Summary:

Within Poland, there are many localities denoted as small towns. From the historical point of view, political, social and economic needs were always the prime power that impacted the foundation of towns. In order to receive the status of a town, it was necessary to initiate the procedures aiming at receiving a particular location and special municipal rights, and to get a right to perform particular administration functions. There were several factors considered to be prime power generating the creation of such units within a settlement network; those factors were: town’s defences, trade, agricultural development (private towns), industrial development, large-scale exploitation of raw materials, formation of large interchanges, spa and recreational qualities of the region where a particular town was situated. Depending on the political situation and economic climate, the position of those towns within the settlement network underwent various changes. Urbanization processes were decisive. They strongly stimulated the development, and when they ceased, the stagnation occurred and, in some case, it caused such towns to move back and to become demoted to the level of a village. Lipnica Murowana was located in the 14^th century according to the German Magdeburg Law and possessed the municipal rights for more than 300 years. During the 1930s, Lipnica Murowana lost its municipal rights. The post-war (WW II) administrative organization, still in force, was connected with the determination of the rank of the units within the settlement network. Localities, such as Lipnica Murowana, were nominated as rural community centres to perform administrative functions of the lowest stage. Lipnica Murowana is in the Voivodship of Małopolska, in the eastern part of the Wielickie Foothills. It lies in the Usznica river forks and the Górzański Brook forks. Lipnica Murowana has a very specific, unique spatial shape owing to the natural conditions of its natural environment. The locality’s regular location plan has been preserved until the present times, its form has not changed at all until the present day. The central place in this town is a big, practically square market with streets running from the corners of this square. Around the market place, there are blocks of housing estates, their frontages are made up of the historic tenements with deep arcades dating back to the 19^th century. The plan of the zones beyond the market is well preserved, too, in spite of the progressing functional changes resulting from the general development of the town. The exchanged substance of the existing buildings has not resulted in any physiognomic changes because the architecture of buildings in the central part of this town refers to traditional patterns and prototypes. The contemporary development has not disturbed the historical developed, spatial form developed. Two housing estates, newly built in Lipnica Murowana, along with a large service centre and an industrial-processing centre are situated far from the historical zone. Old hamlets do not disturb the valuable system of the historical buildings and arrangements. Natural and historical values are the real assets of Lipnica Murowana. This locality has still the status of a village, but, nevertheless, it is all the same a typical Polish small town with its characteristic, unique climate. This town does meet the criteria of a small town, thus, it thinks of applying for the municipal rights to win them back.