Business, Government and the SDGs: The Role of Public-Private Engagement in Building a Sustainable Future

This book seeks to revise and challenge the roles and traditional realms of influence that national and local governments, and businesses at a critical juncture in terms of achieving sustainable development, faces when tackling the dual challenges of climate change and post-COVID recovery. Using the broader lens of the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to assess the roles and responsibilities of each of these stakeholders and their relationships, the book offers policy, economic arguments, case studies and examples to argue that neither national or local governments, nor companies, could afford to deviate from the SDGs in the recovery from the current crisis, nor that the imperative of bold climate action should detract from the broader focus on sustainability. The analysis frames the debate of how a balance between people, planet, and profits can be achieved and how nations, regions and cities, and businesses, with their representative organizations, can achieve a sustainable recovery from the current global crisis, and contribute to climate smart, resilient and inclusive development. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023. All rights reserved.

Spatio-temporal relative risks and priority areas for visceral leishmaniasis control in Brazil, between 2001 and 2020.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a pressing public health problem in Brazil. The proper implementation of disease control programs in priority areas is a challenge for healthcare managers. The present study aimed to analyze the spatio-temporal distribution and identify high risk areas of VL occurrence in the Brazilian territory. We analyzed data regarding new cases with confirmed diagnosis of VL in Brazilian municipalities, from 2001 to 2020, extracted from the Brazilian Information System for Notifiable Diseases. The Local Index of Spatial Autocorrelation (LISA) was used to identify contiguous areas with high incidence rates in different periods of the temporal series. Clusters of high spatio-temporal relative risks were identified using the scan statistics. The accumulated incidence rate in the analyzed period was 33.53 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The number of municipalities that reported cases showed an upward trend from 2001 onward, although there was a decrease in 2019 and 2020. According to LISA, the number of municipalities considered a priority increased in Brazil and in most states. Priority municipalities were predominantly concentrated in the states of Tocantins, Maranhão, Piauí, and Mato Grosso do Sul, in addition to more specific areas of Pará, Ceará, Piauí, Alagoas, Pernambuco, Bahia, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Roraima. The spatio-temporal clusters of high-risk areas varied throughout the time series and were relatively higher in the North and Northeast regions. Recent high-risk areas were found in Roraima and municipalities in northeastern states. VL expanded territorially in Brazil in the 21st century. However, there is still a considerable spatial concentration of cases. The areas identified in the present study should be prioritized for disease control actions.

Green bond market boom: did environmental, social and governance criteria play a role in reducing health-related uncertainty?

Recent years have been characterized by considerable growth of the green bond market in Europe, particularly in the domain of social bond issuance. Considering the recent pandemic, it is also a stylized fact that this growth is positively correlated with the concept of health-related uncertainty, as the green bond market aims to acquire financing in order to allow the development of projects that comply with the so-called environmental (E), social (S) and governance (G) criteria. This study then applies a dynamic spatial econometric analysis and several robustness checks to assess the extent to which each E, S and G criterion contributes to the societal dynamics of health-related uncertainty. The analysis takes advantage of available data on the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 to measure health-related uncertainty at the municipal level, so that a higher (lower) number of confirmed cases constitutes a proxy for a greater (smaller) degree of uncertainty, respectively. To reinforce the need to evaluate impacts in a context characterized by health-related uncertainty, the time span covers the first wave of COVID-19, which is the period when uncertainty reached its highest peak. Additionally, the geographical scope is mainland Portugal since this country has become a breeding ground for startups and new ideas, being currently one of the world leaders in hosting businesses that reached Unicorn status. The main result of this research is that only the social dimension has a significant, positive and permanent impact on health-related uncertainty. Therefore, this study empirically confirms that the European green bond market has been and can be further leveraged by the need to finance projects with a social scope.

