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New role of the European regions within the processes of cooperation and competition highlighted their need for unique, highly profiled and strategically managed regional identity. Regional identity is one of the most important assets of any region and might serve as invaluable competitive advantage. Regional identity, its sources, background and consequences for regional development are the main focus of this contribution. Need for unique, original and plausible profile of each region, aspiring to be successful in the process of regional competition has been confirmed to be utterly urgent. Struggling for competitive advantage of the particular region is based on the strategic managerial approach toward city / regional identity. The article refers to the survey of regional identity in the river basins of the Morava river in both the Slovak and the Czech parts of the river basins covering the results of perception of various elements of regional identity: perception of landscape and river, relations to living spaces, values and image, river identity and identification with territory, recent societal development and future perspectives.

Perception of smart city concept from the point of view of the quality of space in cities has been analysed in relation to specific target groups within urban population. There are the needs of specific target groups that have to be taken into account in the concept of smart city. To the specific target groups belong mainly children and young people (including persons accompanying them), senior people, persons with physical disabilities, persons with sensual disabilities (blind and partially sighted, deaf), persons with mental disabilities. Their specific needs have been analysed primarily from the point of view of urban safety, mobility in public space and social activities. This paper is based on research findings, expert evaluations and social study carried out in 2012 and 2013 in the city of Trenčín under the "Security as a Quality Area", and follow-up projects in cooperation with the City of Trenčín in Slovakia.

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