17-18 maart 2004 internationale conferentie Telecities

16 februari 2004

Urban Impacts of the Information Society: Facts, Fiction and Policies
Telecities and MUTEIS conference

March 17th - 19th 2004, The Hague
http://www.telecities.nl

The "information revolution" and the emerging Information Society entail fundamental changes in social interaction and relationships, and modifications in the socio-economic and spatial organisation of activities. The main driver in this process is the rapid development and application of Information Society Technologies (ISTs). The main inhibitors are the fictions that emerged from the discussion of the New Economy. Better knowing the drivers and inhibitors is crucial for contemporary urban management.

This conference will explore the urban economic and social impacts of information society technologies (ISTs), as well as the way new technologies urge local governance in cities to change their policies. Practical case studies and experiences and state of the art research from the micro to the macro including the intermediate level, are going to be discussed among top European academics and senior city managers, planners and researchers.

The first full day of the conference will be dedicated to facts and fiction. Based on thorough international research and experiences, it will address how ICT adoption by citizens, firms and governments is actually changing and re-shaping urban economies and societies in Europe. Also, it will debunk fiction: the overoptimistic or otherwise unrealistic expectations emerging from the New Economy discussion. The second day is dedicated to the question how cities and nations can best deal with the new realities. High-level policymakers and researchers will discuss adequate policy responses - at the European, the national and the local level.

Papers will be presented under the following themes:

National/regional economic development comprising also urban/regional economic development and IST adoption; productivity and competitiveness; urban policies for ICT adoption; local sprawl and local behaviour in a context of global IST developments; spatial patterns of digital infrastructure and its use; IST and productivity.

Urban social developments: Social exclusion and IST including new media in the urban context; impact of IST on social networks; IST and labour relations: flexible work, telework, temporary work and their consequences for private life.

Urban governance: E-government, supranational, national and local competences; new role of local governments in the network society.

In addition, papers on methodology will be discussed. What tools do we have available to address the above-mentioned topics? Given the need to have integrated multidisciplinary analysis, how can/should various academic disciplines fruitfully co-operate? Is the current focus on the IST infrastructure adequate or should there be more emphasis on the future of the Information Society and the changes implied regarding the behaviour of the citizens, workers en entrepreneurs in the Information Society of the future?

For more information and registration:
http://www.telecities.nl