Disputes between neighbors in Mexican cities during the COVID‐19 pandemic

We estimate the effect of the COVID‐19 pandemic lockdown on disputes between neighbors using a panel of 70 cities from across Mexico and a difference‐in‐difference strategy. Our results show that the lockdown exacerbated disputes related to pets as nuisances by 45%, noise by 31%, unruly children by 23%, and garbage by 22%. We do not find any effect of the COVID‐19 lockdown on disputes related to gossip. We also estimate heterogeneous effects of the alcohol sales ban across Mexican municipalities. Our findings suggest that this public policy helped to reduce the likelihood of disputes related to noise and garbage.Alternate :Se estimó el efecto del confinamiento de la pandemia COVID‐19 en las disputas entre vecinos utilizando un panel de 70 ciudades de todo México y una estrategia de diferencias en diferencias. Los resultados muestran que el confinamiento exacerbó las disputas relacionadas con las mascotas como molestias en un 45%, el ruido en un 31%, los niños revoltosos en un 23% y la basura en un 22%. No se encontró ningún efecto del confinamiento de COVID‐19 en las disputas relacionadas con el chismorreo. También se estimaron los efectos heterogéneos de la prohibición de la venta de alcohol en los municipios mexicanos. Los resultados sugieren que esta política pública contribuyó a reducir la probabilidad de conflictos relacionados con el ruido y la basura.Alternate :抄録COVID‐19のパンデミックによるロックダウンが近隣住民間の口論に及ぼす影響を、メキシコ全国の70都市のパネルデータと差分の差分法を用いて推定した。結果から、ロックダウンによって口論が以下のように増加したことが示された。ペットによる迷惑:45%、騒音:31%、素行不良の子供:23%、ゴミ:22%。ゴシップに関する口論には、COVID‐19のロックダウンの影響は見られなかった。また、我々は、メキシコの地方自治体におけるアルコール販売禁止による不均一な影響も推定した。調査結果から、アルコール販売の禁止が騒音とゴミに関する口論の可能性を減らすのに役立ったことが示唆された。

Developing Eldercare in Ageing Societies: A Qualitative Study on Misaligned Visions and Caged Change Agents

Eldercare is facing current demands to develop due to changing demographics with increasing populations of elderly over the age of 85 combined with smaller populations of young people able to provide care and contribute to care via their taxes. The need for development of quality and safety was highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Swedish government subsidies aimed at developing municipalities responsible for publicly managed eldercare have only been evaluated to a limited extent and the realisation of visions of future eldercare is shrouded in mystery. The study aims to explore the development work and strategies in Swedish municipal eldercare organisations, specifically in terms of alignment between democratic visions at political and strategic levels and operationalisation at operational levels. 28 interviews with development leaders were conducted in 14 Swedish municipality organisations between March and October 2021. The interviews focused on supporting roles and functions, responsibilities and collaborations, visions and operationalisations, and the follow-up and evaluation of eldercare development. A thematic analysis resulted in the main theme "top-down handling of unmanageable alignment” and the subthemes "shaping a high road for change;” "sticking to visions, hopes, and respect for practice;” and "self-serving focus on politics.” The quality of alignment strategies and putting the strategic vision into practice were related to organisation size and resources. A gap between strategic and operational levels was accentuated in terms of inconsistent responsibilities in following through with development projects and development being characterised by top-down initiatives and resources at the strategic level but strained implementation abilities at operational levels. Peripherally located change agents with legitimacy at multiple organisational levels are suggested to ease top-down as well as bottom-up drive, which could increase a vertical alignment of visions and practice.

Spatial contagion during the first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic: Some lessons from the case of Madrid, Spain

This paper analyses the magnitude of the spatial transmission of COVID‐19 through the municipalities of the region of Madrid during the first pandemic wave using a spatial contagion index. The study also provides additional insights into the main factors contributing to the spread of the virus in both time and space by estimating a novel conditional spatial contagion index. Our results reveal high values of spatial contagion before and during the national lockdown enacted on 15 March 2020, becoming medium/low since then. Furthermore, the study confirms the leading role of inter‐municipal mobility and population density in spatial contagion.Alternate :Este artículo analiza la magnitud de la transmisión espacial de COVID‐19 a través de los municipios de la región de Madrid durante la primera ola pandémica, para lo cual utiliza un índice de contagio espacial. El estudio también proporciona información adicional sobre los principales factores que contribuyen a la propagación del virus, tanto en el tiempo como en el espacio, mediante la estimación de un novedoso índice de contagio espacial condicional. Los resultados revelan altos valores de contagio espacial antes y durante el confinamiento nacional promulgado el 15 de marzo de 2020, pasando a ser medios o bajos desde entonces. Además, el estudio confirma el protagonismo de la movilidad intermunicipal y la densidad de población en el contagio espacial.Alternate :抄録本稿では、空間的感染指標を用いて、パンデミックの第一波におけるマドリッド地域の自治体におけるCOVID‐19の空間的伝播の規模を解析する。また、新しい条件付き空間感染指標を推定することにより、時間と空間の両方でウイルスの拡散に寄与する主要因子の解明の手掛かりを提供する。結果から、2020年3月15日に施行された全国的なロックダウン前とロックダウン中の空間的感染のレベルが高く、それ以降は中程度~低程度になっていることが明らかになった。本研究からさらに、都市間の移動性と人口密度が空間的感染の主導的役割となっていることを確認された。

