A Technology Plan for your City or Region is Essential
"Urban studies and policy remain remarkably blind
to telecommunications issues. Compared to the enormous effort expended
by urban analysts and policy makers on, say, urban transportation,
urban telecommunications have received only a tiny amount of attention."
Graham and Marvin, 1996
 A decade ago, strategic technology planning was a novelty for local
governments. In most places, it still is. But increasingly, the viability
of a community is linked to its access and use of information and communications
technologies. Technology today is as vital to economic growth as transportation
and utility systems were in the past.
Technology infrastructure and the transportation and economic development
policies created to take advantage of it will determine a region's
future. Communities that integrate technology into their strategies
and plans will have a distinct edge over those that play catch-up.
Digital technologies enable a level of regional collaboration unequaled
in the past. A simple initiative such as on-line permitting brought
a closer relationship between the development community and local government
while reducing the bottom line typically associated with this process.
Neighborhoods plagued by poor access to technology resources can benefit
from shared and coordinated services, providing resources previously
unavailable and reducing the cost to organizations to provide these
services. We believe that actively planning for the use of digital
technologies can bring immense benefits to all communities including:
- Stimulating business formation and supporting existing small
businesses by sharing resources they may not be able to afford individually;
- Lowering the cost for providing government services (e-government)
by providing the means for customers to help themselves to what
was previously bureaucratically produced and delivered;
- Improving marketing of local communities by clearly publishing
information and trends on-line;
- Providing tools for low-income communities to improve education
and job skills;
- Integrating the often fragmented workforce service delivery
system to fill gaps and avoid duplication;
- Facilitating the modernization of existing industries and
businesses;
- Reducing traffic congestion by moving some services to digital
networks and minimizing the need to accomplish all tasks through
physical travel;
- Enabling stronger participation and collaboration by the public
in planning initiatives;
- Facilitate local networks of organizations to collaboratively
plan around specific issues; and
- Reinforcing other planning efforts and objectives.
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