Digital transformation and cities: How COVID-19 has boosted a new evolution of urban spaces

Abstract

According to UN-Habitat, in 2020 there were 1,934 metropolises around the world, representing approximately 60 per cent of the world’s urban population. In 2020, 2.5bn people lived in metropolises, which is equivalent to one-third of the global population. Due to their structure and function, this typology of city has become central in tackling key urban challenges in recent years. Thanks to information communications technology (ICT), artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing and big data analysis, they have demonstrated great flexibility in policymaking and innovation, rethinking their functions and spaces, and enhancing resilience and sustainability in order to provide better services in more efficient ways. Fifteen-minute cities, investment in algorithms for public mobility, conversion of abandoned areas into green spaces, are only some of the solutions adopted around the world in both developed and developing countries. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated digital processes, allowing for a reconsideration of urban environments, movement, and existence through the employment of new technologies and solutions. Therefore, the major goals of this research are to: 1) review the literature on the influence of ICTs on urban areas; 2) analyse the research on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cities; and 3) analyse new policies and resolutions on urban and city planning.