Media seem to suggest that difficulties related to integration of Poland with the EU involve mainly problems connected with rural areas and environmental protection. However, regional development is an equally important component of negotiations. The author discusses how the concept of regional development is understood and how important are cities in this process. The Congress of International Association for Development of Cities (INTA), which took place in Burgen in June and was dedicated to urban areas in the light of globalization and urbanistic strategies of sustainable development, is the starting point for the discussion.