Digital World: An
Infobahn Tourguide to Planning Information on the Internet
[This
paper is accompanied by a PowerPoint Presentation and 80x120cm poster]
Planning is an information-based endeavor, and the expansion of information technology and communications (ITC) offers unique opportunities that will change planning in ways we may not imagine. This paper will briefly examine current online planning practices; consider some of the issues facing online planning information; and ask questions about the future of planning.
Information
has a life of its own. It is no longer a static object, but a dynamic entity
with dimensions in space and time. The expansion of the Internet has compared
the information flow with a tsunami or tidal wave. This is a dramatic
visualization of the deluge of information, but implies a discrete rather than
continuous event. With the completion of the Irridium satellite system, for the
first time, global communication was a reality.
Who, what, where, when, why?
The
Internet provides an ideal medium for transmitting basic planning information
such as organization name, function, constituency/membership, schedules, and
announcements. The vast majority of planning websites focus on this type of “push”
information. Another type of “push” information is mailing list membership
based on organization membership or subscription.
Interactivity
The
interactive nature of the Internet allows for communication between the
organization and “visitors” through email addresses listed on the website. This
allows for “pull” information—contacting other planners to exchange specific
information of interest. Website forms allow visitors to participate in surveys
or prepare applications. Online forums offer planners, discussion groups, and
newsgroups offer venues for group interaction that is not bounded by time
(atemporal) or geographic place (non-spatial).
IT Applications
More
websites are employing features that allow visitor to search and manipulate
data. Individual search engines facilitate locating specific information topics
within large websites. Combined with hypertext links, planning information can
be more easily located and correlated. More advanced websites allow the
information to be manipulated in various ways. For planners, the advent of
online GIS mapping will offer new possibilities in analysis, design and
decision-making.
Proprietary
Information
is power, and there is speculation that the Information Age will replace the
Industrial Age with information replacing goods as the commodity of value. Who
has access or owns information and how it will be protected, sold and purchased
is an issue that is currently under strong debate. “Digital piracy” has a
billion dollar economic impact. The hacker expression “Information must be
free” illustrates the opposing view. How will planners determine and handle
proprietary information?
Privacy
Related
to proprietary issues is the concern for privacy. To what degree is personal
information accessible? Beyond medical and financial records, marketing data is
being collected on consumers creating personal profiles that are sold to
businesses and organizations. What could an “Open Kimono” policy mean for
advocacy planning?
Veracity
We
often assume that information on the Internet is current, true and accurate,
but there is reason to question each of these attributes. A growing concern for
websites is the validity of the information. What sources provide “the truth;
the whole truth; and nothing but the truth”?
Authenticity
Related
to veracity, there is a growing concern on the Internet about verification of
sources and contacts. How can a planner
know where or who the source is?
Vitality
Information
is becoming more and more biotic. That is to say it emulates many features of
living organisms—conception, evolution, susceptibility to pathogens
(viruses/pollution), and decay. There is also an issue of “signal to noise”
ratio. There is so much information of varying degrees of veracity and
authenticity, how does a planner separate the wheat from the chaff?
As
we move towards becoming an Information Society, there will be a growing
concern for information access equity and empowerment. How can planners play a
role in ensuring cyberjustice?
Sense of Place and Community
Placemaking
is an essential component of planning, yet the Internet does not have any
traditional concept of place. An increasing number of citizens or “netizens”
consider cyberspace their “home.” Cyberjustice considers who will ‘live’ in
cyberspace; “sense of place and community” is concerned with ‘how’ they will
live there. Is there a role for planners in creating “sense of place and
community” on the Internet?
The Digital Age
It
is clear that no matter how the various issues described are resolved,
information will become more prevalent. “Smart” houses, wearable personal
digital assistants, embedded chips, and so on will add “intelligence” to every
facet of living. With the advances in voice recognition and translation
software, global information will become a seamless part of everyday life. It
appears that the virtual and real worlds will intersect and merge in ways we
cannot imagine. How will this change the nature of land use, transportation,
energy, and other elements of the “pattern language” of planners?
The
following international websites illustrate various curent approaches to online
planning information:
1.
American
Planning Association (APA) www.planning.org
2.
Arab
Planning Institute-Kuwait (API) www.arab-api.org
3.
Asian
Planning Schools Association (APSA) www.hku.hk/cupem/apsa
7.
Beroepsverenigung
van Nederlandse Stedebouwkundigen en Planologen (bnSP) [Dutch Professional
Organization of Urban Designers and Planners] www.bnsp.nl/
8.
Canadian
Institute of Planners (CIP) www.cip-icu.ca
9.
City
Planning Institute of Japan (CPIJ) www.jssst.or.jp/cpij/index-e.html
10.
