The Role of Large Cities in the Development of Low-Carbon Economy—The Example of Poland

Assessing financial inclusion co-movement with low-carbon development index: implications for regional development

This study assesses the relationship between financial inclusion and low-carbon development and its implications for regional development. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is used to analyse data from a sample of E7 countries from 2001 to 2020. Results show that financial inclusion and low-carbon development are significantly related, indicating that financial inclusion is a significant driver of low-carbon development. Additionally, regional differences between E7 countries in financial inclusion and low-carbon development are identified, highlighting the need for region-specific policies to promote sustainable development. Moreover, findings show that deposits, bank accounts, and ATMs of all E7 economies contribute to environmental and economic growth inputs. The findings have important implications. Therefore, encouraging low-carbon growth via increased financial inclusion may be successful. Access to financial services, financial literacy, and financial innovation are all areas where policymakers might do more to advance the cause of financial inclusion. Accounting for variations in financial inclusion and low-carbon development between regions is important when crafting policies to encourage sustainable development. The economic climate, cultural norms, and institutional structures of a given area must all be considered by policymakers if they are to craft plans that will be successful.

Smart Mobility in a Smart City in the Context of Generation Z Sustainability, Use of ICT, and Participation

Smart sustainable cities represent a great challenge for the modern world. Generation Z (Gen Z), whose representatives are now entering adult life, will play a key role in the implementation of this concept. The purpose of this study is to investigate the nature of the relationship between the evaluation of smart mobility’s importance for a smart city and the attitudes and behaviours of Generation Z members in the context of sustainability, use of ICT, and their declarative and actual participation in smart city activities. The diagnostic survey method was used to achieve the research objective. The authors designed the questionnaire based on a literature analysis. The research sample consisted of 484 representatives of Generation Z—students of universities located in a smart city, Lublin (Poland). The collected data was statistically analysed using the following methods and statistical tests: Cronbach’s alpha, Pearson’s chi-square test for independence, symmetric measures: Cramer’s V, and the contingency coefficient. The analysis of the obtained research results confirms that the conscious approach of Generation Z to sustainability has a significant and positive impact on their evaluation of actions taken in the field of smart mobility for a smart city. A similar relationship was confirmed with regard to the relationship between ICT use and smart mobility evaluation. The significant and positive impact of young people’s participation in smart cities on their evaluation of smart mobility solutions’ importance was not fully and unequivocally confirmed. In conclusion, the Generation Z representatives’ awareness of the importance of sustainability and caring for the natural environment was confirmed by their desire to be pro-ecological in the areas of smart mobility studied in the paper. Moreover, young people who constantly use the latest technologies see their huge potential for the development of smart mobility in cities. However, despite the growing expectations of citizens’ active attitudes and their increasing participation in smart mobility development, it seems that the representatives of Generation Z are not really interested in it. Their declarations of willingness to join various opinion-forming and decision making processes do not actually transform them into active co-creators of smart mobility solutions. Changing this approach can be an educational, organisational and technological challenge for smart city authorities. The obtained research results could be used as guidelines for facilitating the search for innovative solutions in the area of smart mobility, improving the quality of life of smart city residents based on the principle of sustainable development.