Part 2
We are living in a very different world than our forefathers, one that is truly founded on new infrastructure, processes and attitudes. Even one hundred years ago most of the world would still have communicated by horse, train or ship, likely getting communication from one source to another, even relatively closely, by at least a day away, and mostly longer. Today, large data and video files such as YouTube, video movies on demand and Facebook content are sent instantaneously around the globe. Games and digital entertainment over the Internet are creating new forms of entertainment and entirely new activities and business structures are forming around these. Partnerships and joint ventures are continents apart; jobs and information are processed in 7 hour segments in a 24 hour working day; global sourcing creates a new form of competition and knowledge work; social benchmarking and international innovation is forcing new forms of governance to take shape; our universities now are in campuses that span the globe and mindshare is potentially ubiquitous.
We are looking at ways to get ahead of the curve, by future proofing our communities in a broadband economy. No longer are we simply trying to get out of a crisis in our economy when our workforce can no longer work in 19th and 20th Century work environments. Rather we are looking at educating our populations and creating environments that foster creativity and innovation.
We are trying to ensure that our broadband infrastructure is viewed as an essential utility, not as a commodity; as essential as roads and water and sewers and electricity. We are looking at fostering communities that see knowledge workers as invaluable to the future of their communities and will do everything to create them, attract them and retain them in their communities; treat R&D as essential investments; and leverage our knowledge creation centers as part of our social, economic and cultural strategies. We need to ensure that everyone in our society is part of our plan and have equal access and opportunities to be part of our digital world. We need to ensure that we invest heavily in training of all kinds, not just in our higher institutions but also to create a culture of continuous training in the primary schools, on the shop floor and in the home. And we need to be able to provide access to the disenfranchised, handicapped, elderly, and the very young in all of these opportunities. Finally, we need to advocate for our intelligent systems, people and places and to figure out how to market their success around the world. This is not just to win an award but to sustain Intelligent Communities well beyond into every fabric of the local society and culture.
More information on the Intelligent Community Forum can be found at www.intelligentcommunity.org.
We are living in a very different world than our forefathers, one that is truly founded on new infrastructure, processes and attitudes. Even one hundred years ago most of the world would still have communicated by horse, train or ship, likely getting communication from one source to another, even relatively closely, by at least a day away, and mostly longer. Today, large data and video files such as YouTube, video movies on demand and Facebook content are sent instantaneously around the globe. Games and digital entertainment over the Internet are creating new forms of entertainment and entirely new activities and business structures are forming around these. Partnerships and joint ventures are continents apart; jobs and information are processed in 7 hour segments in a 24 hour working day; global sourcing creates a new form of competition and knowledge work; social benchmarking and international innovation is forcing new forms of governance to take shape; our universities now are in campuses that span the globe and mindshare is potentially ubiquitous.
We are looking at ways to get ahead of the curve, by future proofing our communities in a broadband economy. No longer are we simply trying to get out of a crisis in our economy when our workforce can no longer work in 19th and 20th Century work environments. Rather we are looking at educating our populations and creating environments that foster creativity and innovation.
We are trying to ensure that our broadband infrastructure is viewed as an essential utility, not as a commodity; as essential as roads and water and sewers and electricity. We are looking at fostering communities that see knowledge workers as invaluable to the future of their communities and will do everything to create them, attract them and retain them in their communities; treat R&D as essential investments; and leverage our knowledge creation centers as part of our social, economic and cultural strategies. We need to ensure that everyone in our society is part of our plan and have equal access and opportunities to be part of our digital world. We need to ensure that we invest heavily in training of all kinds, not just in our higher institutions but also to create a culture of continuous training in the primary schools, on the shop floor and in the home. And we need to be able to provide access to the disenfranchised, handicapped, elderly, and the very young in all of these opportunities. Finally, we need to advocate for our intelligent systems, people and places and to figure out how to market their success around the world. This is not just to win an award but to sustain Intelligent Communities well beyond into every fabric of the local society and culture.
More information on the Intelligent Community Forum can be found at www.intelligentcommunity.org.
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