Bridging the Digital Divide in Green Infrastructure: How Institutional Structures Shape Technology Implementation across Urban Systems Life Cycle
TL;DR
The literature shows a clear concentration of digital use in planning and in operation, with construction receiving far less attention, and this pattern does not appear to depend on the type of technology applied.
Abstract
Aim: This study aims to explore the role of digital technologies across the entire life cycle of Urban Green Infrastructure, which to date remains insufficiently mapped and understood. Methodology and Results: This review examined 75 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2019 and 2024 to understand where digital tools are used in planning, construction, and operation and maintenance. The literature shows a clear concentration of digital use in planning and in operation, with construction receiving far less attention. Planning and design studies rely mainly on Geographic Information Systems for spatial analysis and scenario comparison, while studies on operation and maintenance focus on monitoring and performance assessment through Internet of Things systems and remote sensing. Reported impacts relate mainly to data quality, system oversight, and management efficiency. Conclusion, significance and impact study: Across studies, this pattern does not appear to depend on the type of technology applied. Instead, digital use follows institutional responsibility and reporting routines. Phases with stable mandates show regular digital application, while construction remains weakly documented, which interrupts continuity between design intent and operational outcomes and limits interpretation of UGI performance across the life cycle.