How real will the metaverse be? Exploring the spatial impact of virtual worlds

Bibliographic Data

ID21601519
AuthorsPier Luigi Parcu (0000-0003-2156-7308, European University Institute), Maria Alessandra Rossi (0000-0003-2480-7266, European University Institute), Niccolò Innocenti (0000-0001-8421-5479, European University Institute, corresponding author), Chiara Carrozza (0000-0002-3402-9990, European University Institute)
Year2023
Volume31
Issue7
Pages1466-1488
Publication date2023-07-03
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueEuropean Planning Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0965-4313 • E-ISSN: 1469-5944
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09654313.2023.2221323
OpenAlexW4379882636
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited32

In this paper, we perform a preliminary analysis of the technologies, firms and industries that may be affected by the possible futures of the metaverse, attempting to derive some hypotheses on the spatial effects of this process. We distinguish between two possible evolutive scenarios – the ‘metaverse shaped by reality view’ and the ‘metaverse shaping reality view’ – and factors affecting them, deriving implications for public policy planning. The first scenario presents relatively traditional core policy challenges: ensuring homogeneous availability of network infrastructures as well as the skills indispensable to catch the new technological opportunities at the local level, accompanying the reallocation of factors of production associated to disruption and addressing inequalities. In the second, the main challenge is more radical: to ensure that desirable features are incorporated in the emerging virtual worlds from the start

Economics · Epistemology · Futures contract · Human–computer interaction · Metaverse · Possible world · Virtual reality · Artificial Intelligence Applications · Computer Science · Virtual Reality Applications and Impacts · Visual Attention and Saliency Detection

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