Ioana-Maria Ursache (p)

Gabriela Carmen Pascariu

With the ongoing transformation and proliferation of urban centres, the principles embedded in the concept of smart cities—technological integration, data-driven decision-making, emphasis on sustainability and active community engagement—emerge as pivotal forces in guiding urban development. Despite the widespread acclaim of smart cities for their ability to boost productivity and enhance social, economic and human capital, emerging research suggests a paradox: the implementation of smart city frameworks may, in fact, aggravate existing social divides. This paper challenges the prevailing technocentric approach dominating the smart city discourse, which often overlooks deep-seated urban inequalities such as sprawl, poverty, unemployment and issues of housing affordability. Offering a nuanced understanding of the intricate dynamics at play between smart city projects and digital divides, this study proposes a reimagined framework for smart city development. It emphasises the necessity of adopting inclusive strategies that not only prioritise technological innovation but also address the imperative for social equity, aiming to create urban environments that are genuinely inclusive, equitable and interconnected. By proposing a strategic roadmap for the application of urban technological advancements, this paper aspires to contribute to the discourse on achieving more inclusive urban futures, bridging the gap between technological promise and social reality. Through this exploration, the goal is to foster a dialogue that will lead to the refinement of smart city models, ensuring they serve as tools for building socially just and sustainable urban ecosystems.

Patricia Melo (p)

Ioana-Maria Ursache

This work investigates the limitations of recent advances in transport technology and innovation to the development of a more sustainable and a more equitable urban mobility system. We consider the transport innovations referring to alternative fuels (e.g., electric vehicles, EV); the arrival of automated driving (AV), and vehicle sharing systems such as Mobility as Service (MaaS). Focusing on the case of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, the work explores why these transport innovations may not break the dominant “growth infrastructure” paradigm inherited from the 20th century. The analysis gives a brief, and selective, overview of how 20th century urban infrastructures featuring in strategic spatial planning and transport investment self-reinforced each other, leading to the dominance of the (fossil-fuelled) car-based mobility system. The dominance of this technology, in turn, created several ‘lock-in’ effects (e.g., institutions, infrastructure, production structure, markets, culture), which obstacle the emergence of a new, post-growth, travel mobility system. The analysis ends by applying the political-economy model proposed by Feitelson and Salomon (2004) to the adoption of post-growth urban transport policies.

Gabriela Carmen Pascariu (p), Bogdan-Constantin Ibanescu, Alexana Gheorghiu

Patricia Melo

The digitalization has been regarded as a process allowing all territories and socio-demographic categories equal access and opportunities in an ever-connected world. During the past decades, it has become an integral part of the contemporary society, being elevated as top priority in the majority of European countries and regions. While its positive transformative potential is acknowledged, there is a growing concern, that the digitalization process will increase the current inequalities. Traditionally, research efforts have primarily focused on understanding these disparities at a macroscale, usually at a regional (NUTS 2) or national (NUTS 0) levels. However, this overused approach falls short in providing a comprehensive understanding of the nuanced dynamics at play. Our study argues for the necessity of examining digitalization-induced inequalities at the individual level, shedding light on the multifaceted dimensions that contribute to the persons and places left-behind.
To achieve this goal, a comprehensive survey was conducted in Romania on a representative national sample. The findings reveal intriguing insights into the digital inequalities. Despite the widespread assumption of major rural-urban differences, the research suggests that such contrasts are not as stark as anticipated. Instead, the study identifies notable divergences in the acceptance and utilization of digital tools among distinct socio-demographic categories. Particularly intriguing is the observed difference in terms of trust towards the institutions using digital platforms, or towards the sensible issue of data protection.
The results highlight that the risk of being left behind in the digitalized world can be applied rather to socio-economic categories than to “places” (i.e. regions), as the adversity or the openness towards digital innovation is more connected to the individual or community features than the macrospatial context, despite the undeniable contribution of the later. However, our research suggests that the key to fostering a more homogeneous digitalization process lies in cultivating higher levels of trust in the institutions implementing these initiatives. In a landscape often dominated by technical aspects, the pivotal role of institutional trust is frequently overlooked. The institutions are playing the role of a trusted filter through which the digitalization process must pass. Consequently, fostering a more inclusive and equitable digitalization process necessitates addressing the perceptions and attitudes toward the institutions driving the digital transformation. The study opens the door for in-depth discussions and further analyses regarding public perceptions of digitalization and its broader societal impact.