Speaker: Prof. Joseph Ferreira, Jr., MIT

Abstract: During the last 20 years, we have made enormous
investment in our metropolitan information infrastructure in
response to the proliferation of low-cost, networked computing
and improvements in computer graphics and geoprocessing
technologies. As a result, we have moved our local record
keeping from paper to digital form and we have enabled geographic
location, at people-scales, to become an integral part of our
databases. The ripple effects of these changes are only
beginning and they will be amplified by newly emerging
technologies (wireless, PDAs, ubiquitous sensors, etc...). The
talk will examine some of these effects with emphasis on the
implications for urban and regional planning. Significant work
is needed on the 'back end' infrastructure (of people,
technology, and urban models) before our 'digital government'
efforts can achieve the desired benefits of decentralization,
efficiency, and empowerment while protecting our personal freedom
and security. We will use examples from landuse and ownership
studies to illustrate some of the issues and strategies for
improved data integration and the use of urban modeling
'applets'.