land.
		Two types of consolidation are designated: initiated on request and 
		ex officio. Pursuant to the act on land consolidation, initiation of the 
		consolidation procedure can occur on request of the majority (more than 
		50%) of owners of agricultural farms (with an area of more than 1 ha) 
		located in the designated consolidation area, or on request of owners of 
		land with a total area exceeding half the surface area of the designated 
		consolidation area (irrespective of the total area of land in 
		possession). In order to apply for financing of consolidation works, the 
		starost applies for financial resources in a competition announced by a 
		respective department of the Marshal Office. The criteria of admission 
		of applications are specified in the Regulation of the Minister of 
		Agriculture and Rural Development of 10 December 2015 on detailed 
		conditions and course of granting and provision of financial support for 
		land consolidation procedures, in the scope of submeasure “Support for 
		investments related to development, modernisation, and adjustment of 
		agriculture and forestry” covered by the Rural Development Programme for 
		the years 2014-2020 (item 2180). Preference is given to undertakings 
		that have a positive effect on the landscape and environment, and 
		implement allocation of land for public purposes and for tasks 
		increasing retention.
		Consolidations initiated ex officio, particularly (after obtaining 
		the opinion of the village administration and social-vocational farmer 
		organisations operating in a given village) so-called infrastructural 
		consolidations, are implemented in an area where the plot layout was or 
		will be considerably worsened as a result of the course of the existing 
		or constructed public roads (particularly motorways), railways, 
		on-ground pipelines, and water reservoirs or melioration facilities. The 
		objective of such consolidation is to eliminate or minimise the 
		unfavourable effect of investments on rural space. The costs of 
		consolidation works and post-consolidation management are covered by the 
		investor, if they apply for the consolidation. Next to the 
		aforementioned types of land consolidations, the following are also 
		implemented in Poland (Sobolewska-Mikulska (ed.), 2015): 
		
			- Land consolidations related to the implementation of anti-flood 
			investments, aimed at obtaining real estate for the purposes of 
			construction of anti-flood structures,
 
- “secondary” land consolidations resulting from secondary 
			fragmentation of the area structure of agricultural farms in already 
			previously consolidated areas, or liquidation of common land, 
			consolidation of forests and forest land, alteration and 
			modernisation of agricultural transport roads, counteracting 
			erosion. 
The course of the land consolidation process in Poland is presented 
		in Figure 1.
		Figure 1. Land consolidation procedure in Poland (red colour 
		designates elements of the procedure involving active participation of 
		the local community) 
		DETERMINATION OF NEEDS AND QUALIFICATION 
		OF THE OBJECT FOR CONSOLIDATION 
		
			
				|  | The analyses are performed based on the following data: 
					Land and mortgage registers,Land and buildings register,
soil-agricultural maps,
spatial management plan of the commune, study of the 
				conditions and directions of - spatial management of the 
				commune,agricultural land management programmes,results of field inventory,
 social consultations 
					involving the identification of the needs of the local 
					community,consultations with institutions from the industryDigital Terrain Model (DTM).  The analyses result in the preparation of the following thematic 
				studies: 
					study of land relief,study of soil erosion,study of soil classification of arable land,study of land governance,study of plot surface area,study of spatial distribution of plots of a group of 
					farms with the greatest surface area,study of spatial distribution of plots of a group of 
					farms with the highest number of plots,study of forest and tree stand cover with proposed 
					agricultural-forest boundary,study of existing and planned roads,study of plots with no access road,study of water relations,study of land use by field inventory, inventory and 
					photographic documentation.  | 
			
