Reimagining public space through technology: a systematic review and conceptual framework linking digital technologies to spatial characteristics

Public spaces support everyday urban life by enabling social interaction, recreation, mobility, inclusion, and community belonging. Their success depends not only on physical provision, but also on spatial characteristics such as permeability, accessibility, legibility, liveability, protection, engagement, and sustainability. Although digital and smart technologies are increasingly introduced into public spaces to improve safety, accessibility, environmental monitoring, navigation, and user engagement, existing evidence remains fragmented. Most studies focus on individual technologies or isolated outcomes, with limited explanation of how specific technologies support distinct public space characteristics or at what stage of spatial performance they contribute. Accordingly, the aim of this paper is to develop a characteristic-led, stage-based framework for technology integration in public spaces. A systematic literature review was used to identify technologies applied in public spaces, while a narrative synthesis was used to consolidate 16 public space characteristics. These were integrated through a mapping process that examined how technologies support characteristics across three stages: creation, maintenance, and review. The findings show that interactive and informational technologies, including Augmented Reality (AR)/(Virtual Reality) (VR), digital platforms, and location-based content, mainly support the creation of experiential qualities such as engagement and legibility. Service- and infrastructure-oriented technologies, including connectivity infrastructure, smart lighting, smart parking, and digital wayfinding interfaces, mainly support the maintenance of usability, protection, accessibility, and connectivity. Sensor- and analytics-driven technologies, including environmental monitoring, computer vision, dashboards, and digital twins, mainly support review through monitoring, evaluation, and adaptive management. The novel contribution of this study is its shift from a technology-centred understanding of smart public spaces to a characteristic-led framework that explains what spatial qualities technologies support, when they support them, and what wider implications they generate. The framework has practical implications for planners, designers, managers, and policymakers by supporting more intentional technology selection, while also highlighting risks such as privacy concerns, digital exclusion, surveillance, governance challenges, and disruption of public space experience.