About this Research Topic

Background

The digital turn, or the fourth industrial revolution, is radically recalibrating the contemporary city. It has transformed the way humans live, work, and communicate through advanced technology and access to masses of data and information. More specifically, smart technologies - such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, the Internet of Things, algorithmic governance, cloud computing, big data analytics, and portable technologies - are fundamentally restructuring how society functions and, for this special issue, the economics of how we plan, design and experience the contemporary city. Such transformatory change raises important economic ethical and welfare economics questions regarding citizenship, fairness, equity, and the impact of these technological transformations on different publics. Indeed, there is evidence of democratic deficits, digital divides, and algorithmic violence with pronounced urban economic manifestations. Equally important for this special issue, the digital turn and widespread adoption of smart technologies are fundamentally dictating the organisation and operationalisation of post-pandemic city economies.

This special issue aims to unpack and problematise two leading-edge urban economic issues for the contemporary city. First, how are economic aspects of the digital turn affecting inclusivity in urban planning. In this sphere, authors will be tasked with interrogating how different demographic groups are affected by urban economic aspects of the digital turn, in particular those who are silent, disadvantaged and vulnerable in planning processes and marginalised due to their age, skills, education, income, gender, sexuality, class, ethnicity, race, etc. Relatedly, authors will be required to explore, especially the welfare economic impacts of hidden algorithms and algorithmic violence on certain citizens and how this affects an ongoing crisis of trust in professional urban planners. Second, how is the digital turn recalibrating and affecting the structure and dynamics of city economies, especially in a post-pandemic era. Here, the authors will be tasked with unpacking and problematising the smart city agenda and how this is shaping the functionality and operationality of city economies in different parts of the world.

In this special Issue, we are interested in research manuscripts and opinion pieces exploring the digitalisation of planning processes and systems of particular relevance to urban economies, the impact of smart technologies on contemporary urban economies, and the role of digital technology in human-environment interactions within an urban economics context. In terms of the specific focus of the articles, we would ask authors to address one or more of the following:

1. Problematise the use of digital approaches in engaging and empowering those marginalised in urban economic planning decisions, teasing out whether digitalisation will exacerbate vulnerability within demographic groups.
2. Evaluate the use of hidden algorithms in urban economic planning decisions, teasing out whether algorithmic violence will lead to further digital and social exclusion.
3. Assess how disadvantaged urban demographic groups view urban planners, exploring whether digitalisation exacerbates levels of trust in urban planners’ ability to deliver improved socio-economic well-being and economic opportunities for those most marginalised.
4. Interrogate the urban economics of the smart city agenda, focusing in particular on how digital technologies are shaping and scripting the structure, government, public financing, and operationality of contemporary urban economies.
5. Analyse how digital technologies are transforming how humans relate to and engage with their immediate urban economic environment, focusing on the reconfiguration, financing, and management of human-environment relationships within an urban economics context and contemporary urban economic global challenges.

Keywords: Digitalisation, technology, cities, economies, justice

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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