Abstract:

The steadily growing population in the world and the increasing number of people living in cities and urban areas necessitate solutions which effectively take into account sustainable development principles to be able to meet citizens’ needs. One way to improve the functioning of urban areas and, at the same time, the direction of their development is the smart city concept.

The purpose of this article is to analyze experiences and benefits of implementing the smart city concept in Polish cities, with particular attention given to the importance of digital competences among stakeholders. Based on data collected, it has been pointed out that, in the coming years, low digital competences and digital exclusion may be major obstacles to the implementation of modern and smart solutions in cities. The research method adopted by the author is the secondary research based on the literature and results of surveys on digital competences and the implementation of the smart city concept in Poland.