Is Spanish depopulation irreversible? Recent demographic and spatial changes in small municipalities

Many small Spanish municipalities (those with less than 2000 inhabitants) experienced population growth during the first decade of the 21st century due to a large influx of foreign immigrants. However, the Great Recession put an end to this trend. The first aim of this paper is to analyse the demographic impact of the new phase of economic growth – known as the "post-crisis” period (2014–2020) – on small Spanish municipalities. The second aim is to carry out an initial analysis of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic crisis on the growth of these municipalities. The results of a nine-category typology show that during the post-crisis period, the vast majority of villages continued to depopulate, while a minority gained population or had stagnant population figures. The Covid-19 pandemic represented a turning point, with small municipalities as a whole starting to grow again. However, the population did not increase in all categories of villages or in all regions of rural Spain. The results for both periods (post-crisis and Covid-19 pandemic) highlight the growing importance of migration to demographic change in the smallest municipalities © 2023, Vienna Yearbook of Population Research.All Rights Reserved.

PLANNING OF TOURIST DESTINATIONS: A PENDING CHALLENGE FOR MUNICIPAL MANAGEMENT IN CHILE

Tourism management is a topic of growing interest at the local level. In Chile, 108 new offices, departments, or directorates responsible for tourism were created within municipalities between 2010 and 2020. This article analyzes this development, addressing the following questions: Do touristic destinations in Chile have tourism development plans that guide the management of municipal authorities? What degree of progress in the implementation of their plans of action have these municipalities registered? The objective is to contribute to reflection on the scenario within which the country's touristic municipalities are currently operating. This is a key issue at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has stimulated international debate about the new conditions that tourist destinations must meet to accommodate visitor demand once borders reopen and confidence in travel recovers. © 2021 Universidad De Valparaiso. All Rights Reserved.

The preferred location of coworking spaces in Italy: an empirical investigation in urban and peripheral areas

With a rising globalization of the economy and society, the digital transformation, and the economic downturn started in 2008, working is becoming less dependent on distance, location, and time. These are some of the reasons that have fostered the development and diffusion of new working spaces like coworking spaces. The paper aims at exploring the location determinants of coworking spaces, an issue that has been less developed by the literature up to now. By focusing on the 549 coworking spaces located in Italy at the year 2018, the paper investigates the location factors of such workplaces, and the attractiveness of large cities as well as peripheral areas. The results of the descriptive statistics and the econometric analysis (a Zero-Inflated Negative Binomial model is applied) confirm that coworking is mainly an urban phenomenon, since coworking spaces tend to be knowledge-intensive places for creative people. Specifically, the municipalities showing higher innovation and entrepreneurial environment (i.e. major cities) are preferred locations. Besides, it is discussed whether coworking spaces may contribute to fostering the development of peripheral and inner areas in Italy, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic where the share of teleworkers outside metropolitan areas has massively increased.

Promoting Emergency Response for Homeless Service Agencies: Field-Based Recommendations from Two Municipalities in Nova Scotia, Canada

The fast unfolding of the global COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected the homeless sector by triggering tremendous challenges for individuals experiencing homelessness (IEHs) and related service agencies. This quick-response research project qualitatively collected time-sensitive data from the IEHs and service stakeholders (SSs) experiences, challenges, efforts, and suggestions during the first wave of COVID-19 in the two most populated municipalities in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada, namely, Halifax Regional Municipality and Cape Breton Regional Municipality. Through analyzing and synthesizing the standpoints from both IEHs and SSs, this technical note presents recommendations, addressing the practical challenges that IEHs have been confronting during COVID-19 and systemic issues in which homelessness is rooted. These recommendations will assist community-based agencies in improving their emergency response capacity, better serving IEHs in COVID-19 in particular, and supporting other vulnerable and marginalized populations in future extreme events in general.

