The notion of the centre is characterised by semantic pluralism, as its meaning is dependent on the scale from which we view a given subject, even in the discipline of architecture and urban planning. The author refers to studies on defining city centres and downtown areas from the period of the second half of the 20th century, confronting them with contemporary theories (space of flows) in all aspects of the urban environment.

This paper discusses the security and safety of the polycentric functio-spatial structure of the city in the context of a pandemic. The research hypothesis is as follows: will the fear of the epidemic affect the manner of planning polycentric structures, reinforce local service concentrations and restore the commercial role of the city street? This paper presents a new outlook on urban security. Local service polycentricism is of particular significance. The problem was investigated based on original analyses of polycentricism and a definition that points to levels of understanding the notion of the centre while accounting for current theories and trends. The study discusses differences in the perception of polycentricism over time. On the example of the history of Cracow’s development, the author analysed factors that affect polycentricism, such as: political decisions, suburbanisation and transport-related behaviour patterns.