SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROCESSES OF URBAN MODERNISATION IN THE CONTEXT OF URBAN POLICIES AND DIGITALISATION

This article presents an analysis of the processes of urban modernisation in the context of digitalisation. It demonstrates that the digital transformation of urban space simultaneously enhances economic competitiveness while generating new zones of inequality and conflict, thereby reproducing the classical contradictions of modernity between progress and regression. The relevance of studying the socio-economic processes of urban modernisation under conditions of digitalisation is determined by global trends of urbanisation and the fundamental transformation of the very nature of urban life. In the twenty-first century, the city appears not merely as a geographical unit or an infrastructural object, but rather as a complex system wherein economic, social, technological, and cultural dimensions intersect and interact. Digitalisation, in turn, functions as a catalyst for new forms of spatial organisation, authority, identity, and communication, while simultaneously producing emergent challenges, such as digital inequality, the fragmentation of the public sphere, and hybrid threats. Consequently, the modernisation of the city transcends the bounds of a solely economic or technical task and becomes a profoundly socio-cultural process, wherein ideas of progress, social justice, security, and sustainable development are intricately intertwined. The presence of a clearly articulated, practice-oriented national urban policy correlates with a more harmonious balance among the economic, ecological, and social subsystems of the city. Technological innovation in urban development, if not accompanied by social inclusion, reproduces the classical dilemma of modernity: enhanced productivity does not guarantee equitable distribution of benefits. Digitalisation must therefore be conceptualised as a complex, polycentric, and multidirectional process, integrating economic efficiency, technological innovation, social inclusiveness, and ecological responsibility. Such a modernisation requires not only technical renewal of infrastructure but also a profound transformation in modes of thinking, governance systems, models of political participation, and the cultural codes of urban life.