				|  | The graphic part of the concept presents: 
					boundaries of the consolidation area,proposals 
				concerning changes in the boundaries of communes or villages,land excluded from consolidation,proposals of 
				changes in the arable land structure, and of designation of land 
				allocated for forestation, development of wind protection belts, 
				anti-erosion measures, etc.requirements in the scope of 
				maintenance and protection of field tree stands, tree stands and 
				bushes constituting biological enclosure of water streams, 
				gullies, ravines, high balks – counteracting erosion phenomena,correction of the course of the existing melioration 
				canals and ditches requiring renovation, and planning of 
				melioration ditches in areas requiring meliorations, proposals for the range of reclamation,needs in the 
				scope of changes in the transportation system with consideration 
				of footpaths and road crossings, -      proposals for the 
				location of land of large-area farms, commune property, common 
				land, etc.,proposals for road management, improvement of water conditions and water management,direction of planning plots,changes in the land use structure,designed agricultural-forest boundary,tree stands and bushes,protected areas, location of land for public purpose 
					investments.  | 
			
				|  | 
					Preparation of the environmental study for land 
					consolidations with an area of arable land exceeding 10 ha 
					in areas covered by forms of environmental protection and 
					100 ha for the remaining areas.Decision (issued by the starost) on the obligation of 
					preparation of the EIA report or revoking the obligation. 
					Issuing the decision on environmental conditions (issuing 
					authority – starost).  | 
			
				|  | 
					Election of the Council of Consolidation Participants 
					(up to 12 persons among the participants – as a consulting 
					authority). Appointment by the starost of the Commission fulfilling 
					consulting functions in the preparation of the comparative 
					land appraisal and issuing opinions on reservations to the 
					consolidation plan.  | 
			
				|  | 
					Passing the rules of land appraisal by consolidation 
					participants.Preparation of the map of land appraisal and register of 
					comparative land appraisal before consolidation, and 
					disclosing them to the public.Detailed and thorough analysis of particular appraisal 
					contours in the field.  | 
			
				|  | 
					Measurement of invariable elements of the plan – 
					external boundary (protocol designation on land with plot 
					owners), built-up plots (protocol designation on land with 
					plot owners), roads (protocol designation on land with road 
					administrator), waters (protocol designation on land with 
					administrator), agricultural-forest boundary.Collection of requests from consolidation participants 
					in writing in terms determined in a notification letter.Divisions of common land – in the case of requests for 
					such works.Planning plots of the new state based on collected 
					requests and performed measurements of invariable elements.Preparation of the register of comparative appraisal of 
					land designated as a result of consolidation. Preparation of the list of planned plots and cash 
					equivalents.  | 
			
				|  | 
					Elevation, stabilisation, and presentation in the field 
					of the planned new plots.Presentation of the plan and collection of 
					complaints 
					regarding the plan.Examination of the justification of the complaints by 
					the starost (after prior issuing of an opinion by the 
					Commission) and introduction of potential amendments to the 
					plan.  | 
			
				|  | 
					Decision approving the land consolidation plan together 
					with the conditions of gaining possession of land designated 
					as a result of the consolidation, and ways of settlements 
					constituting an integral part of the decision (terms and 
					rules of gaining possession of new plots, scope of 
					reclamation works, list of new planned roads, and existing 
					roads for modernisation, etc.).Update of the land and buildings register and 
					commencement of works related to post-consolidation 
					management.Disclosure of the new legal state in land and mortgage 
					registers.  | 
			
				|  | Post-consolidation management includes works involving: construction of adjustment of access roads to arable and 
					forest land, and access roads to homesteads of particular 
					consolidation participants,correction of the course 
					and improvement of the technical parameters of melioration 
					facilities,liquidation of redundant balks and roads, and 
					performance of reclamation measures permitting mechanical 
					cultivation of land (among others removal of bushes, 
					planation of ditches, removal of balks, ploughing). 
 | 
		
		2.2 Participation of the local community
The scope and character of participation of the local community in 
		consolidation proceedings is stipulated in legal provisions (Act, 1982). 
		The land consolidation process is implemented with the participation of 
		the Council of Consolidation Participants consisting of 3-12 persons as 
		a social consulting authority appointed by the consolidation 
		participants. It fulfils consulting functions towards the surveyor, 
		planner, and starost – it issues opinions on reservations to the plan, 
		proposes the course of new roads. Consolidation participants have an 
		important role of submitting individual requests concerning the location 
		of their plots, and pass the rules of estimation providing the basis for 
		the accurate determination of the value of land. Customarily in the 
		Polish consolidation procedure, residents of the consolidation area do 
		not actively participate in the planning works. It is a manifestation of 
		social participation with informative and consultation character. 
		Residents participate in the following stages of the process (see Figure 
		1):
		
