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Smart Villages Revisited: Conceptual Background and New Challenges at the Local Level

Smart Villages in the EU and Beyond

ISBN: 978-1-78769-846-8, eISBN: 978-1-78769-845-1

Publication date: 3 June 2019

Abstract

Smart villages are a currently discussed approach to rural development promoted by the European Union. This approach factors in the diversity of rural areas and the different nature of challenges faced by each area. The central role is assigned to local communities – formation of appropriate characteristics and attitudes that enable the creation of optimal conditions for development. This is also the result of the evolution of a Rural Development Policy, which is driven by the dynamics and direction of change of rural areas and changes in societal perception of change events in rural areas.

The implementation of this development approach at the local level requires a transformation of the current school of thinking on development and the utilization of available resources. The key role in this process is played by local governments, which are part of the local community and also represent its interests.

The chapter combines theoretical and practical issues, and represents a geographic perspective. Its first aim is to answer the question: How can local governments create the right conditions for smart development at the local level? The second aim is to discuss the smart village approach in the context of selected development concepts. This leads to a number of specific recommendations for policymakers. It also helps them to understand the approach, which is vital in the implementation of the aforesaid recommendations.

Keywords

Citation

Wolski, O. and Wójcik, M. (2019), "Smart Villages Revisited: Conceptual Background and New Challenges at the Local Level", Visvizi, A., Lytras, M.D. and Mudri, G. (Ed.) Smart Villages in the EU and Beyond (Emerald Studies in Politics and Technology), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 29-48. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78769-845-120191004

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © Oskar Wolski and Marcin Wójcik, 2019