The article presents theoretical aspects of urban competitiveness, with special emphasis on factors determining competitive position of cities. it discusses implications of the definition assumed by the european Commission in this respect, according to which competitive city is not simply an aggregated performance of its venues but also conditions created for growth and maintenance of high standard of living of its citizens. Based on the EC definition, a model of i. Begg is presented. the model shows relations between various groups of determinants of urban competitiveness and is further used to evaluate competitive position of Polish cities, elaborated with
PwC, Cushman&Wakefield and UrbanAudit data. Based on this analysis strengths and weaknesses of Polish cities are pointed out, also with regards to their competitive strategies.