			- analysis of the existing state resulting in the preparation of a 
			group of thematic studies, 
- launching the consolidation procedure on request of the majority 
			of owners of agricultural farms located in the area of the planned 
			consolidation, or on request of owners of land with a total area 
			exceeding half of the surface area of the planned consolidation 
			area,
- land estimation,
- preparation of the detailed plan and register of comparative 
			land estimation after consolidation,
- presentation of the plan and collection of complaints concerning 
			the plan. 
In such a situation, residents have no actual influence on the 
		planned investment measures (directly or indirectly) concerning them. 
		Only actual participation of the local community in the design works 
		allows for minimising the number of socio-spatial conflicts, and for 
		obtaining social acceptance in the scope of decisions taken in the scope 
		of the land consolidation procedure (Hindsworth and Lang, 2009; Urbanik 
		et al., 2010).
		A measure that would enable active and actual participation of the 
		local community in shaping their space of residence, as well as building 
		the sense of local identity and belonging to the place of residence, is 
		the concept of implementation of the idea of crowdsourcing at the stage 
		of planning of consolidation works, recommended in this article. As a 
		consequence, the community assumes shared responsibility for the 
		undertaken measures and decisions, making the entire process more 
		permanent and effective. 
		3. PROPOSAL OF APPLICATION OF THE IDEA OF 
		CROWDSOURCING FOR THE PURPOSE OF IMPROVED USE OF THE POTENTIAL OF THE 
		LOCAL COMMUNITY IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
		3.1 Study material and methods
		In the approach proposed in this article, crowdsourcing for the 
		purposes of implementation of land consolidation in Poland can be 
		considered as a process evolving through the following steps (Figure 2): 		
		
			- online presentation of a problem,
- obtaining opinions, needs, information from stakeholders 
			(potential consolidation participants) regarding:
			
				- local environmental conditions affecting land and crop 
				cultivation (for example scarps, balks, self-sown forest, 
				shading by trees),
- functionalities and quality of access roads to arable and 
				forest land (for example roads with damaged surface, 
				inaccessible during snowmelts and excessive precipitation, dirt 
				roads, unadjusted to modern means of transport, machines, and 
				agricultural tools, requiring paving, unused roads, informal 
				roads – occasional crossings through neighbouring land (see 
				Krupowicz et al., 2017)),
- agricultural problem areas resulting from the spatial 
				variability of the natural environment, particularly including 
				soil and water conditions, and reckless human activity (for 
				example mountain areas, land damaged by erosion, land threatened 
				with steppisation, wetlands or stony land, wastelands, 
				devastated and degraded land (see Sobolewska-Mikulska and 
				Wójcik, 2018; Wójcik-Leń et al., 2018)),
- resources of local material and intangible cultural heritage 
				not constituting an element of the existing spatial data bases, 
				such as: important places related to local traditions, customs 
				(for example wetlands where flax was soaked, holly springs, 
				magic places, places related to local legends or beliefs), 
				places important for residents, memorial places (of burial, 
				forgotten graves), locations of already non-existent buildings 
				such as mills or windmills, etc. They are generally places which 
				could be preserved and marked in the physical space of a village 
				in the scope of the post-consolidation management (see Kupidura, 
				2013; Kupidura, 2017)), 
- others (it is an open group, depending on the local 
				conditions and needs).
 
