Comparative platform urbanism

Cities in a world of platforms

Datos Bibliográficos

ID13135871
AutoresPetter Törnberg (0000-0001-8722-8646, University of Neuchâtel, autor de correspondencia), Ola Söderström (0000-0002-7111-8765, University of Neuchâtel)
Año2025
Volumen8
Páginas100119-100119
Fecha de publicación2025-04-14
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaDigital Geography and Society (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 2666-3783 • E-ISSN: 2666-3783
EditorialElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.diggeo.2025.100119
OpenAlexW4409430266
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas2
Referencias citadas86

The rapid integration of digital platforms into urban life has given rise to the concept of platform urbanism, highlighting the co-constitutive relationship between cities and platforms. While platform urbanism has emerged as an important approach for understanding contemporary cities, the field lacks a robust comparative perspective. To address this gap, we synthesize comparative approaches from platform studies and urban studies to outline a typology of comparative lenses for examining the co-constitution of platforms and cities. We identify three key broad comparative approaches: cross-city comparison of platforms, cross-platform comparison within cities, and simultaneous comparison across both platforms and cities. For each dimension, we propose four analytical approaches: genetic, generative, connective, and integrative comparisons. This yields a 12-cell matrix of comparative strategies, each illuminating different aspects of how platforms and cities shape one another. We illustrate these approaches with examples from short-term rental platforms. The framework highlights understudied areas, particularly the need for more cross-platform comparisons within cities and comparisons across both platforms and cities simultaneously. The proposed comparative lens enables a more nuanced understanding of how diverse platforms interact with varied urban contexts to produce distinct socio-spatial outcomes. This framework lays the groundwork for future comparative research to unpack the complex dynamics of platform urbanism across contexts

Archaeology · Economic geography · Geography · Regional science · Urbanism · Sharing Economy and Platforms · Smart Cities and Technologies · Transportation and Mobility Innovations · Architecture