Інноваційні підходи до розвитку регіонів: концепція «цифрового міста»

Regional unbalanced development refers to a common phenomenon in the process of regional development. China is currently in the process of transitioning from regional unbalanced development to balanced development. Therefore, it is of theoretical and practical significance to sort out the theory of regional unbalanced development and China's practical experience. Representative regional historians and economists have explained the process of regional unbalanced development from the perspectives of historical reality and economic theory, and have developed relevant theories. Pero believed that the significant differences in the foundations of economic development among different regions led to the emergence of regional imbalances. Hirsch emphasized the necessity of imbalanced development in the early stages of economic development, while Myrdal further explained the reasons and mechanisms of uneven growth, as well as how it affects regional economic development. The main manifestations of unbalanced regional development in China currently include: uneven development in the four major regions, uneven development within regions, and uneven development between urban and rural areas. In response to the problem of unbalanced development in China, China has taken measures such as organizing and implementing the poverty alleviation campaign, deepening the implementation of regional coordinated development strategies, and promoting new urbanization centered on people to narrow the regional development gap.

The rapid urbanization of the modern world initiated the emergence of digital cities, where advanced technologies converge to optimize urban living and address the limitations of a rapidly growing population. Central to this transformation are digital platforms and cloud computing. These interconnected technologies aid in shaping the future of urban landscapes, fostering sustainability, efficiency, and improved quality of life. Digital platforms serve as the backbone of smart cities, enabling seamless integration and management of various urban services and systems. One significant application of digital platforms in smart cities is the implementation of intelligent transportation systems (ITS). By integrating real-time traffic data, public transit information, and ride-sharing services, these platforms facilitate efficient transportation management, reduce congestion, and decrease carbon emissions. Cloud computing serves as a key enabler for managing the massive data flows generated by smart city infrastructures. The scalability and flexibility offered by cloud-based solutions allow cities to manage their resources efficiently and access computing power on demand without the need for extensive physical infrastructure. Cloud computing enhances smart city development by enabling collaborative data access and interaction among diverse stakeholders, from government agencies to private firms and residents.

Smart transport in a smart city: European and Russian development management track

PurposeThe cities are distinctly engine of economic growth, which depends upon speed at which innovations are brought out and trigger entrepreneurship. Smart city initiatives are one of the opportunities to unleash innovation and entrepreneurship in developing countries like India. Entrepreneurial ecosystem research in smart cities is still in its nascent phase. Therefore, the study aims to bring out elements for a start-up ecosystem to promote entrepreneurship in smart cities.Design/methodology/approachFocus group discussion has been applied to gain a variety of insights and opinion from selected participants with diverse expertise.FindingsThe study proposes a framework for developing a start-up ecosystem in smart city. The findings suggest the technology infrastructure along with the elements of start-up framework as knowledge hub, public policy, entrepreneurship and city economy.Research limitations/implicationsThe study does not show the impact of smart city strategies over an extended period.Practical implicationsA robust entrepreneurial framework usually impact on utilization of technologies for economic activities and regional development. The innovators, policymakers, city administrators, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and various stakeholders in society will get benefit from the outcomes of this study.Social implicationsThe evolution of smart cities is a social initiative with various stakeholders –such as governments, residents, businesses and entrepreneurs. The creation of start-up ecosystem in smart cities requires several levels of interventions such as new programs and institutional reforms.Originality/valueThe research explores pillars and constituents that describe a start-up ecosystem in smart cities and nurtures a collaborative culture of innovations and entrepreneurship.

Introduction. It has been found that security-related challenges actualize the study of digital transformation processes as attractors of the development of the Ukrainian economy at various levels of its functioning. Moreover, technological progress and technological digital innovations accelerated by it lay the foundation for inclusive economic growth and sustainable development, in which digital technologies will work to achieve social and environmental goals and at the same time form prerequisites for the competitive development of the economy of Ukraine and its regions. Goal. The purpose of the article is to develop organizational and scientific approaches to intensifying the use of the potential of digital transformations to support geospatial integrity, post-war recovery and sustainable competitive development of Ukraine's regions. Research methods. The methods of systematic, logical, structural, comparative analysis, systematization and generalization of data were used. The results. The study of the process of digital transformations at the regional level showed that they are manifested in the development of digital infrastructure, access to electronic services; egovernance, which allows to manage local development using digital platforms, digitize the sphere of municipal services, strengthen the participative component in public administration; ensure the development of digital entrepreneurship with relevant digital startups, digital literacy, digital healthcare, digital technologies to optimize the use of resources and create circular industries in the region, etc. Attention is focused on the fact that digital transformations contribute to attracting investment resources to the development of the region's economy and strengthen its innovative activity, acting as an attractor of competitive development. In order to ensure the integral development of the region and strengthen its competitive potential, the creation of a digital hub is proposed, which will allow combining the accumulated national digitalization potential with the European integration advantages of the digital space, will become a tool for effective cross-sectoral cooperation of business entities, individual creative developers, security and defense forces, investors, patrons, charitable funds. The proposed model of the digital hub can, in its structure, provide for the creation of digital platforms for the development of cluster defense technologies, which will allow private companies to develop and propose creative security projects and quickly refine them to meet the needs of the customer. The study confirmed the fact that the effect of digital transformations, which is traced by the index of digital transformations of regions, is more noticeable in those regions where regional target programs to support digital transformations have been developed. Conclusions. Digital transformation is an integral component of maintaining integrity, increasing the innovative potential of territories due to the digitization of all sectors and the creation of the latest digital structures of competitive development, strengthening integration initiatives of regions in the European digital space.

