A New Land Use in Downtown: How Cities Are Dealing with Telecom Hotels

ABSTRACT:

Telecommunications infrastructure is growing in importance across the United States. In the past, this infrastructure was largely invisible. Today, however, telecom hotels have emerged as a visible form of downtown infrastructure. This study explores the reaction of communities to the development of telecom hotels in downtowns. A few cities have formulated formal policy responses to telecom hotel development in downtown areas. The approaches vary from tax incentives to regulatory limitations. The findings indicate that communities need to plan for growth in telecommunications infrastructure.