Analytics Saves Lives During the COVID-19 Crisis in Chile

During the COVID-19 crisis, the Chilean Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Sciences, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation partnered with the Instituto Sistemas Complejos de Ingeniería (ISCI) and the telecommunications company ENTEL, to develop innovative methodologies and tools that placed operations research (OR) and analytics at the forefront of the battle against the pandemic. These innovations have been used in key decision aspects that helped shape a comprehensive strategy against the virus, including tools that (1) provided data on the actual effects of lockdowns in different municipalities and over time;(2) helped allocate limited intensive care unit (ICU) capacity;(3) significantly increased the testing capacity and provided on-the-ground strategies for active screening of asymptomatic cases;and (4) implemented a nationwide serology surveillance program that significantly influenced Chile's decisions regarding vaccine booster doses and that also provided information of global relevance. Significant challenges during the execution of the project included the coordination of large teams of engineers, data scientists, and healthcare professionals in the field;the effective communication of information to the population;and the handling and use of sensitive data. The initiatives generated significant press coverage and, by providing scientific evidence supporting the decision making behind the Chilean strategy to address the pandemic, they helped provide transparency and objectivity to decision makers and the general population. According to highly conservative estimates, the number of lives saved by all the initiatives combined is close to 3,000, equivalent to more than 5% of the total death toll in Chile associated with the pandemic until January 2022. The saved resources associated with testing, ICU beds, and working days amount to more than 300 million USD.

Sustainable policies for air pollution reduction after COVID‐19 pandemic: Lessons learnt from the impact of the different lockdown periods on air quality

Due to the COVID‐19 pandemic, governments imposed several mobility restrictions which can be used to evaluate their impact on air quality and generate better‐targeted policies to improve it. Therefore, this study aimed to define sustainable mitigation measures to reduce air pollution based on quantifying the impacts of the restrictions imposed during the COVID‐19 pandemic on air quality in Portugal. Thus, hourly concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, NO2, O3, CO and SO2 were obtained from the Portuguese Air Quality Monitoring Network. Data was then divided into six periods (2020–2021) and compared with the corresponding historical periods (2015–2019). Furthermore, the satellite data of NO2, CO, and absorbing aerosol index (AAI) from the sentinel‐5P TROPOMI was collected to complement the analysis conducted for the monitoring data. Overall, air quality improved in all study periods and areas, except in industrial sites. The satellite data corroborated the results herein achieved and thus validated the real effect of the measures adopted in the country during the pandemic on air quality. Sustainable policies to improve air quality could include remote (or hybrid) work whenever possible as a long‐term measure and prohibition of travelling between municipalities when an extraordinary event of high air pollution is predicted or occurs. Other policies should be adopted for industrial areas. Given this, and as the restrictive mobility measures had a strong effect on reducing air pollution, the post‐COVID era represents an opportunity for society to rethink future mobility and other emerging policies, that should favour softer and cleaner means of transportation.

RURAL-URBAN DISPARTIES AND COVID-19 VACCINATION COVERAGE IN BULGARIA.

Rural and depreciated regions' population is more affected by the COVID-19 pandemic while facing a number of barriers to accessing health services. The aim of this study is to examine whether there are variations in COVID-19 immunisation coverage between urban and rural areas in Bulgaria and to what extent these differences are caused by certain aspects of vaccine access. Material(s) and Method(s): Data on the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered by municipalities in Bulgaria from the beginning of the immunisation campaign until the end of 2021 were combined with some demographic variables and information on the availability of general practitioners and temporary immunisation sites. Correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship between datasets, supplemented by graphical analysis, grouping municipalities by the variables' average national values. Finding(s): The number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered by municipalities has shown a moderate negative correlation with the proportion of the rural population, suggesting differences in immunisation coverage by type of settlement. In general, having more immunisation sites in a municipality does not considerably boost vaccination coverage because there is only a slight association between the number of administrated doses and the availability of vaccination points. There is no correlation between immunisations and the proportion of the adult population. Conclusion(s): Urban-rural disparities often affect the most vulnerable groups at higher risk of morbidity and mortality, and this, in turn, can exacerbate existing health inequalities. Additional efforts are needed to reduce structural barriers to access and overcome vaccine hesitance and mistrust by disseminating appropriate and reliable information and adequate communications.Copyright © 2022, Central Medical Library Medical University - Sofia. All rights reserved.

