Urban Policy and Telecommunications

ABSTRACT:

An examination of the evolving information economy reveals several major shifts in employment and types of work that affect city development and activities. Telecommunications systems are the backbone of these changes. Cities are ill-equipped to measure and predict these impacts and are even less equipped to control them. The developer community and regional Bell operating companies are at the helm of telecommunications deployment; lacking guidelines or models from federal or state government agencies, cities will be at a disadvantage in dealing with the outcomes associated with increased utilization of new communication technologies. Several recommendations are made that may help the city administrator or planner exert policymaking power over these developments.