Smart city development has become increasingly crucial as technology continues to shape urban governance and daily life, particularly in Southeast Asia. This study examines the development of smart cities in Malaysia and Indonesia, with a focus on governance, policy frameworks, technological implementation, and stakeholder engagement. Through a comparative analysis of Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta, the research explores how contextual factors influence strategies and collaborations in each city. Methodologically, the study draws on secondary data such as official reports, policy documents, and academic literature, as well as primary data collected through interviews with local authorities, policymakers, stakeholders, and residents. The findings indicate that while both countries pursue smart city initiatives to enhance sustainability and urban quality of life, Malaysia adopts a centralized governance approach through the Malaysia Smart City Framework (MSCF), whereas Indonesia’s 100 Smart Cities program is more decentralized. Kuala Lumpur emphasizes smart infrastructure and integrated data systems, while Jakarta focuses on improving public service delivery via digital platforms such as JAKI. Despite shared objectives, differences in governance models and socioeconomic conditions shape each city’s approach. The study concludes with key insights and recommendations for enhancing smart city frameworks and promoting sustainable urban development in Southeast Asia.Keywords: smart cities, urban governance, sustainability, Malaysia, Indonesia

In North-eastern Nigeria, the Gongola region has been one of the least developed since independence. The series of geopolitical reorganizations since 1967 which lead to the gradual and consistent decentralization of the processes of social, economic and political transformation and the reduction of spatial inequalities in development within the country appeared to have little impact on urban development in the region. The concern of this paper is to determine the pattern of urban development achieved in the region as a single administrative entity, to explore the specific and theoretical factors that were responsible for the existing pattern of urban development, and make suggestions on how to guide future planning to influence pattern of urbanization in the region, in the desired manner. To achieve these objectives, data were collected on eleven indicators of development in all the local government areas of the region and subjected to principal factor analysis, to most important form or spatial structure of regional development. The result generated five dimensions of regional development. The most important dimension identified i.e., urban infrastructure development, was subjected to spatial autocorrelation analysis (using the join-count statistics), in order to determine the likelihood of existence of any spatial association in the observed pattern. The result indicates that the pattern of urban infrastructure development appear to be associated with some deliberate and systematic process of public policy making that promoted urban development at the early stages of the region's political development. The result also shows that the general pattern of economic development in the region has tended to favour locations surrounding the more urbanized areas thereby introducing spatial inequalities and neglect of the more rural places. The paper suggests strengthening of a system of geopolitical growth centers in the more rural areas and the adoption of a grass root approach to Development Planning in the region as a panacea for redressing spatial inequalities in the regional development process. Keywords: Region, Development, Planning, Urban, Gongola. (Global Journal of Social Sciences: 2003 2 (1): 65-78)

Abstract: The victory of the 44-day war and the liberation of the territories from the enemy necessitate the establishment of a development strategy for the Karabakh region, including the city of Shusha, which is rich in natural resources. The tourism industry is one of the main industries for the economic development and sustainability of any resource-rich region. Analyzing the above, the formation of a tourism development strategy in the city of Shusha was examined. The article analyzes the development of the tourism sector of the city of Shusha in the post-conflict period from the point of view of ensuring regional economic revival. The purpose of the study is to determine the priority development directions of the tourism sector in Shusha and systematize these directions according to economic, cultural and innovative components. The article examines the impact of tourism on economic growth, employment and local income growth, its role in the protection of cultural heritage and the formation of an international image, as well as the possibilities of applying the “smart city and digital tourism” model. The study uses PESTEL analysis to identify strategic advantages and risks for the tourism ecosystem of the city of Shusha, and prepares practical proposals for both the public and private sectors. While researching the article, the existing tourism potential of Shusha was correlated with international experience, areas with the same nature and area as Shusha were analyzed, and sample development models were developed. The results of the study show that in order to transform Shusha into a cultural and innovative tourism center of the South Caucasus and for the future development of tourism, three main directions should be formed - increasing economic sustainability and investment attractiveness, formation and protection of cultural heritage and brand value, and application of a smart tourism model based on digital technologies.

