IN-PERSON Barcelona Livable Cities. Section A

Abstract

Smart cities face significant challenges as they integrate advanced technologies to enhance urban living, sustainability, resilience, and the well-being of their residents. While these cities propose innovative solutions to urban issues such as environmental threats, transport, housing or waste management, the interconnectedness of people, time, and space within smart urban contexts is often overlooked. Technology reshapes physical spaces, redefines interactions, and alters how individuals transform and engage with their surroundings, as well as how they experience time within urban systems. Although spatial justice is crucial in urban planning, focusing on the equitable distribution of space and physical resources, it inadequately addresses the digital and temporal dimensions that are increasingly vital in contemporary urban life. In response, networked justice offers a more comprehensive framework to meet the complex needs of smart cities. This paradigm emphasizes equitable access to digital infrastructure, physical spaces, and time-sensitive services, empowering all residents to engage with and benefit from urban transformations. By integrating digital accessibility, spatial equity, and temporal fairness, networked justice promotes inclusivity and resilience within urban planning. This paper explores networked justice as a transformative approach to equitable urban development, emphasizing its potential to integrate temporal dynamics, digital access, and urban inclusivity. Drawing on case studies from Barcelona and Amsterdam, it demonstrates how this framework can overcome limitations in existing planning models and advance sustainable, inclusive, and equitable urban futures.