IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i12p9521-d1170440.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Smart Rural Communities: Action Research in Colombia and Mozambique

Author

Listed:
  • Igor Calzada

    (Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research and Data (WISERD), Social Science Research Park (Sbarc/Spark), School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, Wales, UK
    Fulbright Scholar-In-Residence (S-I-R), US-UK Fulbright Commission, Unit 302, 3rd Floor Camelford House, 89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TP, England, UK
    Urban Transformations ESRC & Future of Cities Programmes, COMPAS, University of Oxford, 58 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 6QS, England, UK
    Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Plaza Euskadi 5, 48009 Bilbao, Spain)

Abstract

This article contributes to the ongoing discussion on rural development programs aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Global South. The research question examines how the Smart Rural Communities (SRC) framework can support the SDGs as an international cooperation model. The article presents findings from fieldwork action research including a critical analysis of the hegemonic discourse on smart cities and provides final recommendations. Additionally, it introduces the concept of SRC. The fieldwork action research was conducted in post-conflict rural areas in Colombia’s Bolivar region and remote settlements in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province. Led by Ayuda En Acción in collaboration with co-operatives such as Mundukide Foundation, Alecop, and LKS from Mondragon Co-operative Corporation, these interventions aimed to engage local communities through Living Labs. They utilized Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and social innovation to promote the well-being of rural residents. The article comprises (i) an introduction; (ii) a literature review; (iii) a presentation of the fieldwork action research in Colombia and Mozambique; (iv) findings from a SWOT analysis and policy recommendations for SRC Living Labs; (v) conclusions addressing the research question. The SRC framework offers valuable insights for international cooperation models striving to achieve the SDGs in the Global South.

