A Town of Large Opportunities

- What can a person visiting the town for the first time find in Knurów that is unique?
- Knurów is a fast developing town, and a quickly changing image is its biggest advantage. Not every city has been able to achieve this. Once a place dependent on the mining industry, it is changing into a town friendly towards investors and

companies developing other sectors of the economy. It should be noted that we are experiencing the most rapid changes right now.
- Are investors optimistic about Knurów, too?
- They are especially optimistic, as the town, apart from its other advantages, offers attractive investment sites that can be used for manufacturing, services and housing. Companies that would like to link their future to Knurów can count on preferential treatment from local authorities.
 We also care for those residents who visit local offices. It is for them that the Biuro Obsługi Petenta (Public Service Office) was opened last year in the Town Hall. This investment has facilitated and improved the quality of customer service.
- What can you say about the location of Knurów?
- Knurów is favorably located on the edge of the greater Katowice area, which is the largest urban and industrial area in Poland.

This is  isextremely important, as it is easily accessible from any other Silesian city. On the other hand, Knurów borders large forests, called the "green lungs" of the Śl ąsk region. Our close proximity to Gliwice, an area attracting significant foreign capital, is an added advantage of our city. In the future, a large communication junction linking the two largest local express ways, the A-1 and A-4 will be located here, as well

The prestigious title 'Municipality Friendly to the Environment' was awarded to the town of Knurów. The ceremony was held in Warsaw on December 15, 1999. Aleksander Kwaśniewski, the President of the Republic of Poland, presented the title certificate and medallion to Jan Kowol, the Mayor of Knurów.  The competition was organized by the 'Society for the Integration of Central Europe with the European Union'. (Stowarzyszenie na rzecz Integracji Europy Środkowej z Unią Europejską)  President Aleksander Kwaśniewski congratulated the laureates on their fruitful work for environmental protection. The winning municipalities stressed the fact that pro-ecological activities are very expensive and their burden is borne solely (unfortunately) by the local authorities. On the other hand, this is why the award is considered as very prestigious.
 Knurów submitted four projects to the competition:
- preparation of documentation and ecological arrangements related to an ecological landfill opened in 1997.
- commencement of works related to the modernization of the sewage system and municipal sewage treatment plant.
- exchange of 293 old heating units with 10 home gas boiler boiler units on Koziełka street.
. - Co-funding of the 'Center for Environmental Education' Society, dealing with ecological education.
  Knurów, together with neighboring municipalities has recently commenced work on establishing the Association of Municipalities in the Rzeka Bielawka Basin. The association will aim at improving the cleanness of the Bierawka River, which is a tributary of the Oder River. The Association's works will include construction and modernization of the sewage system and sewage treatment plant. Knurów is about to engage in the next exchange of furnaces, this time in the Redyna housing estate. The modernization will

include 304 apartments in 19 apartment buildings. As a consequence, the estate will be connected to heating lines