ABSTRACT
In sustainable development and in the quadruple helix concept, great importance is attached to the social aspects. This implies the necessity to include the local community formed by city residents in the process of creating and developing a Smart City. This issue is the subject of consideration in this chapter, which begins with the description of demographic determinants as fundamental to the quality of life in the city. Then, factors related to the educational opportunities offered by the city and social participation as a determinant of a modern, democratic local community typical of a Smart City are characterized. The analyzed conditions are presented in the context of selected examples of Central and Eastern European cities and Polish provincial cities. In the last section, an empirical analysis of social, demographical and educational determinants of the quality of life in the Polish cities is examined.
