“Social Innovation” and Urban Policy during Covid 19: Systematic Literature Review and Content Analysis

Abstract

This article focuses on how social innovation activities were developed in the urban context during the Covid 19 pandemic, through systematic literature review and content analysis. The literature search was carried out between June and September 2021 on the Web of Science database. 64 articles reached from the database were filtered by applying exclusion-inclusion criteria. After examining the article abstracts, it was determined that 23 articles were closely related to the research subject. Using the NVIVO qualitative analysis program, key features of social innovation in the urban context during COVID 19 were analyzed (in terms of being value-based, social needs/problem-oriented, change-oriented). The research findings are discussed in three sub-titles, revealing the "basic values", "prominent social problems/needs and solution proposals" and "main stakeholders" of social innovation in the context of urban policies during the pandemic. The results of the analysis have shown that the understanding of social innovation in the urban context during COVID 19 has been associated with collective values and focused on the responsibilities of local governments for the realization of social human rights. In this framework, attention is drawn to the opportunities for the implementation of participatory democracy at the level of local governments.