Uneven Digital Visibility of Urban Places: Evidence From TikTok Hotspots

Shuyu Zhang, Claudiu Forgaci, Lei Qu and Maarten van Ham
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Shuyu Zhang: Department of Urbanism, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
Claudiu Forgaci: Department of Urbanism, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
Lei Qu: Department of Urbanism, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
Maarten van Ham: Department of Urbanism, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands

Social Inclusion, 2026, vol. 14

Abstract: Social media platforms increasingly shape how urban places gain visibility and attention in the digital age. In this article, we examine patterns of “place visibility” on TikTok in Amsterdam. We propose and operationalise a TikTok Place Visibility Score, defined as a composite indicator based on user engagement metrics, to measure the relative visibility of places on the platform. We then explore how TikTok mediates and redistributes visibility within existing urban hierarchies. Drawing on 3,767 TikTok posts associated with #amsterdam and hotspot‐related keywords, we apply geo‐parsing, spatial mapping, visualisation, and network analysis to analyse how visibility is distributed across the city. Our results show that several neighbourhoods just outside the historic urban core—rather than only central locations—exhibit high digital visibility on TikTok. These areas function as digitally prominent activity spaces despite their non‐central position in the urban hierarchy, while central neighbourhoods maintain a strong online presence. The findings suggest that social media algorithms and user interactions affect digital visibility and may reconfigure how attention is redistributed across urban space. We argue that digital visibility patterns shape how places are circulated and prioritised in the digital public sphere, with implications for how people use and engage with urban space. More broadly, the article highlights the importance of attending to platform mechanisms and visibility dynamics when studying urban space in the digital transition era.

Keywords: Social media; TikTok; digital visibility; spatial inequality; hotspots (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cog:socinc:v14:y:2026:a:11647

DOI: 10.17645/si.11647

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