Smart Municipalities in Europe and Greece: A Comparative SWOT Analysis

Smart cities' terminology is in the spotlight with a gaining interest as modern European urban areas are constantly growing and have a high share of responsibility for the world’s GDP. Additionally, a sustainable urban development is presented as a protective net for emerging challenges which risks both the socioeconomic environment and the citizens’ quality of life. Meanwhile, the implementation of smart city projects is possible to lead to a sustainable future, in Greece, this stage is still inadequate. In this respect, the focus of the present paper is to distinct and present the traits which allows a city to transit into a smart, sustainable, eco-friendly, inclusive, and quality livable urban ecosystem. The research is based on analyzing the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) comparing European and Greek cities. By using this specific strategic marketing analysis, two main factors are presented, the differentiation of Greek cities from other European and the unique barriers confronted by Greek municipalities in a post-crisis era. In conclusion, European cities are shown with a systematic strategic planning in adopting ICTs and a better utilization of the opportunities from this new era. Furthermore, European and Greek cities may have different needs but both will have, in the following years, a great opportunity to take advantage of new smart trends and elevate the quality of life, while getting the citizens and the communities involved.