Suggested Citation

  • Igor Calzada, 2023. "Smart Rural Communities: Action Research in Colombia and Mozambique," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-23, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:12:p:9521-:d:1170440
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/12/9521/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/12/9521/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Veronika Zavratnik & Argene Superina & Emilija Stojmenova Duh, 2019. "Living Labs for Rural Areas: Contextualization of Living Lab Frameworks, Concepts and Practices," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(14), pages 1-17, July.
    2. Evgenia Anastasiou & Stella Manika & Konstantina Ragazou & Ioannis Katsios, 2021. "Territorial and Human Geography Challenges: How Can Smart Villages Support Rural Development and Population Inclusion?," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-15, May.
    3. Simona Stojanova & Gianluca Lentini & Peter Niederer & Thomas Egger & Nina Cvar & Andrej Kos & Emilija Stojmenova Duh, 2021. "Smart Villages Policies: Past, Present and Future," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-28, February.
    4. Anna Visvizi & Miltiadis D. Lytras, 2018. "It’s Not a Fad: Smart Cities and Smart Villages Research in European and Global Contexts," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-10, August.
    5. Nguyen, Huong Thu & Marques, Pilar & Benneworth, Paul, 2022. "Living labs: Challenging and changing the smart city power relations?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    6. John Forester & Martien Kuitenbrouwer & David Laws, 2019. "Enacting reflective and deliberative practices in action research," Policy Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(5), pages 456-475, September.
    7. Hannes Thees & Harald Pechlaner & Natalie Olbrich & Arne Schuhbert, 2020. "The Living Lab as a Tool to Promote Residents’ Participation in Destination Governance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-27, February.
    8. Łukasz Komorowski & Monika Stanny, 2020. "Smart Villages: Where Can They Happen?," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-18, May.
    9. Annica Kronsell & Dalia Mukhtar-Landgren, 2018. "Experimental governance: the role of municipalities in urban living labs," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(5), pages 988-1007, May.
    10. Mick Chisnall, 2020. "Digital slavery, time for abolition?," Policy Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(5), pages 488-506, September.
    11. Ola Söderström & Till Paasche & Francisco Klauser, 2014. "Smart cities as corporate storytelling," City, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(3), pages 307-320, June.
    12. Igor Calzada & Cristobal Cobo, 2015. "Unplugging: Deconstructing the Smart City," Journal of Urban Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(1), pages 23-43, January.
    13. Miltiadis D. Lytras & Anna Visvizi, 2018. "Who Uses Smart City Services and What to Make of It: Toward Interdisciplinary Smart Cities Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-16, June.
    14. Caragliu, Andrea & Del Bo, Chiara F., 2019. "Smart innovative cities: The impact of Smart City policies on urban innovation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 373-383.
    15. Igor Calzada, 2020. "Platform and Data Co-Operatives amidst European Pandemic Citizenship," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-22, October.
    16. Maria Magdalena Turek Rahoveanu & Valentin Serban & Adrian Gheorghe Zugravu & Adrian Turek Rahoveanu & Dragoș Sebastian Cristea & Petronela Nechita & Cristian Silviu Simionescu, 2022. "Perspectives on Smart Villages from a Bibliometric Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-17, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Johannes Stübinger & Lucas Schneider, 2020. "Understanding Smart City—A Data-Driven Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-23, October.
    2. Weiwei Li & Ping Zhang & Kaixu Zhao & Hua Chen & Sidong Zhao, 2023. "The Evolution Model of and Factors Influencing Digital Villages: Evidence from Guangxi, China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-26, March.
    3. Ping Zhang & Weiwei Li & Kaixu Zhao & Yi Zhao & Hua Chen & Sidong Zhao, 2023. "The Impact Factors and Management Policy of Digital Village Development: A Case Study of Gansu Province, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-32, March.
    4. Qian Wang & Shixian Luo & Jiao Zhang & Katsunori Furuya, 2022. "Increased Attention to Smart Development in Rural Areas: A Scientometric Analysis of Smart Village Research," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-28, August.
    5. Igor Calzada, 2018. "(Smart) Citizens from Data Providers to Decision-Makers? The Case Study of Barcelona," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-25, September.
    6. Rita Lankauskienė & Živilė Gedminaitė-Raudonė, 2023. "Toward Holistic Perceptions of “Smart” Growth in Development Paradigms and Policy Agendas," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-15, February.
    7. Wu Zhao & Zhiye Liang & Binrong Li, 2022. "Realizing a Rural Sustainable Development through a Digital Village Construction: Experiences from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-26, October.
    8. Muhammad Yusuf, 2023. "Village Open Data Implementation: Lesson Learned from Alang-alang Vilalge, Madura," Technium, Technium Science, vol. 16(1), pages 11-17.
    9. Sylwia Barwicka & Małgorzata Milecka, 2022. "The “Perfect Village” Model as a Result of Research on Transformation of Plant Cover—Case Study of the Puchaczów Commune," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-22, November.
    10. Simona Stojanova & Nina Cvar & Jurij Verhovnik & Nataša Božić & Jure Trilar & Andrej Kos & Emilija Stojmenova Duh, 2022. "Rural Digital Innovation Hubs as a Paradigm for Sustainable Business Models in Europe’s Rural Areas," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-20, November.
    11. Evgenia Anastasiou & Stella Manika & Konstantina Ragazou & Ioannis Katsios, 2021. "Territorial and Human Geography Challenges: How Can Smart Villages Support Rural Development and Population Inclusion?," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-15, May.
    12. María Eugenia López-Pérez & María Eugenia Reyes-García & María Eugenia López-Sanz, 2023. "Smart Mobility and Smart Climate: An Illustrative Case in Seville, Spain," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-11, January.
    13. Bipashyee Ghosh & Saurabh Arora, 2022. "Smart as (un)democratic? The making of a smart city imaginary in Kolkata, India," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 40(1), pages 318-339, February.
    14. Miltiadis D. Lytras & Anna Visvizi & Akila Sarirete, 2019. "Clustering Smart City Services: Perceptions, Expectations, Responses," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-19, March.
    15. Trencher, Gregory, 2019. "Towards the smart city 2.0: Empirical evidence of using smartness as a tool for tackling social challenges," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 117-128.
    16. Chunpei Lin & Guanxi Zhao & Chuanpeng Yu & Yenchun Jim Wu, 2019. "Smart City Development and Residents’ Well-Being," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-17, January.
    17. Bielska, Anna & Stańczuk-Gałwiaczek, Małgorzata & Sobolewska-Mikulska, Katarzyna & Mroczkowski, Robert, 2021. "Implementation of the smart village concept based on selected spatial patterns – A case study of Mazowieckie Voivodeship in Poland," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    18. Annemarie Polderman & Andreas Haller & Diego Viesi & Xavier Tabin & Stefano Sala & Annamaria Giorgi & Loïc Darmayan & Jakob Rager & Jelena Vidovič & Quentin Daragon & Yves Verchère & Uroš Zupan & Nadi, 2020. "How Can Ski Resorts Get Smart? Transdisciplinary Approaches to Sustainable Winter Tourism in the European Alps," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-19, July.
    19. Negar Noori & Thomas Hoppe & Martin de Jong, 2020. "Classifying Pathways for Smart City Development: Comparing Design, Governance and Implementation in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-24, May.
    20. Sha, Kritika & Taeihagh, Araz & De Jong, Martin, 2024. "Governing disruptive technologies for inclusive development in cities: A systematic literature review," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:12:p:9521-:d:1170440. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.