Chicago and Seoul: a comparative study of the impact of information and communications technologies on urban land use and regulation

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Acknowledgement

The authors would like to express their deep appreciation to the following interviewees who provided valuable information for this research. Without their willingness to share their experiences and insights, this research would not have been possible. The individuals who participated in the study include: Ms. Eileen Figel (Deputy Commissioner), Ms. Esperanza Escareno-Banks (Coordinator of Special Projects), and Mr. Benjamin Carlisle (Technology Consultant) in Department of Planning (Industrial Division) of the city of Chicago; Ms. Anna Kurtzman (Senior Planner of Development Service Team) and Mr. Larry Gunderson (GIS Manager) of the city of Naperville; Mr. David Morck (Associate Planner) and Ms. Nina L. Savar (GIS Manager) of the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission; Mr. Young Hur (Director of Urban Management Division), Mr. Woowon Kang (Director of Advisory Group for Urban Planning), Mr. Kie-Wook Kwon (Deputy Director of Urban Management Division), Mr. Jonggue Lee (Deputy Director of Urban Management Division), and Mr. Jaehee Jeong, Ph.D. (Department of Urban Planning) in the city of Seoul; Mr. Suk An Park (Director of Urban Management Bureau), Mr. Jin Woo Jung (Computation and Information Division), and Mr. Young-Myung Ban (Land Registration Division) of Gangnamgu; Mr. Myung-Ee Lee (Director of Urban Management Department) of Yeongdeungpo-gu; Mr. Dowon Lee (Planning Staff) city of Seongnam; and Mr. Chang-Heum Byeon (Associate Research Fellow) and Mr. Byeong-Sun Jeong (Associate Research Fellow) in the Department of Urban Management of the Seoul Development Institute. This research has been supported by a grant from the Campus Research Board of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. None of the views expressed are of the university or the Campus Research Board. The authors are solely responsible for all statements and interpretations included in this paper.

Notes

Information and communications technologies refer to online and other information and data processing technologies and wired, wireless, and satellite telecommunications.

Chicago Metropolitan Area (CAM) includes six counties: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry; and Will. Cook County is the largest county in the CMA and includes the city, of Chicago. DuPage County, where the city of Naperville is located, is the largest suburban county in the CMA.

City of Chicago was incorporated in 1837 with a population of 4,170. By 2000, the population of the city reached nearly 3 million (US Census Bureau 2000). The city has a diversified economic base (City of Chicago 2002). Over the last decade, the population of the central city area—the Loop—has increased substantially (37.06 percent), putting additional pressure on the housing market and location of retail.

City of Naperville was incorporated in 1836 by John Naperville. Its urban growth intensified from the 1960s, as the city's proximity to both O'Hare and Midway airports attracted residents and businesses.

Seoul Metropolitan Region (SMR) is made up of three administrative units: Seoul Metropolitan Government (the city of Seoul), Inchon Metropolitan City, and Kyonggido (a province). The city of Seongam is a municipality within Kyonggido.

The city of Seoul has been the capital of Korea since 1392 and the center of administration, culture, economy, education, and technology. The city's rapid industrialization and urbanization in the 1960s and 1970s turned it into the nation's economic engine.

The Chicago CivicNet is an initiative of the city of Chicago and the Mayor's Council of Technology Advisors. It is a public-private partnership charged, “to create a new communications infrastructure throughout the city for the Internet age, for everyone to use and to spur economic development” (City of Chicago 2001, Online).

A telecom hotel refers to “a building that houses sophisticated telecommunications technology equipment that enables communication of voice, data, wireless, and streaming digital content” (Eaves, Online).

Venture industry is an industry that uses new technology to produce business profit.

Telecommuting generally refers to a complete or partial replacement of commuting to and from work with the use of telecommunications technologies (Mokhtarian).

Home occupation refers to “the accessory use, of a business or commercial nature, of a dwelling unit, engaged in by the person or persons residing in that unit” (City of Chicago 2004, Online).

Storing goods in locations that are not accessible to consumers

Government Web portals

In order to make its industrial environment competitive by bringing company and community interests together, the city designated 22 industrial corridors. Examples include: North Branch and Addison to the north, Kinzie and Western/Ogden to the west, and Stockyard and Brighton Park to the south.

Incentives by the state and the city include “infrastructure and job training assistance, economic development though Growing Economy (EDGE) tax credits, municipal sales tax rebates, and High Impact Business Designation”(State of Illinois Online).