Telematics for the Community? An Electronic Village Hall for East Manchester

K Ducatel and P Halfpenny
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K Ducatel: Programme of Policy Research in Engineering Science and Technology, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, England
P Halfpenny: Centre for Applied Social Research, Faculty of Economic and Social Studies, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, England

Environment and Planning C, 1993, vol. 11, issue 4, 367-379

Abstract: Visions of the information city are mainly driven by the economic development potential of new information technology (IT). The role of information systems in community development remains relatively less well explored. The establishment of a municipal information system in Manchester, HOST, aimed directly at small businesses and community groups, provides a rare opportunity for a direct empirical investigation of IT policies for community development. The proposal for ‘electronic village halls’—community IT resource centres—in East Manchester is examined for clues on emerging best practice for such community IT initiatives. It is concluded that current policies which concentrate resources into a few centres are antithetical to the spirit of information network formation, and create barriers to future development in information flows. In addition, policies to develop information networks in the community should be grounded in the interest groups in the urban system. This requires closer coordination between grass-root needs and the agencies which initiate development projects.

Date: 1993
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:envirc:v:11:y:1993:i:4:p:367-379

DOI: 10.1068/c110367

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