- generation of alternative solutions by the stakeholders 
			(potential consolidation participants), 
- evaluation of the solutions proposed by the stakeholders 
			(potential consolidation participants) and surveyor-planner,
- selection of the best solution provided by the surveyor-planner, 
			and
- introduction of the selected solution in the assumption of the 
			land consolidation plan. 
Figure 2. Concept of crowdsourcing for the land consolidation 
		procedure in Poland 
		 
		Source: own elaboration based on Papadopoulou and Giaoutzi (2014).
		3.2 Application prototype 
		The objective of the application is on the one hand the disclosure of 
		the existing reference data concerning the selected area, and on the 
		other hand collecting data from the local community (crowdsourcing data 
		layer). The tool for the provision and collecting data will be a web 
		application available for stakeholders in the online environment. The 
		web application will be developed by means of ArcGis Online software by 
		Esri. It will be composed of reference data, e.g. base map, descriptive 
		layer concerning terrain attributes, and crowdsourcing data layer 
		permitting adding point data (with a description and/or photograph) by 
		the local community. The reference data and crowdsourcing data layers 
		are disclosed as feature service in the ArcGIS Online cloud. The feature 
		service is available for users through web applications, allowing for 
		adding and supplementing new data on a current basis (see Figure 3). 
		Depending on the needs, some data can be hidden or disclosed only to a 
		specified group of people. The user will be able to gain access to the 
		online application through a link or a generated QR code. The online 
		application will be available for iOS, Android, and Windows, and 
		displayed on mobile phones, tablets, and desktops. Access with no 
		necessity of prior logging in is assumed. The only condition of use of 
		the online application is access to the Internet. 
		Figure 3. Web application architecture 
		
		
		Source: own elaboration.
		The presentation and testing of the application in the field will 
		involve three parts: introduction, practical test, and questionnaire. At 
		the introduction stage, the promoter (surveyor-planner) will briefly 
		explain the test’s objectives, the interface, and its functionalities, 
		and encourage users to use the web application. In the second part, 
		participants will implement a task. Users can interact for as long as 
		they need. Participants will be encouraged to go outside using the web 
		application. Last, they will answer a questionnaire with five direct 
		questions and three open questions (Table 1). The direct questions will 
		consider topics related to the ease-of-use, satisfaction and usefulness. 
		The open questions will serve mainly to analyse the usefulness of its 
		functionalities and tools for future improvements.   
		Table 1. Questionnaire
		Do you agree with these statements? () yes () no
		1. I found the web application easy to use and understand
		2. I think that people in general would be able to use a web 
			application like this easily
		3. I found the information interesting and important
		4. I think this web application can strengthen public participation 
			in land consolidation process
		6. I think all municipalities should have a web application like 
			this available for the community in the case of implementation of 
			documents affecting the functional-spatial structure of rural areas
			
		Please answer:
		6. What did you like most and what did you dislike?
		7. What do you think is missing?
		8. What do you think could be improved?
		Source: own elaboration based on Bugs et al. (2010).  
		3.3 Discussion
		The presented issues and data obtained from the local community will 
		allow for a better and more detailed examination of the consolidation 
		area by the surveyor-planner, and therefore more accurate consideration 
		of the useful, spatial, environmental, and landscape values in the 
		assumptions of the consolidation plan. We expect the proposed solution 
		to permit effective reaching of the interested social groups, use of 
		their knowledge on the area, acquiring their opinions and ideas, and 
		then their involvement in the implementation of the planning works. The 
		proposed solution offers a possibility of supplementing data used in 
		consolidation works by the perceptive level, related to experience, 
		preferences, associations, and memories of the local community 
		concerning their living space. This particularly concerns data related 
		to the cultural and landscape heritage of a given village (see Kupidura, 
		2013; Kupidura, 2017). The ideas and technical solution presented in the 
		article are currently undergoing tests on selected consolidation objects 
		in Poland.
		& 4.    CONCLUSIONS
		Land consolidation is one of the processes shaping the spatial 
		structure of rural areas. Therefore, the implementation of 
		consolidations requires measures promoting creative attitudes among 
		residents of rural areas, and enabling their engagement in common 
		undertakings. It is possible through the application of the tool of 
		crowdsourcing. A dedicated application was developed in the GIS 
		environment especially for this purpose. The resulting obtained 
		information on the area and the problems and needs of the local 
		community will constitute input material for the surveyor-planner for 
		the preparation of assumptions of the land consolidation plan. Then, 
		they can be implemented in the land consolidation plan. The approach 
		presented in the article can additionally contribute to:
		
