Miskolc, which is the focus of our investigation, is the fourth most populous city
in Hungary and the center of one of the most underdeveloped NUTS2 (basic territorial
category for the regional policy of the European Union) regions in the European Union.
The socialist heavy industry played a decisive role in the development of the city,
the decline of which also left deep traces in the city. In its current position, the
city tries to manage its available resources as efficiently as possible, and the city
management is open to the use of modern urban development tools. This is supported
by the fact that Miskolc was the first Hungarian city to join the Green Cities for
Sustainable Europe movement in 2011, and then in 2015, it joined the Triangulum project
of the EU Smart Cities and Communities program as a follower city. In the process
of becoming a smart city, the dimensions of environmental sustainability and energy
efficiency were given a prominent role, which should not be surprising considering
the traditions of the city. Within this, we must first mention the construction of
the geothermal central heating system, with which the city really took significant
steps in this field. The main goal of the study is to develop a new smart local concept
closely linked to regional development and the key energy sector, through which the
local adaptation of the defining elements of the internationally defined smart city
in several forms for the city of Miskolc will be presented. In our study, we review
how the results achieved by Miskolc so far and the development plans for the future
fit in with the smart energy developments of smart cities. Before exploring the processes
in Miskolc, we will deal in more detail with the possibilities inherent in district
heating and geothermal energy utilization and Hungary’s capabilities.
