Theoretical Foundations in Support of Small and Medium Towns

This theoretical review aims to create a comprehensive and systematic analysis based on previously published literature explaining how contemporary technological developments may promote new paths for small and medium-sized towns (SMTs) and their networking systems. Much has been said concerning the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sustainability 2020-07, Vol.12 (13), p.5312
Main Authors: de Noronha, Teresa, Vaz, Eric
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Artificial intelligence
Clustering
COVID-19
Externality
Innovations
Knowledge management
Networking
Regional development
Regional planning
Sociology
Sustainability
Technology transfer
Tourism
Towns
Trends
Urban areas
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Summary:This theoretical review aims to create a comprehensive and systematic analysis based on previously published literature explaining how contemporary technological developments may promote new paths for small and medium-sized towns (SMTs) and their networking systems. Much has been said concerning the capacity of towns to absorb strategic knowledge, which is highly dependent on local governance systems. In this paper, five levels of multidisciplinary approaches will be addressed so as to pinpoint the theoretical grounds for the promotion and advocacy of small and medium-sized towns (SMTs) as major drivers of regional sustainability: agglomeration advantages and networking efficiencies—representing strict economic accounting of cost and benefits; clustering in a context of online environments, and its extension to open networking systems; sustainable innovation processes for SMTs, technology, and knowledge transfer in open innovation systems—both settings for discussions within the framing of new technological developments and artificial intelligence; knowledge and new technological developments with local spillovers—to be enhanced employing new educational programs and learning diffusion at advanced levels; the social functions of small and medium-sized towns—to be addressed in the areas of sociology, architecture, and planning.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su12135312