Adaptation of smart city models in rural areas

Abstract

The smart city concept is one of the most popular terms nowadays in urban development. Despite the widespread usage of the term, there is no uniform, accepted definition of what a smart city means. The content of the concept largely depends on the context in which the concept was used and the background of different stakeholders using the term.

Within the broad literature of smart cities the possibility and usefulness of applying information and communication technologies in rural areas and villages has been less researched area until recent years, in spite of the fact that rural areas face challenges that can be answered using appropriate innovative solutions. These challenges include: rural shrinkage, depopulation, outmigration, aging population, lack of appropriate infrastructure (roads, electric grids, schools, health care, affordable groceries), lack of capability to attract newcomers, lack of skills to create liveable community, keeping youth in the settlements.

The concept of smart village made its inroad into the policymaking and academic debates nearly simultaneously. On the policymaking front, the European Commission has been the champion of ‘smart villages,’ as reflected in Cork 2.0 Declaration of 2016 (European Union 2016; Visvizi 2019).

The aim of this study is to present the ways smart city approaches can be applied in rural areas, the advantages and disadvantages of technology (ICT) in these areas and the challenges and opportunities the smart approach offers in this environment.

The first part of the paper sums up main findings of the smart city approach and provides a literature review on smart villages and smart rural development. It discusses the ways the original smart city approach has changed to be applied to rural communities, and what can we learn from earlier researches to avoid the so-called ‘ICT-hype’ and focus on the problems that villages face in the first place. The paper then moves on to present the main challenges of rural areas in the European context, and the most important needs and demands of rural inhabitants.

Local community actions are at the heart of the smart village approach to rural development. Local governments that meet the basic needs of the local community by considering the needs of various stakeholders, not only fulfil their mandated mission but also build trust and help release the creative potential of the local community. The essence of a smart settlement is to make the best possible use of opportunities and resources by exploiting ICT technologies. Success depends to a large extent on the commitment, enthusiasm, knowledge, and ability of the leaders of the settlement to mobilize the population. The involvement and activation of young people and the increase of the retention power of the settlement are of key importance, because young people have a high tendency to emigrate.

There is not a single smart city or village strategy or approach that is appropriate for each settlement, the development route must be determined based on the characteristics of the given place.