DOI: 10.11118/978-80-7701-082-5-0018

Analysis of Social Projects with Smart City Components Supported by the ESF

Denisa Bláhová, Petr Hlaváček ORCID...¹

¹ Faculty of Social and Economic Studies, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, Pasteurova 3544/1, 400 96 Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic

The article evaluates selected socially oriented projects from the perspective of the Smart City concept, which were supported by the European Social Fund (ESF). The aim of the research is to determine the extent to which these projects contribute to innovation, quality of life, sustainability, and can be considered innovative. The research evaluates these projects according to several criteria, such as the degree of innovation, contribution to quality of life, sustainability, and stakeholder involvement. Using a standardized scoring method, significant differences between individual projects were identified, particularly in the areas of economic and environmental sustainability and replication potential. Although all projects showed a high level of social sustainability and inclusiveness, most of them lacked long-term financial security and more consistent integration of environmental aspects. The results point to the need for systematic support for soft social innovations using Smart City approaches and highlight the differences between projects implemented by the public and private sectors. The study concludes that strengthening participatory planning, interdisciplinary cooperation, and institutional anchoring is key to increasing the strategic importance of socially oriented Smart City projects.

Klíčová slova: Smart City, Social Innovation, Participation, Inclusiveness, Sustainability, Subsidy Policy

stránky: 18-21, online: 2026