Planning for the Information City: the Challenge and Response

The emergence of the information city based upon new technologies such as converging computer and telecommunications innovations may signify the onset of a new historical era, comparable with the social transformation wrought by the industrial revolution. New types of urban economy are being built around these new technologies and their applications. The paper describes the broad economic and technical aspects of the information city, goes on to consider the economic and social issues raised and evaluates some of the main policy alternatives currently being pursued by local authorities in different countries.