CORP
Computergestützte Raumplanung [Austrian Computer-aided Planning] www.corp.at
11.
Cyburbia
[Internet Resources for the Built Environment] cyburbia.ap.buffalo.edu/pairc
12.
Deutsches
Institut für Urbanistik (difu) [German Institute for Urbanism] www.difu.de
13.
European
Academy for the Urban Environment (EAUE) www.eaue.de
14.
European
Council of Town Planners (ECTP) www.ceu.ectp.org
15.
Federação
Nacional dos Arquitetos e Urbanistas (FNAU) [Brazilian National Federation of
Architects and Urban Planners] www.arquitetofna.org.br
16.
Fédération Nationale des
Agences d’Urbanisme (FNAU) [International Federation of Urban Planning
Associations] www.fnau.org/index_f.htm
17.
International
City/County Management Association (ICMA) www.icma.org/go.cfm
18.
International
Federation for Housing and Planning (IFHP) www.ifhp.org
19.
International
Making Cities Livable (IMCL) www.livablecities.org/
20.
International
Network for Urban Development (INTA) www.inta.aivn.org
21.
International
Planning Events cochise.uia.net/apa/internat.htm
22.
International
Society of City and Regional Planners (ISoCaRP) www.isocarp.org
23.
INTERPLAN
[American Planning Association International Planning Division] interplan.org
24.
Istituto
Nazionale di Urbanistica (INU) [Italian National Town Planning Institute]
www.inu.it
25.
Japan
Association for Planning Administration (JAPA) kumalinux.soc.titech.ac.jp/japa
26.
New
Towns (NWMA) www.newtowns.net
27.
New
Zealand Planning Institute (NZPI) www.nzplanning.co.nz/index.html
28.
Nordiska
Institutet for Samhallsplanering (NORDPLAN) [Nordic Institute for Studies in
Urban and Regional Planning] home.swipnet.se/nordplan/lank.htm
29.
Pacific
Rim Council on Urban Development (PRCUD) www-rcf.usc.edu/~prcud/
30.
Periferia
[Architecture and Urban Design in the Caribbean] www.periferia.org
32.
Planetizen
[Your digital source for planning] www.planetizen.com
33.
Planners
Network Online www.plannersnetwork.org
34.
Planners
Web [City and Regional Planning Resources] www.plannersweb.com
35.
Planning
Online [for the national and built environment]
www.planning.haynet.com/index.cfm
36.
Planum
[The European Journal of Planning] www.planum.net
37.
PlanWeb
[The Internet Information Resource for Town Planners and the Land and Property
Professions] www.planweb.co.uk
38.
Regional
Science Association International (RSAI) www.staff.uiuc.edu/~bcarbonn/index.htm
39.
Resource
for Urban Design Information (RUDI) www2.rudi.net/rudi.html
40.
Royal
Australian Planning Institute (RAPI) www.rapi.com.au/index_1.htm
41.
Royal
Town Planning Institute (RTPI) [United Kingdom] www.rtpi.org.uk
42.
Sociéte
Française des Urbanistes (SFU) [French Association of Town Planners]
www.urbanistes.com
43.
South
African Planners (SAP) www.saplanners.org.za/main.html
44.
Town
and Country Planning Association (TCPA) [Planning for People and Places since
1899] www.tcpa.org.uk/
45.
United
Nations Centre for Habitat Settlements (UNCHS) www.habitat.org
46.
United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) www.undp.org
47.
United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) www.unep.org
48.
Urbamet
www.urbamet.com
49.
Urban
and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) www.urisa.org
50.
Vereinigung
für Stadt- Regional-, und Landesplanung (SRL) [German Association of Town,
Regional and State Planning] www.srl.de
Richard B. Stephens
-----
Planning Director, AEI-CASC
Consulting www.aei-casc.com/planning.html
Adjunct Professor/Advisor, Cal Poly
Pomona www.csupomona.edu/~urp
Instructor, University of Redlands
www.redlands.edu
Planning Commissioner, City of
Riverside www.ci.riverside.ca.us
Alternate Commissioner, Riverside
County Airport Land Use Commission
Editor, American Planning
Association Information Technology Division www.netmart.com/imago/apa-infotech
Editor/Webmaster, American Planning
Association Resort & Tourism Division www.aei-casc.com/resort
Editor/Webmaster, American Planning
Association Private Practice Division www.aei-casc.com/private
U.S. Bureau Member, International
Society of City and Regional Planners www.isocarp.org
Board Member/International Advisor,
Japan Association for Planning Administration www.soc.titech.ac.jp/japa
Member, California Planning
Roundtable www.cmcaplans.com/cpr.html
Contact, International Planning
Events http://cochise.uia.net/apa/internat.htm
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