The Digital India initiative, launched in 2015, represents a flagship effort by the Government of India to harness digital technologies for inclusive governance, transparency, and citizen empowerment. Its core objectives include expanding digital infrastructure, promoting e governance, and enhancing digital literacy among citizens to strengthen democratic processes. Digital India aims explicitly to improve democratic accountability by enabling efficient public service delivery, reducing corruption through digital systems, and facilitating real time citizen engagement with government mechanisms. Recent scholarship highlights how digital platforms such as Aadhaar linked public services, e procurement systems, and online grievance redressal have contributed to governance transparency and responsiveness, reducing information asymmetry between the state and citizens (Chaudhary, 2025). Empirical data from government and independent reports indicate notable improvements in service delivery and transparency due to digital interventions. For example, e governance dashboards and digital tracking of public services in several Indian states have enhanced monitoring and reduced discretionary discretion by officials. Real time performance dashboards, such as those implemented in Uttar Pradesh, demonstrate significant improvements in administrative accountability by publishing monthly progress across sectors like health, education, and infrastructure to the public, fostering competitive transparency among districts. However, despite measurable progress, the impact of digitalization on democratic accountability is uneven and constrained by persistent structural challenges. A major concern involves the digital divide, wherein rural and marginalized populations continue to lack reliable internet access and digital skills, limiting their capacity to participate meaningfully in digital governance platforms. Research on digital inequalities in India substantiates these concerns, showing that large sections of disadvantaged groups experience first and second level digital divides in access and effective usage, which undermines equitable participation in democratic processes. Another critical dimension is data privacy and governance. The implementation of digital systems raises significant questions about citizen data protection, transparency of data usage, and the scope of state surveillance under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act of 2023. While this legislation institutionalizes data protection frameworks, concerns remain over exemptions that may erode privacy safeguards and affect citizens’ trust in digital governance, which is foundational for democratic accountability. These structural constraints suggest that digital tools alone cannot guarantee democratic accountability unless accompanied by robust digital literacy programs, equitable infrastructure development, and rigorous legal frameworks protecting data rights and civic freedoms. Additionally, the broader political context, including media freedom and civic space, interacts with digital governance outcomes, raising further questions about digital platforms’ capacity to enhance accountability in the absence of broader democratic safeguards.

The New Urban Agenda (NUA) will focus on the Smart City and Sustainable City as influential forces within urban development over the next 20 years. What constitutes a Smart and Sustainable reflects the peculiarities of contexts, needs, interests and approaches to urban development in different countries and regions of the world. Indonesia, for example has adopted a fairly broad approach to smart and sustainability, which extends beyond ICT infrastructure to include local development and community initiatives that aim to improve urban environments, economics and lives. Yet, none has examined the relationship between the model of Smart and Sustainability in the context of settlement-built environment. This paper is based on results of an interdisciplinary research project on “Kampung Innovation in Support of Smart City”. In the project, architects and anthropologists are collaboratively investigating creative and innovative ventures initiated by Kampung communities in Surabaya. In this paper, we present data gathered to date through participant observation and interviews, and discuss its analysis using six components of the Smart City which highlights the Human Driven Approach (HDM) approach. Findings reveal that these kampung communities are making important contributions to Surabaya’s development as both smart and sustainable city through creative and innovative approaches to meeting local economic, social and cultural needs in their settlement.

Regional development is founded on creative and dynamic territories, where several partners collaborate to create ideal conditions to improve life living, business, job creation and regional competitiveness. Smart cities use networks to promote economic and political efficiency and to allow social, cultural and urban development. These regions present high standards respecting some indicators associated with, innovation, creativity, environment, life quality, entrepreneurial activities and support facilities. Entrepreneurial ecosystems are an important dimension for a region or city to become smart. These entrepreneurial ecosystems emerge as a compromise to foster entrepreneurship and economic development in a regional context. This chapter has two folds. Firstly, it aims to the discussion of core concepts, such as, smart city and how to define an entrepreneurial ecosystem. It also aims to its features, to understand if an entrepreneurial ecosystem is born or made and it pretends to show an example of a smart start-up city, which is the case of Lisbon.

