The metaverse, online communities, and (real) urban space

Abstract

With the COVID-19 pandemic, technological advance-ments and investments accelerated to create an alternative to the real world that makes it possible for various activ-ities and experiences to be handled online. Among these developments, the metaverse comes to the fore because it makes possible real and virtual experiences simultane-ously, regardless of the time and space the user exists in, and it acts as a mediator and medium to bring these two environments together. This article discusses the possible impacts of advancements in the metaverse on (real) ur-ban space considering the socio-spatial dialectic through theory synthesis and adaptation. An overall evaluation of the socio-spatial impacts of this is also included and opened up for discussion. Based on a literature review, it is expected that technological developments like the metaverse will introduce a new organization to physical and virtual socio-spatial relations, and new socio-techno-logical groups will be created in them and by using them.