Land use and the landscape of the suburban area are strongly affected by the impact of a large city, which is an important factor determining their development. The paper presents the results of analyses of the functional and spatial transformations depending on the distance from city limits and main access roads. The analyses were based on CORINE data for the years: 1990, 2000 and 2006. The spatial transformations in the specified distance buffers were described with use of the indicator of the share of specific land use areas in the total surface area and the indicator of the average landscape patch surface area. The conducted analyses confirm that the spatial patterns characteristic for suburbanisation exist in the vicinity of large cities and along access roads. The phenomena noticed in the suburban zone of Wrocław include, among others, an increased share of surface area used for residential purposes, a decreased area of arable lands, and an increased concentration of commercial and industrial areas in the direct proximity of the city and access roads.