The concept of “Smart Cities,” widely adopted in recent years globally, attempts to provide solutions to many urban challenges. The multiple challenges faced by modern cities globally, driven by continuous urbanization combined with other critical issues confronting the planet, are leading to the adoption of policies based on sustainable development and the opportunities offered by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Achieving a high standard of living and citizen welfare is central to urban governance. Examples of cities at both national and international levels are presented, along with innovative initiatives aimed at enhancing quality of life. Greek cities have similarly begun moving towards this model. This research paper analyzes the concept and characteristics of Smart Cities, as well as their significance. Within the framework of this study, a structured quantitative survey was conducted in the Municipality of Larissa, Greece, targeting a convenient sample of 141 residents. The survey examined citizens’ awareness, use, and perception of digital services and smart city initiatives implemented by the municipality. The findings show that, although citizens recognize the benefits of using ICTs, they remain in a transitional stage, displaying limited familiarity with digital services and a low degree of participation in decision-making processes. In summary, the results contribute to the ongoing discourse on smart governance and the crucial role of citizens in its overall success. Beneficiaries of the study include municipal authorities, urban planners, technology providers, and policymakers aiming to improve quality of life through smart and inclusive urban strategies.

In recent years, there has been a growing research and policy interest in the transformation of cities into smart cities and the role that citizen participation plays in this process. Despite the development of digital tools and applications, active citizen engagement remains a significant challenge, particularly within the Greek context, which presents unique specificities regarding the implementation of participatory processes. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the current state of affairs concerning the use of digital media as tools to support participatory processes for the shaping of smart cities, as well as the prospects they create. This study adopts an exploratory qualitative case-study approach to examine how elected municipal officials perceive citizen participation, digital transformation, and related institutional, technological, educational, and social barriers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 elected officials—mayors and deputy mayors—from seven municipalities in the Western Sector of Athens, Greece, and the data were analyzed using Thematic Analysis following Braun and Clarke’s six-phase approach. The findings indicate that the interviewed officials perceived citizen participation as constrained by fragmented information and communication channels, limited civic awareness and digital skills, accessibility barriers, uneven municipal digital capacity, and insufficiently structured participatory mechanisms. They also highlighted the need for stronger coordination, education, evaluation, and knowledge exchange across municipal initiatives. Building on these context-specific findings, together with insights from the broader literature, this paper proposes the creation of a unified national platform for Greek smart cities, which will function as a mechanism for information, education, participation, evaluation, and knowledge exchange. The proposed platform seeks to enhance participatory governance, promote the development of civic awareness and critical thinking, and support the dissemination of best practices among Greek municipalities. The findings of this exploratory case study suggest that the transition of Greek cities into citizen-centric smart cities presupposes integrated strategic approaches that combine technological innovation with education, participation, and stakeholder collaboration.

This study conducts a systematic literature review to examine how inclusive and sustainable local development is conceptualized and operationalized in relation to local governments and municipalities. Guided by PRISMA 2020, the review draws on academic, institutional, and standards-based sources retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and selected official portals, and organizes the evidence through three analytical pillars: conceptual and theoretical approaches; governance and policy frameworks; and operational tools, standards, indicators, and reporting practices. The findings show that the literature provides strong justice- and inclusion-oriented conceptual foundations, while governance studies emphasize the importance of multilevel arrangements, institutional capacity, and policy translation at municipal level. The review also finds that sustainability reporting, ESG-related practices, and indicator frameworks offer operational tools through which municipalities respond to accountability and stakeholder expectations, although these remain unevenly institutionalized and only partly connected to decision-making. Overall, the review identifies a persistent implementation gap between justice-oriented development objectives, municipal governance arrangements, and operational accountability mechanisms. While municipalities increasingly adopt sustainability-oriented tools, reporting practices, and indicator frameworks, the integration of normative inclusion principles into governance structures and measurable outcomes remains uneven. The study contributes a three-pillar analytical framework that helps explain how conceptual, governance, and operational dimensions interact within municipal sustainability practice.