← All articles

Photo · Gordon More

Smart Villagers as Actors of Digital Social Innovation in Rural Areas

Nicole Zerrer, Ariane Sept · 2020 · Urban Planning

Summary. Rural inhabitants drive digital social innovation to address problems like poor mobility, demographic decline, and digital inequality. Two German villages demonstrate how local innovators—termed Smart Villagers—create solutions like community apps and car-sharing systems. These bottom-up actors work as drivers, supporters, and users, collaborating with external professionals. The research shows Smart Villagers are motivated and skilled but require outside support to sustain their initiatives.

Read the original

Cite this article

Zerrer, N., & Sept, A.. (2020). Smart Villagers as Actors of Digital Social Innovation in Rural Areas. Urban Planning. https://doi.org/10.17645/up.v5i4.3183

Details

DOI
10.17645/up.v5i4.3183
Countries
Germany
Regions
Europe
Categories
broadband-and-digital, innovation-networks, regional-innovation-systems
Added
2026-04-28