The aim of the article is to explore and systematize contemporary trends in the development of urban spaces: from «digital» to «smart» city. Special attention is given to the analysis of a new approach to urban progress – the conception of «wise city», which focuses on the individual human being as the primary priority. The article analyzes the main differences between the conceptions of digital, smart, and wise cities. It is substantiated that the digital city is concentrated on the implementation of technology for the automation of processes and the improvement of infrastructure, the smart city uses data and innovations to optimize resources and enhance quality of life, while the wise city emphasizes harmonious development, taking into account the social, cultural, and ethical aspects of citizens’ lives. Thus, the evolution of the urban environment is directed from technological solutions to a comprehensive, human-centered approach. The research materials provide examples of «digital» cities (in Tallinn, the e-Estonia system has been implemented, which ensures online access to public services, reducing bureaucracy and accelerating administrative processes); further on, «smart» cities (in Barcelona, a smart lighting system has been introduced that automatically adjusts the brightness of streetlights, reducing electricity consumption and the city’s expenses), and «wise» cities (in Vienna, a social housing program operates that ensures the availability of quality housing for citizens, combining technological innovations with social justice). Thus, the development of cities occurs through three stages: from digitalization (digital city) to optimization of urban processes (smart city) and integration of social and environmental aspects (wise city). The wise city is an evolutionary extension of the smart city, as it not only utilizes technologies but also considers humanitarian, social, and environmental factors. Successful cities of the future must combine technological innovations, sustainable development, and active community participation, creating a comfortable environment for all residents.

Digital entrepreneurship platforms: Mapping the field and looking towards a holistic approach

<p><strong><em>The aim</em></strong><em> of the work is to outline the most effective communication channels with residents in smart cities.</em><em></em></p><p><strong><em>Research methodology.</em></strong><em> Both theoretical and empirical research methods were used in the research process. The research methodology consisted of several stages. The first was a comprehensive literature review to understand the current state of knowledge in the fields of smart city development, social media, and urban communication. This involved analyzing existing studies, articles, and reports on how social media is used within smart cities for engaging with residents. The next was data collection. This method was used to build a dataset of types of communication with residents in smart cities. After collecting a dataset of posts in social media, we extract relevant features that can be used to provide effective communication between local authorities and audience. These features include the frequency of writing posts in social media, the types of answers and comments, the explaining of sensitive topics. </em></p><p><strong><em>Results.</em></strong><em> It was found out that effective communication with residents in smart cities should include such features: the use of digital platforms for communication (such as mobile apps, social media, or online forums) have seen increased engagement from residents. This could manifest in higher participation rates in city surveys, community events, or feedback mechanisms. Also it was examined that effective communication channels can lead to higher resident satisfaction. This might be due to quicker responses to complaints, more efficient service delivery, or a greater sense of being heard and considered by city administrations.</em></p><p><strong><em>Novelty.</em></strong><em> The novelty of this work is the proposed effective types of communication with residents in smart cities. For example,</em> <em>younger residents may prefer social media or apps, while older residents might rely on more traditional methods like community newsletters or public meetings. The next studies might also explore how communication technologies impact the social and cultural fabric of urban communities, possibly affecting community bonding, local culture preservation, and social inclusivity.</em></p><p><strong><em>Practical meaning.</em></strong><em> Effective communication channels can lead to higher resident satisfaction. This might be due to quicker responses to complaints, more efficient service delivery, or a greater sense of being heard and considered by city administrations. Moreover, smart city communication strategies might be particularly effective in enhancing public safety. Quick dissemination of information regarding emergencies, health alerts, or public safety incidents can be a significant benefit.</em></p><p><strong><em>Key words:</em></strong><em> social media, communication, audience, smart cities.</em></p>

Today, half of the world’s population lives in urban areas where information and communication technology (ICT) are natural catalysts for innovations. Progressing urbanization requires improved urban planning and management to make urban spaces more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, as outlined in SDG11. The concept of smart city offers a way of reconciling the diversity of challenges that the urban space is exposed to today, whereby ICT is considered a tool in this respect. Arguably, smart cities create the opportunity to integrate advances in ICT in the fabric of the city, thus creatively and innovatively provide improved quality of life. The domains of mobility, economy, environment, etc. are just a few examples. The objective of this paper is to focus on the domain of mobility in the smart city and to examine it from a historical perspective, i.e. starting by introducing the concept of smart mobility and its role in creating smart cities, identifying the related technologies and challenges, exploring the different types of smart mobility, and outlining international initiatives. The application of smart mobility in the Saudi Arabia context is highlighted.