The Smart City illusion: Why cooperation is the missing ingredient in rural development

This study analyzes the application of the Smart City concept to small towns. Current research on Smart Cities primarily focuses on metropolitan areas, creating a significant gap in our understanding of how these concepts can be effectively implemented in less urbanized regions. This work addresses this gap by linking territorial marketing and Smart City paradigms with a focus on cooperation. Based on a qualitative analysis, the study identifies the most relevant areas of intervention of three Portuguese inland municipalities classified as Smart Cities. The findings reveal the potential of territorial marketing and Smart City initiatives to revitalize inland regions and promote sustainable development. However, the absence of direct cooperative projects indicates a missed opportunity to establish a cohesive territorial identity. The analysis highlights shared challenges, such as addressing mobility disparities and enhancing digital inclusion, which demand a cooperative approach. The findings underscore the pressing need for municipalities to shift away from individualistic development approaches to foster inter-municipal synergies. • Sustainable development through intermunicipal collaboration. • Smaller, less urbanized and rural areas are likely to apply the smart city concept. • Intermunicipal cooperation, place branding, and smart city initiatives can revitalize inland regions. • The lack of collaborating projects as a missed opportunity to create a coherent territorial identity. • Common challenges require intermunicipal collaboration rather than isolated actions.