Search

The main objective of this article is to analyze the use of modern information technologies, referring to the example of smartphones, paying particular attention to selected cultural aspects of the phenomena that appear to play an important role in creating the concept of a smart city. The authors asked a research question: whether there is a difference in the perception of smart cities between Poland and Turkey in terms of a set of individual criteria and cultural differences in the context of globalization processes. The authors decided to compare the use of smartphones in an international environment. In their analysis, they examined Poland and Turkey, the countries which are characterized by markedly distinct culture and customs, but simultaneously present a similar level of IT development. The research was conducted in two stages at the turn of 2019 and 2020, and it involved more than 600 selected young people aged 18–25. It is important to mention that the study consulted the group of the most active internet users who are taking advantage of the benefits of internet-aided globalization. In order to carry out the survey questionnaire, the authors applied a CAWI (Computer Associated Web Interview) method. The original study aimed at identifying the character traits of smartphone users that appear to be most important from the point of view of implementing the concept of a smart city. As a result of this research, 15 such characteristics were identified, and the impact of smartphones on the strengthening or weakening of such qualities was tested in the course of conducting the survey questionnaire. The survey was translated into native languages and initially tested as part of the pilot studies. The results were compared, and the authors have identified and commented on differences between them. They also assessed the degree to which the hypothesis formulated in the research has been verified. The main limitation of the conducted study was the selection of a random group since the research sample consisted only of members of the academic community. The part of the study which is presented in this article fills the research gap related to the impact of smartphones on selected aspects of user behavior (punctuality, individualism, the quantity and quality of contacts) as well as social behavior (homogenization of cultures, the impact on economic and technological progress, strengthening of social bonds, civic responsibility (both in the social and economic sense), personal development initiatives, increase in social activity, sense of security, technological progress, and achieving prosperity). The examined features are particularly important in shaping the idea of smart cities. The results obtained in the study are conducive to expanding the research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological progress in Earth surface observation provides a vast range of information on the land and methods of its use. This enables property owners, users and administrators to monitor the state of the boundaries of the land they own/administer. The land cover, monitored directly on the ground, is not always consistent with the land use entered in the Land and Property Registry (LPR). Discrepancies between these data are often found in former communist countries. One of the reasons for this was the rapid process of land privatisation, which took place in Poland, without updating information on the plot geodetic boundaries. The study examined and compared the land use (entered in the LPR) with the land cover (on the ground) for national roads (acr. LU-LC). The most frequent discrepancies were selected, using CLC2018, digital orthophotomaps (using the Web Map Service (WMS) browsing service compliant with Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standards), cadastral data, statistical modelling and an updated survey of the right-of-way. Subsequently, six algorithms were proposed to synchronise the land use and land cover when the right-of-way was used by unauthorised persons, and two algorithms for cases of unauthorised use of land by the road administrator. Currently, it is difficult to synchronise the land cover with the land use from the administrative, legal and social points of view. The results of analyses show that full synchronisation of land use and land cover is complicated and time-consuming, although desired. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]