Urban and Regional Analysis and the Digital Revolution: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

This conceptual chapter deals with the necessity to include concepts and data derived from the extensive and pervasive use of ICTs in urban and regional analysis. Urban networks, cities and regions are heavily based on digital networks and urban and regional analysis needs to incorporate this new development. In total, spatial scientists cannot afford to ignore the digital revolution and the intensification of the digital economy for two reasons. Firstly, new digital phenomena, such as the Internet, have spatial reflections that need to be approached from a geographic perspective. Secondly, the profusion of new bottom-up data derived from digital sources enables the research community to study and quantify traditional geographic questions from a new perspective achieving greater spatio-temporal resolution. Although this chapter does not introduce new empirical analysis, examples from existing studies and ideas for future research are used to highlight the need for such a ‘digital turn’ in urban and regional analysis.