August 14, 2009 By Wayne Hanson
San Jose, California's San Jose 2020 General Plan began in 1994, and recently got some technical upgrades. An online video outlines the planning process and details some of the characteristics of great cities around the world, including:
Most of all, says the video, great cities are great places ot live work and play.
Sample survey question results from San Jose's Wikiplanning system:
To help San Jose achieve some of those characteristics, the city has employed some Web 2.0 features, such as wikiplanning, where residents can weigh in on matters of importance, take a survey, comment on the plan, and become a participant in the process.
Wikiplanning begins with an introduction and welcome by City Manager Debra Figone, then Michael Brilliot Senior Planner for Envision San Jose 2040 gives a guided tour of the Wiki process and how the visitor can contribute.
All over the country, community leaders are looking to boost economic development through various initiatives. One key element in many of those initiatives is the use of information technology. When local governments build IT infrastructure, create e-government applications, assist high-tech startups or otherwise focus on technology, they create conditions that draw businesses to their communities and help retain skilled workers. This paper discusses and provides examples of these various ways local government can use technology to ultimately make a community more attractive to businesses, visitors and residents.