The Smartification of Low-Density Territories: The Case of CIM Viseu Dão Lafões

Abstract

Intermunicipal Communities (CIM), such as CIM Viseu Dão Lafões, are largely made up of low-density territories, imbued with an unattractive set to settle people and captivate tourists or to attract investment through companies (physical and/or digital). In face of the constraints that arise from this for low-density territories, the smartification of CIM presents itself as a fundamental opportunity to reverse the direction of progress or, at least, to mitigate, in the short term, the effects arising from that reality. The main objective of this text is to expose some content related to the problem of low-density territories and Intermunicipal Communities and their process towards a digitalization of services. In this sense, through the approach to the smartification of CIM, low-density territories should be constituted as instruments of territorial cohesion, functioning as “networked territories”, that is, creative and intelligent. For this, we will exemplify with the case of CIM Viseu Dão Lafões, from its presentation as a low-density territory to the demonstration of three digital projects, which should be understood as a bet on this process of digitization of intercity services. It is intended to demonstrate how these tools give citizens a greater participation in making various decisions, something that should be understood as an asset for the development of the territory. Finally, it is expected to contribute with current data (some in the implementation phase) for a reflection on the digitization of the services of the Intermunicipal Communities, as instruments of territorial cohesion and of valorization of low density territories.