RURAL-URBAN DISPARTIES AND COVID-19 VACCINATION COVERAGE IN BULGARIA.

Rural and depreciated regions' population is more affected by the COVID-19 pandemic while facing a number of barriers to accessing health services. The aim of this study is to examine whether there are variations in COVID-19 immunisation coverage between urban and rural areas in Bulgaria and to what extent these differences are caused by certain aspects of vaccine access. Material(s) and Method(s): Data on the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered by municipalities in Bulgaria from the beginning of the immunisation campaign until the end of 2021 were combined with some demographic variables and information on the availability of general practitioners and temporary immunisation sites. Correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship between datasets, supplemented by graphical analysis, grouping municipalities by the variables' average national values. Finding(s): The number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered by municipalities has shown a moderate negative correlation with the proportion of the rural population, suggesting differences in immunisation coverage by type of settlement. In general, having more immunisation sites in a municipality does not considerably boost vaccination coverage because there is only a slight association between the number of administrated doses and the availability of vaccination points. There is no correlation between immunisations and the proportion of the adult population. Conclusion(s): Urban-rural disparities often affect the most vulnerable groups at higher risk of morbidity and mortality, and this, in turn, can exacerbate existing health inequalities. Additional efforts are needed to reduce structural barriers to access and overcome vaccine hesitance and mistrust by disseminating appropriate and reliable information and adequate communications.Copyright © 2022, Central Medical Library Medical University - Sofia. All rights reserved.

Mathematical Analysis and Modeling of the Factors That Determine the Quality of Life in the City Councils of Chile

The quality of life index is an indicator published yearly since 2010 by the Institute on Urban and Territorial Studies and the Chilean Chamber of Construction, involving 99 municipalities and communes from the national territory. This research provides an approach to understanding how various dimensions and variables interact with quality of life in Chilean communes considering multiple factors and perspectives through information from public sources and social indicators. For the research, variables were analyzed considering demographic, sociodemographic, economics and urban indicators, where the model developed allows for an understanding of how the variables are related. In addition, it was discovered that education, own incomes, municipal spending and green areas directly relate to quality of life, while overcrowding and municipal funds negatively affect rates of communal welfare. Moreover, the variables chosen as explanatory variables allow for the development of an efficiency model. For this purpose, Cobb–Douglas and trans-logarithmic forms were tested, and it was found that Cobb–Douglas fits better to the data set and structures of the variables. The results of the efficiency model show that education, municipal funds and own incomes significantly affect efficiency, with a mean value of approximately 47%, minimum values close to 30% and maximum values of approximately 60%. Finally, a cluster analysis was developed through k-means, k-medoids and hierarchical clustering algorithms, where, in all cases, the results were similar, suggesting four groups with differences and variations in analyzed variables, especially in overcrowding, education, quality of life and wellness.

The Role of Functional Urban Areas in the Spread of COVID-19 Omicron (Northern Spain).

This study focuses on the space-time patterns of the COVID-19 Omicron wave at a regional scale, using municipal data. We analyze the Basque Country and Cantabria, two adjacent regions in the north of Spain, which between them numbered 491,816 confirmed cases in their 358 municipalities from 15th November 2021 to 31st March 2022. The study seeks to determine the role of functional urban areas (FUAs) in the spread of the Omicron variant of the virus, using ESRI Technology (ArcGIS Pro) and applying intelligence location methods such as 3D-bins and emerging hot spots. Those methods help identify trends and types of problem area, such as hot spots, at municipal level. The results demonstrate that FUAs do not contain an over-concentration of COVID-19 cases, as their location coefficient is under 1.0 in relation to population. Nevertheless, FUAs do have an important role as drivers of spread in the upward curve of the Omicron wave. Significant hot spot patterns are found in 85.0% of FUA area, where 98.9% of FUA cases occur. The distribution of cases shows a spatially stationary linear correlation linked to demographically progressive areas (densely populated, young profile, and with more children per woman) which are well connected by highways and railroads. Based on this research, the proposed GIS methodology can be adapted to other case studies. Considering geo-prevention and WHO Health in All Policies approaches, the research findings reveal spatial patterns that can help policymakers in tackling the pandemic in future waves as society learns to live with the virus.

