DEMOGRAPHIC REVITALIZATION OF MONTENEGRIN RURAL AREAS THROUGH THE SMART VILLAGE CONCEPT

Rural areas are becoming an increasingly important alternative of living and working choice over cities. Limiting factors for the development of rural areas are depopulation and deagrarization. The industrialization that followed World War II conditioned migratory movements from rural to urban areas.The paper analyses the application of the concept of smart villages in rural areas of Montenegro, with special emphasis on demographic revitalization. Based on the analysis of demographic trends in Montenegro, in addition to participation of urban and rural population in the 1955-2020 period, it implies that previous models and strategies did not contribute to a significant demographic revitalization of rural areas.Application of the “smart village” concept in the region and beyond shows that traditional models of rural community development must be complemented by digital technologies and innovations.The modern development of Montenegrin rural areas indicates modern communication in preforming the business, along with the use of internet marketing, which, in addition to easier access to information, will contribute to the improvement of the quality of life in general.