Effects of Information and Communication Technology - Essay Example

Information) Effects of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Information and communication technology has great influence on urban planning and urban policies by improving people’s life through its all subsystems including work, home, and school. Presently, information and communications technology is a necessary part of urban development. As people are more into using all the benefits of information and communication technology, the new urban people look for the incorporation of data, voice, video and mobile communication platforms that allow them to remain in touch with home and office any time and anywhere. Admittedly, with the coming of information and communication technology, there are a large number of changes which are direct, indirect and systemic in nature. In fact, the past quarter of the century introduced a digital age, where massive computing power, high speed data access, and mobile communication along with cloud into the world urban landscape, thus giving birth to a networked society. Evidently, the world cities are growing at a faster pace than ever before in population, business and capital, and this improvement in technology too has part in the growth. However, the presence of such information and communication technology has a huge impact on the lives of people, thus making it a challenge for planners and designers to come with such solutions that ensure sustainable incorporation of information and communication technology into the urban life. One can find three forms of effects that stem out of the use of information and communication technology in the urban life. They are direct, indirect and systemic effects. The direct effects are those effects which are the results of the physical existence of urban ICT infrastructures. The problem is that these infrastructures are producers of greater quantities of solid and toxic waste, and they are great consumers of energy. In mature cities, it is estimated that ICT consumes nearly 5 to 15 percent of total energy. According to Kelbaugh and McCullough, the carbon-based economy of the world is going to collapse if it fails to incorporate sustainability through livability, sociability and formal coherence into development (xxii). However, the improvements in information and communication technology prove that designers can result in better, more sustainable modes of development through the incorporation of technology. The first point in consideration is the coming up of design studios and visualization. Presently, it has become necessary to have clients as active participants in the studios for discussion regarding the nature of the development. Banerjee and Loukaitou-Sideris state that technology has allowed people to visualize how the design would through the use of modern digital camera, phones, commercial software and other technologies like Google street maps (220). Thus, modern technology has become an effective tool in foreseeing the changes. In other words, the planner and lay citizen reach a mutually agreed concept regarding the intended change. Admittedly, one important need of the modern urban landscape that has to be met with information and communication technology is the requirement of public broadband infrastructure development. For example, in the modern urban world, a considerable proportion of people prefer to work from their home offices instead of going to their companies. This requires the development of better citywide or nationwide broadband infrastructure. Evidently, the modern people are well aware about the adverse effects of using motor vehicles, and are generally happy working, and shopping from home. In fact, the designers are well aware about the needs of the time and hence, the implementation of CUD has gained a considerable amount of attention among urban designers. This broadband infrastructure can support data, voice, video and mobile communication platforms, thus allowing people to work anywhere and anytime. Secondly, there is an increasing demand among people to have access to civil infrastructure through information and communication technology. The development of such an IP-enabled framework that connects roads, railways, gas, electricity, water utility and all other important services will enable people to remain happy even away from the city centers, thus avoiding overcrowding. Seeing the red light, architecture has already started developing more energy-efficient ICT solutions and initiatives like the Green Grid initiative. Also, it is necessary for planners to think about keeping such toxic waste-producing infrastructure away from the residential and business areas. As a part of this strategy, it is possible to think about developing Green mixed-use urban forms in thickly populated locations. This step has a large number of benefits. Firstly, this reduces the use of fossil fuels as there is reduced traveling. Secondly, it reduces the production of greenhouse gases as there is reduced movement using vehicles. Admittedly, the use of CUD helps reduce carbon emission and improves the efficiency of urban infrastructure in a number of ways. According to Carless, some technologies that can be enabled through the use of CUD includes vehicle tracking systems, congestion-charging programs, video communication solutions, integrated transportation management systems, global positioning system, radio frequency identification, broadband, wireless, and technologically innovative workplace collaboration. However, Lang points out that these days, many urban designers are skeptical about the use of information and communication technology (423). They consider incorporating a particular technology only when its all effects are understood. In total, it becomes evident that the use of information and communication technology has made people more and more able to communicate from greater distances easily and effectively. Now, what is required is better infrastructure like CUD and IP-enabled services that allow people to perform the activities of their day to day life without much traveling around. Also, this will enable people to live in such green residential areas from where they can do their work, do shopping, get access to all public services, and reduce pollution by avoiding the use of transportation. In addition, such networks could be used for traffic control, global positioning systems and so on. Thus, effective incorporation of technology means effective management of pollution. To sum up, a reasonable prediction is that in the coming days, ICT will result in better urban planning that ensures sustainability. This is so because it is now possible to develop better plans through simulations and scenarios. Also, ICT allows easy access to various services, thus reducing the environmental impact of moving around. Works Cited Banerjee, Tridib & Loukaitou-Sideris Anastasia. Companion to Urban Design. USA: Routledge, 2011. Print. Carless, Jenny. “ICT and Sustainable Urban Development.” Cisco Systems. (2008). Web. 05 December 2011. Kelbaugh, Doug & McCullough, Kit Krankel. Writing Urbanism. USA: Routledge, 2008. Print. Lang, Jon. Urban Design: The American Experience. Canada: John Wiley & Sons, 1994. Print. Read More