Local and Regional Challenges in Socio-Economic Development

Dear Colleagues,

In the modern world, more and more attention is being paid to the sub-national level in socio-economic development, on the assumption that local and regional governments are actively involved in the social and economic life of the area. Thus, at the local and regional levels, not only are resources allocated but, above all, they are multiplied through rational policies aimed at investment in infrastructure, the labor market, development of the service sector, promotion, and marketing. The number of tasks and challenges that are carried out at these two levels, including those ensuring adequate quality of life for residents and the competitiveness of the territorial units themselves in the context of rapidly changing external conditions, make the concept of smart development an increasingly common denominator for the activities undertaken. Although this concept was originally proposed in relation to the expected directions of urban development, other settlement units, including suburban zones and rural areas, are now also considered within its framework. The versatility of the concept is mainly due to the fact that it is comprehensive and multifaceted, encompassing such dimensions as smart people, smart economy, smart environment, smart governance, smart living, and smart mobility. In addition, increasing attention to the smart development concept is being paid to the individual, the resident, and the user of the space in question, who is assumed to be best able to define his or her needs and expectations.

In this context, we invite authors of theoretical, methodological, as well as empirical papers who in their research tackle the challenges at the local or regional scale in socio-economic development to publishing in this Special Issue. By this, we mean researchers in the fields of, e.g., human geography, spatial planning, regional studies, urban studies, rural studies, and tourism. The papers may address issues related to the development of regions, cities, peri-urban zones, and rural areas and discuss solutions in the spheres of society, economy, mobility, governance, and the environment. Their distinguishing feature, however, should be a social perspective, determined by the inhabitants or users of the space in question, and an attempt to tackle socio-economic development in line with the smart idea.

Prof. Dr. Jadwiga Biegańska
Prof. Dr. Elżbieta Grzelak-Kostulska
Prof. Dr. Stefania Środa-Murawska
Guest Editors

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