The challenge of incorporating smart city activities in medium-size cities: The case of Greece

A major challenge affecting the potential of a smart city project in achieving local community expectations is the extent to which local communities are involved not only in the planning, but also in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation phases (or, to put it differently, in the co-production process). There is a need for a 'co-smartisation' process to evolve. The present paper provides a general analytical and policy framework for this co-smartisation process to be implemented successfully. Attention is given to medium-size cities as the risks associated with smart city projects in such cities are higher due to such factors as limited operational, managerial and cooperation capacity. Trikala and Heraklion, two Greek medium-size cities, are used as case studies in order to illustrate potential strategies for consolidating the participation of local communities in smart projects at the medium-size city level in the southern European regional context. Copyright © 2017 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd

The challenge of incorporating smart city activities in medium-size cities: The case of Greece

A major challenge affecting the potential of a smart city project in achieving local community expectations is the extent to which local communities are involved not only in the planning, but also in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation phases (or, to put it differently, in the co-production process). There is a need for a ‘co-smartisation’ process to evolve. The present paper provides a general analytical and policy framework for this co-smartisation process to be implemented successfully. Attention is given to medium-size cities as the risks associated with smart city projects in such cities are higher due to such factors as limited operational, managerial and cooperation capacity. Trikala and Heraklion, two Greek medium-size cities, are used as case studies in order to illustrate potential strategies for consolidating the participation of local communities in smart projects at the medium-size city level in the southern European regional context. Copyright © 2017 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd

Planning culture and time in a mega-event: Thessaloniki as the European City of Culture in 1997

This paper addresses the growing importance of mega-events in urban cultural development, focusing on the atypical example of the European Cities of Culture, in particular Thessaloniki in 1997. The launch of the event demonstrates the significance of the international role of cultural activities in urban and economic regeneration. Comparison of the evaluation of Thessaloniki before and after the event demonstrates a lack of strategic planning, particularly cultural and time planning, resulting in a variety of interconnected problems such as the construction of flagship projects, the lack of a city marketing perspective and the need for a tourism policy. © 2005 Taylor & Francis