COVID-19, CITIZEN’S PURCHASING BEHAVIOUR AND SMART CITY GOALS. EVIDENCE FROM BARCELONA

Abstract. Even if we are unable to avoid the advent of harmful viruses from emerging, a Smart City (SC) can be seen as a means to lessen the effects of future pandemics on society. The COVID-19 outbreak has not only had economic consequences, but also social and environmental. This paper investigates how citizens purchasing behaviors have drastically changed because of the pandemic in the region of Barcelona. Amongst the results gathered from an online questionnaire distributed to Barcelona’s citizens, it was interpreted and analyzed to reach the conclusion where COVID-19 is acting as an accelerator for the implementation of more smart city initiatives and therefore, achieve to a certain extent, smart city goals in Barcelona.