Estimation of the Smart Land Index: application to the rural context of the Crati Valley

The smart land model plans, in a territorial perspective, to connect cities and minor suburban areas, integrating all aspects of the urban sphere and services to give rise to a stronger development system. The present research proposes a viable methodology on a territorial scale that, on the basis of a series of evaluation items, factors and variables, and measurable quantities, indicators, allows the expression and quantification of the degree of smartness in the area of interest. Specifically, in order to support the development of the implementation area, the Crati Valley (Italy), into a smart land, aspects relating to the ‘Territory’ factor which encompass the ‘Smart Environment’ thematic area were explored, since it is considered a key element for the implementation of a sustainable process of economic and productive growth, especially for a context, such as the one in question, with a rural vocation. These are the first results of research whose continuation envisages adopting a similar approach for all the other factors identified, in order to obtain a model that is able not only to quantitatively measure the level of ‘intelligence’ of the territory, but, above all, is able to highlight, qualitatively, any critical issues and suggest operational development strategies.