Szalai, Á., & Fabula, Sz. (2021). Possibilities and limitations of smart rural development in Hungary. Modern Geográfia, 16(1), 59–79. https://doi.org/10.15170/MG.2021.16.01.04
Regional inequalities in Hungary, which have been conserved for decades, are well documented by human geography and regional science. However, changing policy frameworks, policy decisions, and finally, local decisions and value choices influence the development trajectories of regions that lean on new approaches. For example, the concept of smart settlements is a relatively new policy tool, which builds on the use of information-communication technology not only in urban, but also in rural areas. In this paper, we investigate the topic of smart rural development from a policy and regional development perspective, giving insights into the influencing factors of the spread of smart villages in Hungary, and how the actors interested in Hungarian rural development interpret the smart village concept. Based on qualitative analysis of expert interviews and online questionnaire survey, we describe what factors influence the feasibility of smart projects. We point out the shortcomings of technology-oriented, top-down, project-based development and planning practice, and building on our results, we provide policy recommendations.
Keywords: smart village, rural development, Hungary, rural innovation.