The Smart City illusion
Why cooperation is the missing ingredient in rural development
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7472445 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sara Brito Filipe (0000-0003-4901-3630, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, corresponding author), Paulo Duarte (0000-0001-8449-5474, University of Beira Interior), Paulo Afonso B Duarte (0000-0003-1675-2840, University of Beira Interior) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 172 |
| Pages | 106829 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Cities (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0264-2751 • E-ISSN: 1873-6084 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.cities.2026.106829 |
| OpenAlex | W7128720046 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 40 |
This study analyzes the application of the Smart City concept to small towns. Current research on Smart Cities primarily focuses on metropolitan areas, creating a significant gap in our understanding of how these concepts can be effectively implemented in less urbanized regions. This work addresses this gap by linking territorial marketing and Smart City paradigms with a focus on cooperation. Based on a qualitative analysis, the study identifies the most relevant areas of intervention of three Portuguese inland municipalities classified as Smart Cities. The findings reveal the potential of territorial marketing and Smart City initiatives to revitalize inland regions and promote sustainable development. However, the absence of direct cooperative projects indicates a missed opportunity to establish a cohesive territorial identity. The analysis highlights shared challenges, such as addressing mobility disparities and enhancing digital inclusion, which demand a cooperative approach. The findings underscore the pressing need for municipalities to shift away from individualistic development approaches to foster inter-municipal synergies. • Sustainable development through intermunicipal collaboration. • Smaller, less urbanized and rural areas are likely to apply the smart city concept. • Intermunicipal cooperation, place branding, and smart city initiatives can revitalize inland regions. • The lack of collaborating projects as a missed opportunity to create a coherent territorial identity. • Common challenges require intermunicipal collaboration rather than isolated actions
Focus group · Intervention (counseling · Metropolitan area · Rural area · Smart city · Smart growth · Sustainable development · Work (physics · Innovative Approaches in Technology and Social Development · Smart Cities and Technologies · Urban Planning and Governance
Smart sustainable cities of the future
Competition for Economic Development among Southeastern Cities
Smart Cities in Europe
Governing the smart city
When smart villages meets rural diversity
Competition and Cooperation in Economic Development
Local Response to the Global Challenge
Evidence of inter-territorial collaborative economic development strategies in Ontario, Canada
The rising importance of the "Smart territory" concept
Inter-municipal relations in city-region governance
Reframing place promotion, place marketing, and place branding - moving beyond conceptual confusion
Functionality between the size and indicators of smart cities
Neoliberalizing Space
Inter‐municipal Cooperation and Costs
Intermunicipal cooperation
Determining factors in becoming a sustainable smart city
Will the real smart city please stand up
The Iron Cage Revisited
Cooperation and Capacity? Exploring the Sources and Limits of City-Region Governance Partnerships
Introduction to a Debate on City-Regions
Three Approaches to Qualitative Content Analysis
Community economic development in a context of globalization and metropolization
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |