The transformation of rural areas and the broadly understood problems of their development have been the subject of scientific analyses and lively public debate for many years. The ongoing discussions stem from a reflection on the increased effectiveness of rural development policies and the search for new approaches to their programming at the local level. They are also the result of a growing feeling that it is necessary to achieve sustainable development objectives more effectively and reduce social and economic disparities between rural and urban areas. Among the emerging challenges in the last decade, the transition to an information society has come to the fore, however it should be stressed that the changes taking place are dependent on global technological and digital development. The fact that rural areas are inhabited by about one quarter of the European Union’s population makes us aware of the importance of these changes in rural areas. In Poland, this proportion is much higher and amounts to 40%. Being aware of this fact, it may be assumed that adaptation to transformations cannot be treated as an opportunity, but as a necessity, as more and more activities are carried out in the virtual world. The importance of digital and communication technologies has been reinforced in recent months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has transferred some activities to the virtual sphere. Equipping rural populations with digital and communications skills will make it possible to “reduce” distance, thereby increasing accessibility to goods and services, especially public ones. In this context, information and communication technologies (ICT) are treated as an opportunity to overcome development-related difficulties. However, their use depends on access to the internet in a given area. Its lack or poor coverage in a particular area deprives it of the opportunities for development based on smart technologies or smart initiatives. As regards the local dimension, it is not only digital technologies that are growing in importance, but also activities aimed to improve broadly understood living conditions of rural residents, also on a micro scale. In these transformations, people and their skills are of unique value, and waiting passively for change does not make much sense. In this context technology can only be a tool, as human competences are becoming the major driver for the improvement of the standard of living and quality of life. Well-identified local human resources form the basis for social innovation, and consequently contribute to increased resilience of rural areas, allowing them to solve problems faced by local communities. The transition to an information society understood in this way has a significantly broader context than digital and communication technologies and comprises a range of social and agri-environmental issues.

The book"Regional Approaches to the Energy Transition", discusses the key challenges the energy transition is facing at the European and International level. It is an edited collection gathering contributions from the experts in the field bringing together internationally renowned scholars, researchers, EU officials to address the current trends in the energy transition and its dilemmas. The book places the energy transition in a wide interdisciplinary context. It looks at energy policies, legal framework, regional strategies and the difficulties in their implementation. It argues for a regional approach to the energy transition, questioning at the same time the strategies and measures put forward for its realisation. The subject matter is topical, considering recent themes that occupy global and European political agendas. In a nutshell, the volume offers insights into regional regulations, public policies and local practices on the use of clean energy. It looks first at the EU commitment and its initiatives providing some examples from the Member States. Furthermore, it offers a comparative perspective and discusses the different approaches to the energy transition from Latin America, China, Africa and Australia. It covers a wide range of topics such as the EU renewable energy policies, Green Deal and regionalisation, energy auctions in the EU, environment in contemporary constitutionalism, Human Rights considerations, the Scandinavian perspective, practical examples from Italy and Spain. Moreover, it also considers the global context, looking at State and Market in China's coal-to-gas transition, tendencies of legal regulation in the sphere of renewable energy in Russia, the energy transition in Latin-American countries, regional approach to the energy transition and electricity access initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa, and transnationalism and the regional approach to the energy transition in Australia. The systematisation that this book offers and the exchange of good practices and experiences are useful tools for the key players to seriously engage with a just and sustainable energy transition. The proposed book is a reference and study material for academics and students, but also for the policy makers, officials and practitioners dealing with the energy transition. It provides some answers, potential solutions and alternatives to the main problems that the energy sector is facing worldwide.

Acknowledging the smart cities phenomenon not as a future goal but as an active part of our present, this book critically examines the strategies, business models, practices, tools, and actions needed to ensure that smart cities deliver the solutions they promise.

This book features research presented and discussed during the Research & Innovation Forum (Rii Forum) 2023. As such, this book offers a unique insight into emerging topics, issues and developments pertinent to the fields of technology, innovation and education and their social impact. Papers included in this book apply inter- and multi-disciplinary approaches to query such issues as technology-enhanced teaching and learning, smart cities, information systems, cognitive computing and social networking. What brings these threads of the discussion together is the question of how advances in computer science—which are otherwise largely incomprehensible to researchers from other fields—can be effectively translated and capitalized on so as to make them beneficial for society as a whole. In this context, Rii Forum and Rii Forum proceedings offer an essential venue where diverse stakeholders, including academics, the think tank sector and decision-makers, can engage in a meaningful dialogue with a view to improving the applicability of advances in computer science.

Increasing depopulation is causing huge problems for rural communities, leading to a reduction in services and infrastructure in areas with ageing populations. This book examines the concept of the Smart Village, an ICT-conscious integrated strategy which provides a sustainable solution to these problems, helping to revitalize rural areas.

This book aims to fill a gap in the current literature by tracing the rural transformation process and the development of rural tourism functions in Poland over the last 30 years. It examines the socioeconomic transformation between 1989 and 2019 that resulted in the formation and development of Polish rural tourism and the various practices associated with it. This timely topic is addressed in a central and eastern European context and sparks interest in further in-depth analysis due the diversity and magnitude of the transformation processes undertaken by the Polish rural areas. Since Polish rural areas constitute as much as 30% of the total rural areas in all new European Union member states, this book adds value through an in-depth statistical analysis of the pace of socioeconomic changes in Polish rural areas. It delves into the creation and consumption of tourism services locally, as well as the impact of global trends on the development of rural tourism in Poland. This book will be of interest to economists, sociologists, political scientists and postgraduate students across eastern and central Europe who deal with rural tourism issues.

Sustainable development is the core principle underpinning land use planning. The policies in this statement apply to the rural areas, including country towns and villages and the wider, largely undeveloped countryside up to the fringes of larger urban areas. The key principles identified are: (i) decisions on development should be based on sustainable development principles; (ii) good quality accessible development within towns and villages should be allowed where it benefits the local community; (iii) accessibility should be a key consideration, with emphasis on access by public transport, walking and cycling; (iv) new building in the open countryside away from existing settlements should be strictly controlled; (v) priority should be given to the reuse of brownfield sites. This PPS replaces PPG 7 (1997) with the exception of PPG7's Annex E, which provides further guidance on permitted development rights for agriculture and forestry and will remain extant pending a review by ODPM of the General Permitted Development Order 1995.