Everyday urban life becoming increasingly digitalised: an exploration of networked urban systems
In today's digital age, cities across the globe are embracing technology to streamline administrative processes and foster a more interactive relationship with their citizens.
Many municipalities now offer online platforms for submitting IDs, registrations, kindergarten places, and building permits, making everyday tasks more convenient and efficient. This digitalization transforms the city into an active system that responds to inputs, facilitates decisions, and anticipates needs.
Digital technology is not just about making processes more flexible; it's about making social life more visible and planable. Platforms like the "my city singles bar" are making interpersonal interaction more accessible, while digital feedback systems provide citizens with a sense of control and flexibility. Citizens can now report issues in the cityscape, like broken streetlights or damaged playground equipment, via digital feedback channels.
This level of openness and participation would be hardly achievable without digital technology. Digitalization makes administrative processes more flexible, with online appointment bookings, central citizen portals, and automated document processes. Moreover, digitalization enables more participation, as people living in remote areas or with physical limitations can access offers via app or web tool.
Cities are presenting themselves digitally as structured, interactive, and partly personalized platforms. Real-time navigation, environmental zone checks, and occupancy displays in buses and trains give users control over their mobility. Apps connecting various mobility services, such as car-sharing, rental bikes, and public transport, help find efficient city routes.
The pace of daily life has changed, allowing for short-term planning, spontaneous reactions, and faster actions due to the availability of necessary information. Digital systems provide near real-time access to urban services and information, speeding up processes and changing the understanding of roles between the city and its inhabitants.
Technologies such as IoT, AI, and 5G are transforming cities into smart environments where systems like traffic management and lighting adapt dynamically to conditions, thus speeding up urban operations. Digital twins—real-time digital models of urban systems—allow cities to simulate scenarios for better planning and directly involve residents through interactive visualizations, increasing participation in urban development decisions.
Integrated government technology platforms unify operations and provide public dashboards and portals that increase transparency and accountability in municipal management, thereby fostering trust between residents and officials. This impact is multidimensional: cities become more efficient and responsive, residents have a stronger voice and clearer insight into city functions, and government processes are more open and auditable.
However, digitalization may also reshape urban power dynamics and resource distribution, requiring careful governance to balance benefits and potential inequalities. As we move forward, it's crucial to ensure that the digital transformation of cities benefits all its inhabitants, fostering a more equitable and sustainable urban future.
[1] Source: Smart Cities Dive [2] Source: GovTech [3] Source: Forbes [4] Source: Smart Cities World [5] Source: The Guardian
- The 'my city singles bar' platform, a part of the fashion-and-beauty and relationships categories, is leveraging digital technology to make interpersonal interactions more accessible in today's smart cities.
- The transformation of cities into smart environments involves the integration of technology like IoT, AI, and 5G, which impacts food-and-drink, home-and-garden, and technology sectors by streamlining urban operations.
- With the rise of digitalization, pets' lives can also benefit from apps that facilitate pet care and services, showcasing how technology intertwines with various aspects of modern city life.
- As cities become more technically advanced, education-and-self-development opportunities become more accessible through online platform updates and e-learning resources, enabling lifelong learning for citizens.
- Apps connecting various mobility services—including car-sharing, rental bikes, and public transport—belong to the travel category and help citizens navigate city routes more efficiently in this digital era.
- Digitalization in cities allows for seamless shopping experiences via online marketplaces and virtual stores, catering to the lifestyle demands of its inhabitants and promoting an increasingly interconnected world.