INSTITUTIONAL VULNERABILITY: TRAINING AND CARE OF INTERVENTION TEAMS AS MEANS TO MANAGE RISKS. ANALYSIS BY A TEAM OF ARGENTINE RESEARCHERS

As a contribution to the concept of resilience and its construction at the local scale, the article explores the actions developed by the municipalities of the Province of Mendoza during the period of Preventive and Mandatory Social Isolation (ASPO) that was imposed in the Argentine Republic through the Decree 260/2020, between March 20 and July 17, 2020;in relation to preparation, organization, prevention, response and recovery in the face of the Health Emergency by COVID-19. The policies are organized into categories and subcategories that allow analyzing decision-making at different scales and months in relation to Risk Management with corrective and prospective approaches. Subsequently, these actions are classified according to their importance, in relation to the process of building resilience, allowing conclusions to be drawn and proposals to be generated in this regard. © 2023, Corporation for the Management and Reduction of Disaster Risk in Chile (GRID-Chile). All rights reserved.

Behaviour Analysis of Izmir Residents Using Public Wi-Fi Access Point Usage

The wide distribution of access points in Izmir allows the collected information to be employed in smart city algorithms. In this study, we analyze the information that has been made publicly available by Izmir Metropolitan Municipality. We first show that the data is reliable, then analyze it from the perspectives of holidays, seasonal trends, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The study also shows that the information can be used for crowd analysis and forecasting, using K-means and SARIMA algorithms, respectively. © 2022 IEEE.

Renaissance of villages for the revitalization of marginal areas

There is now a clear disparity between major cities and villages located in marginal areas of Italy. Progressive depopulation of inland areas and urban polarization such as consolidated territorial dynamics are difficult to dampen and adapt to the new paradigms of sustainable territorial development, although they have been abruptly redirected by the Covid 19 pandemic. The instability created by this pandemic offers the opportunity to redefine new parameters of intervention and new scenarios for the development of territories in relation to the new needs of decentralization and physical distancing. The project "Renaissance of villages for the revitalization of marginal areas” aims to create the conditions to repopulate and rebalance shrinking territories by establishing new centers of attractiveness. This project envisages the active involvement of municipalities and local authorities with the aims at implementing the multi-sectoral analysis of the tangible and intangible values of territories. It intends to develop an interactive web dashboard to be provided to municipalities in order to create both a learning environment and a spatial decision support system for future local policy actions towards a sustainable participatory local development. In this way, it is proposed a functional method with a place-based approach to managing the existing territorial complexity through innovative models of territorial governance and policymaking, among them the effective implementation of participatory and multi-actor visions of territorial development. Specifically, this paper provides the Italian villages' archetypes through the quantitative spatial cluster multivariate analysis, which is the basis for the construction of the dashboard. To cluster the villages, the main variables have been identified, assesses, and mapped. The results are fundamental in order to define the future scenarios for each archetype assessing the Key Performance indicators (KPIs).

Bottom-up Response: The Role of Municipalities and Cities in Compensating and Supporting Central Government's Role

Coping with crisis scenarios, explicitly highlighted during the Covid-19 pandemic, has shown the necessity to adapt and to find feasible solutions for state governments and self-government's execution of tasks and responsibilities. In Slovak Republic's conditions, the central government transferred the execution of several response activities onto municipalities and cities. In addition, citizens naturally expected and demanded solutions from the local self-government representations, which are seemed more closely to them. The aim of the paper is to identify and analyse bottom-up response activities from the municipalities and cities, strongly supported by the interest groups and associations of the municipalities and cities in the Slovak Republic during crisis situations, including the Covid-19 pandemic. Innovative solutions, stressing out the use of ICT, proposition of state-of-the-art approaches in providing services for the citizens will be highlighted.