The article is devoted to the legal framework of the ‘Smart City’ concept. The author concludes that it is an innovative tool for ensuring sustainable urban development and post-war recovery. Its components may be determined depending on the state of development of the State, as well as socio-economic, cultural and historical features of a particular locality. Despite the importance of this concept for the development of human settlements in line with EU policy, the concept of a smart city is not regulated by law in Ukraine. The subordinate legal act of the Concept for the Development of the Digital Economy and Society of Ukraine for 2018-2020, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on 17 January 2018, No. 67-p, is fragmentary and declarative, as it does not specify the specific timeframes, measures, resources necessary for the actual implementation of the areas outlined in it, as well as the indicators necessary to assess the results achieved. The Law of Ukraine ‘On Local SelfGovernment in Ukraine’ of 21.05.1997 No. 280/97- ВР does not contain provisions that would directly define the powers of local self-government bodies to implement the smart city concept in practice, which requires appropriate amendments. At the same time, in modern conditions, the general provisions of the said legal act can be relied upon for the practical implementation of the smart city concept. The primary act that should be adopted at the local level for the practical development of a smart city should be a city conceptual project for the implementation of Smart City. It should take into account the urgent problems of city development, the digital technologies appropriate for the project, and the sources of its funding. This project should pay considerable attention to the municipal sector of the economy and the development of municipal infrastructure. A possible measure to optimise this process could be the creation of a cluster that could include utility companies, private businesses, condominiums, and research institutions. Prior to the approval of the conceptual project for the implementation of the Smart City concept, the city’s territorial community, NGOs, and the business environment should be discussed, and the final version should take into account the reasonable comments.
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