Complexity, n-city, and multilevel dynamic systems – Towards a networked (geo)urbanity and networks

Since the beginning of the 21st century and with the digital revolution, a new relational logic of holistic complexity (based on diversified processes in variable evolution) has replaced the old (com)positional logic of urban planning, necessitating close collaboration with new digital technologies, and especially with the 5 IN prefixes (Information + Interaction + Interconnection + Integration + Innovation). These elements form a foundational equation for a new definition of spaces, cities, and habitats. This paper explores the challenges (and primary research) that have driven the emergence and evolution of this new logic of complexity over the past 30 years, applying the concept of n-City through different strategic approaches tied to its evolution. It also examines how these approaches reformulate practices and terminologies of traditional urbanism (i.e., about the city) via the alternative concept coined by Ildefons Cerdà, ‘urbanism’ (i.e., qualitatively linked to the city). Article info Received: 23/09/2024; Revised: 17/10/2024; Accepted: 21/10/2024