Smart and Sustainable Local Communities in Global Covid-19 Pandemic Conditions

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many changes in everyone's life. Villages and rural areas are among the places where people have sought refuge in order to stay away from others and to be able to comply with government regulations during an emergency. Crisis conditions require the choice of means of communication, remote employment and self-help and self-support. Smart and strong communities or villages - this means more than only technologically and economically advanced communities - can be more successful in overcoming the crisis. This study analyses the characteristics of smart communities, the external factors influencing the functioning of these communities, as well as the specific circumstances caused by the first wave period of the Covid-19 pandemic (from March 2020 till June 2020). Collecting basic information on smart communities, external factors and special circumstances, and using the methods of analysis, comparison and drawing conclusions, the most important factors that have positively affected communities in the pandemic conditions have been taken into account within the framework of this study, clearly indicating the sustainability and development advantages of smart communities in Latvia. Nobody knows what will be "new normal" after COVID-19, but some benefits of smart thinking are noticed.