Declining importance of agriculture has been accompanied by development of non-agricultural activities in rural areas. Concurrently, there has been an increasing interest in the issues of transforming functional and spatial structure of the village. Functions of rural settlement units are primarily identified based upon analysis of changing tendencies concerning employment structure, land use and infrastructure accessibility. Significant changes have also occurred in the landscape and perception of post-agricultural space. The rural area begins to resemble a city (hub), also in terms of social and living conditions. There is a rise in the standard of living (positive effect) and a widespread of urban style of being (a negative effect). These processes are particularly intense in the villages of the suburban area, as they are being absorbed into the spatial and functional structures of the city. The aim of the research is to determine the functional and spatial differences and similarities among settlement units of the Poznań agglomeration based on the analysis of planning documents as well as spatial and cartographic data. Old villages were selected for the research – currently, self-government housing estates in Poznań (auxiliary units) and villages that are adjacent to the city border. Contemporary changes in the functions of settlement units have been identified in a diverse range and extent. However, in general spatial changes exhibit numerous similarities. The most important spatial decisions affecting the functional and spatial structure of settlement units are undertaken at the commune level. It is however necessary to coordinate these activities also at a higher level and at various scales of planning. In particular, there is a need for a an integrated approach to the management of spatial and landscape resources within strongly connected areas such as urban agglomerations.