			- increase in the acceptance of the local community for the 
			implementation of agricultural land management works and 
			transformations of the functional-spatial structure of rural areas, 
			unquestionably contributing to the improvement of land management 
			conditions – completion of the consolidation procedure provides the 
			basis for undertaking further common measures related to the 
			commencement of the broadly defined transformation of the village, 
			in the scope of possibilities of obtaining financial resources and 
			finding solutions to economic-investment and environmental-landscape 
			problems,
- increase in the interest of the local community in ways of 
			building the sense of local identity and belonging to the place of 
			residence,
- promotion of the quality of life in the village, or promotion of 
			the village as a place of life and professional development with 
			consideration of the economic, social, and environmental potential 
			of a given area,
- improvement of the spatial, technical, and aesthetic conditions 
			of building development in the village, and management of rural 
			areas through among others the use and promotion of the cultural 
			heritage of Polish rural areas,
- development of the digital society in rural areas through an 
			increase in the level of knowledge in the scope.
The methodological and technical solutions proposed in the article 
		will also be applicable in the preparation of other documents affecting 
		the functional-spatial structure of rural areas in Poland, such as: 
		development strategy of the commune, study of conditions and directions 
		of spatial management of rural communes, local spatial management plans.
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		Others:
		Decision No. 1 of the Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy of 24 
		March 1983 on land consolidation and exchange (GZ-g-630-1/83). (in 
		Polish)
		Rural Development Programme for the years 2014-2020. Version as of 
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		text, Journal of Laws of 2018, item 908). (in Polish)
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		consolidation plan with environmental impact assessment. Attachment No. 
		1 to Resolution No. 1191/14 of the Executive Board of the Małopolskie 
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		BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
		Wioleta Krupowicz, Ph.D. - Assistant professor at the Department of 
		Spatial Planning and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Geodesy and 
		Cartography, Warsaw University of Technology (Poland). Valuer appraiser 
		with academic interest focusing on smart solutions for social, 
		environmental and economic challenges in rural areas, environmental and 
		landscape aspects in participatory planning in rural development 
		processes, land policy instruments for spatial development, real estate 
		appraisal.
		Adrianna Czarnecka, Ph.D, D.Sc. - Assistant professor at the 
		Department of Spatial Planning and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of 
		Geodesy and Cartography, Warsaw University of Technology (Poland). 
		Landscape architect with academic interest focusing on public perception 
		of landscape, rural landscape changes, tangible and intangible landscape 
		heritage aspects in participatory planning in rural development 
		processes, landscape valuation, real estate appraisal.
		Magdalena Grus - Product and Process Innovation Consultant at the 
		Cadastre. Studied Spatial Planning and Planning at the Warsaw University 
		of Life Science and Socio-Spatial Analyzes at Wageningen University and 
		Research in the Netherlands. From 2010 has been working with great 
		pleasure at the Cadastre, Land Registry and Mapping Agency (Kadaster) in 
		the Netherlands. In recent years active in the field of geographic 
		information systems, social geography and voluntary geographic 
		information. In the recent months working on IoT, DigitalTwin and 
		SmartCities. Searching for improvements and optimization of current 
		products and processes but also opportunities for the new products and 
		services. Actively looking for the social added value of technological 
		changes and the possibilities for active participation of the citizens.
		CONTACTS
		Wioleta Krupowicz, Ph.D. 
		Warsaw University of Technology 
		Faculty of Geodesy and Cartography 
		Department of Spatial Planning and Enviromental Sciences 
		Sq. Politechniki 1
		Warsaw
		POLAND
		Adrianna Czarnecka, Ph.D. D. Sc.
		Warsaw University of Technology 
		
		Faculty of Geodesy and Cartography 
		Department of Spatial Planning and 
		Enviromental Sciences
		Sq. Politechniki 1 
		Warsaw 
		POLAND 
		Magdalena Grus, Msc.
		The 
		Netherlands’ Cadastre, Land Registry and Mapping Agency 
		Hofstraat 110, 
		Apeldoorn 
		The Netherlands