Artificial Intelligence in the European Urban Governance

Abstract

Cities reflect the social, political, and technological evolution of humanity. The implementation of new technologies in urban areas facilitate these changes, and thus, decision-making processes in urban management have changed significantly in recent decades, accordingly with the technological evolution. Artificial Intelligence and the supporting data infrastructures represent a new urban paradigm where city governance must attend to proper urban development while considering its citizens' opinions. However, AI requires continuous data collection to feed the algorithms. Collecting this data may raise privacy issues that vulnerate citizens' rights and personal data. Even if Europe and its Member States possess highly protective privacy laws, this is still a significant concern for many citizens in urban decision-making processes. This chapter collects the European legal framework regarding AI data infrastructures and the European Green Deal to measure their potential impact on urban transformation. Also, the relationship between fundamental urban principles and the city-governance are analysed.