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SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL PROBLEMS IN BUILDING AND MANAGING ALTERNATIVE AND SUSTAINABLE CITIES OF THE FUTURE

Metodi Ivanov

Abstract

For the construction of alternative and sustainable cities of the future, due attention should be paid to the study of the socio-economic and political issues that result from the development of globalization processes. On the other hand, smart and sustainable cities of the future are the challenge of the 21st century faced by the local authorities of the cities and regions of the European Union, as regional imbalances must be reduced by discussing cohesion issues. The process of building and managing alternative and sustainable cities of the future also goes through a simplified, timely and cost-effective regional policy that encourages more reforms in and outside of the European Union. Building smart cities will create an opportunity to achieve economic growth in the regions, which will have an impact on improving the quality of life of the urban population as well as providing more incentives for the development of intelligent cities, which goes through the examination of macro-regional strategy for the development of smart sustainable cities at the European Union level. Adopting the concept of building a macro-regional strategy for the development of intelligent cities at the European Union level requires a mandatory outline of the political framework in which countries in the same region find solutions to emerging socio-economic, environmental and transport problems and, at the same time, to use their common potential to solve the current problems they face in creating smart cities of the future. Here, it is of utmost importance to use a strategic approach through which the cooperation between cities and regions can be strengthened in order to bring forward new effective policies for the establishment of an appropriate partnership and the application of different instruments and mechanisms to enhance cooperation between the laggards cities and regions and the developing sustainable cities of the future. The process of improving the coordination of actions with regard to the ongoing regional policies for sustainable economic growth and the provision of the necessary sources of funding for the development of smart sustainable cities of the future goes through the development and implementation of integrated urban and regional development strategies, covering the implementation of specific programs and objectives for increasing investment in innovation, improving infrastructure development in the regions, intermodal transport links and attracting highly qualified workforce in promising regions to build smart cities of the future.

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