Studies on smart cities and digitization are often based on the idea that the digital involvement of individuals and their digital capital are central components that determine academic achievement, employment opportunities, and the quality of services and education. The spatial and physical environment is rarely the center of attention in these studies, and digitization is considered an independent, virtual infrastructure that supports city life. Smart city projects tend to view the city as a holistic entity and understand digital differences from a normative perspective. However, it is necessary to go beyond the normative perception that non-users are disadvantaged, and instead view their (lack of) participation within a wider set of parameters. This is the point of departure for the proposed research, which aims to address digital differentiation in the context of varied locales in a city. Our approach is novel in viewing digital use as part of an individual’s lifestyle and daily life in his or her living environment. Utilizing these lenses, the present study examines the concept of the “Urban Digital Lifestyle,” which refers to the dynamic relationships among three dimensions: (1) the user’s socioeconomic status, (2) the user’s residence, with a focus on the locale’s socio-spatial characteristics, and (3) the user’s digital practices. These dimensions influence the digital lifestyle that city residents develop and cultivate.
On this foundation, the research questions for the project are:
- Community development – What are the relationships between digital practices and community?
- Social dynamics – How, and to what extent, do digital practices influence social dynamics such as segregation and exclusion on the neighborhood and city scales?
- City design – How do digital practices alter the use of space and change the concept of place?
These questions will be further explored in the context of two cities, Cologne and Tel Aviv in a cross-cultural comparison of Digital Urban Lifestyles in different types of neighborhoods in Cologne and Tel Aviv.