Where are the planners in Municipal Wireless deployments?
In April 2007, Philadelphia, the fifth-largest U.S. city, will host the American Planning Association's 2007 National Planning Conference. As a planner and member of APA, I read the program with interest to see what the “hot” planning topics are this year. As a strong advocate of the involvement of planners in municipal wireless deployments, I was somewhat surprised that the conference program made no mention of Philadelphia’s ambitious Wireless Philadelphia project which represents one of the largest wireless initiatives underway in the United States.
Cities have often been at the forefront of the adoption of new technologies whether railroads in the nineteenth century or automobiles in the twentieth century. Planners, in turn, have always played a key role in the development of the necessary infrastructures to support such new technologies. Their multi-disciplinary thinking, experience with municipal infrastructures and operations, and strong technical background should make them an integral component of any wireless initiative. So with more than 300 wireless projects underway in the U.S. alone and an estimated $3 billion in spending projected over the next three years, where are the planners? Are they involved in the deployments and simply maintaining their usual low profile? Or, is there a disconnect between the IT and Planning Departments of the City Administrations as such wireless projects are concerned?
With public safety, building inspection and public works representing the three most prevalent applications for public wireless networks, one would think the former as opposed to the latter. In any event, this research aims at finding out where the planners are in the growing trend towards municipal wireless deployments?
Questionnaire
Hundreds of cities and towns throughout the world have already rolled out wireless (Wi-Fi) networks to help expand public broadband Internet access, improve the quality and efficiency of public services, and enhance public safety. Municipalities are going wireless for a number of civic, economic, and political reasons. Some cities and towns are deploying these systems to revitalize their downtown core, to attract tourists, and to signal to the business world that they’re forward thinking and fully embracing the "always-on" reality of life in the 21st century. For them, moving to Wi-Fi signals that they recognize technology and business development go hand in hand. Other municipalities want to bridge the “digital divide”, providing Internet access to under-served communities that a for-profit carrier might not consider viable from a pure business standpoint. The Central European Institute of Technology is interested in identifying what role, if any, planners are playing in these deployments? With this in mind, we would greatly appreciate it if you would take a few minutes to complete this short questionnaire regarding wireless networks.