The impacts of new technologies on urban transformations

Abstract

This paper concerns the impacts of new technologies on urban morphology, structure and landscape. More specifically, it investigates two aspects of impacts: (a) the change of urban morphology in contemporary cities by means of computer-aided architectural design and construction techniques, and (b) the shift of the spatial core and the expansion of the CBD in the post-industrial cities by means of the emerging new clusters of technology intensive and knowledge based firms in inner city areas. The research documents these impacts of new technologies by illustrating examples of metropolitan cities located in both the economic core and the periphery of Europe, such as Milan, Barcelona and Athens.

Towards Smart Cities: Digital Content and Urban Governance in the City of Masvingo, Zimbabwe

“…Urban planning technologies such as geographical information system (GIS), geographical positioning system (GPS), Map-info, Auto Cad, and Arch CAD are important technologies that can be employed in urban planning for better planning and design. The adoption of technologies has enabled planning to be more accountable as the e-tools have allowed planning to be more accountable to urban investments (Baud et al, 2016;Katsara, 2008). Figure 1 below shows some of the technologies that were found within the planning offices in the City of Masvingo.…”

“…Town planners in Masvingo, therefore, have limited technologies in planning and this has a great likelihood of slowing down their planning process and attainment of smart city. Information and communication technologies in planning are very essential tools that can produce instantaneous information, because virtual planning has removed barriers of distance (Katsara, 2008;van Vuuren Coetzee, 2005;Yigitcanlar et al, 2020). Katsara (2008) further argued that information and communication technologies have allowed planners to use data in different forms so that they can collect, analyses and, create spatial plans in a more advanced way that allows composite layering of urban issues.…”

“…Information and communication technologies in planning are very essential tools that can produce instantaneous information, because virtual planning has removed barriers of distance (Katsara, 2008;van Vuuren Coetzee, 2005;Yigitcanlar et al, 2020). Katsara (2008) further argued that information and communication technologies have allowed planners to use data in different forms so that they can collect, analyses and, create spatial plans in a more advanced way that allows composite layering of urban issues. In this way planning will become more intelligent as planners have been allowed to organize urban space intelligently.…”