Evolving publicness: The impact of digital platforms on public spaces in Shanghai

The concept of publicness in public spaces traditionally refers to physical environments that are accessible, inclusive, and open to all, fostering social interaction, community engagement, and democratic practices. However, in the digital era, especially in the Chinese context, digital platforms have redefined publicness by extending participation and civic interaction beyond physical spaces. This paper examines how digital technologies, accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, are reshaping public spaces in China. It explores the role of digital tools in extending the conceptualisation of public space by democratising place-shaping processes, fostering community-led micro-regeneration, and enhancing social cohesion while also addressing challenges such as digital exclusion and platform commercialisation. Through case studies in Shanghai, the research highlights four dimensions of publicness enabled by digital platforms in a process-oriented perspective: foundational, collaborative, experiential, and sustained. By demonstrating how digital platforms integrate with each phase of public space creation, this study underscores the evolving nature of publicness and argues for an integrated approach that blends physical and digital realms. In doing so, it advances theoretical discourse and offers actionable insights, seeking to foster more inclusive and dynamic public spaces in the digital era.