James K. Scott

Bowling Alone but Online Together: Social Capital in E-Communities

In this paper, we present a non-technical overview of new forms of voluntary association called online (or e-) communities and explore the implications they present for community development theory and practice. E-communities are groups of people with common interests that communicate regularly, and for some duration, in an organized way over the Internet (Ridings et al., 2002). They are designed to provide users with a range of tools for learning, personal development, and collective action—all embedded in a complex, continuing, and personally enriching network of social relations. We pose several fundamental questions, including these: a) what are the key features of online communities? b) how do they compare to (offline) communities of place? c) how are they designed and developed? and d) how do e-community members use them to affect collective action? We define key terms related to online communities, place them in the context of broader Web cultural practices, and review emerging literature in online community development. We present findings from case studies of four very different active online communities. Social interaction in these communities was extensive, and surprisingly civil. Web site managers use a variety of community development practices to attract and retain members, and to establish community norms, trust, and collective resources.

Building a Knowledge Infrastructure for Learning Communities

Throughout the world, local communities are being asked to take greater responsibility for their collective future. These communities must both interface with the changing face of local and regional administration, redefining roles and functions, (Scott and Henness, 1999) and meet the challenge of co mpeting in the global marketplace while yet retaining a sense of place and a community. Communities must acknowledge that the nature of modern society is one of ongoing change. The most important factor in the viability of communities is their capacities to learn how to manage this change together. While much of today’s change is related to the growing importance of information, the management of change has been greatly facilitated by advances in information and communications technology (ICT), and partic ularly by advances in the field of informatics. However the theoretical underpinnings of informatics have been developed almost exclusively for organizations in the private sector. In the main, the aim of this work has been to create methodologies and associated tools and techniques to deliver an ‘added value’ information product. The advent of community informatics takes the discipline into a new arena and one in which there are dual goals of promoting information services and the information product as a factor in economic development and ensuring access to information as a means of social equity and social inclusion.

A comprehensive approach to the assessment of tax increment financing (TIF) projects

One of the most popular economic development incentive tools used today is Tax Increment Financing (TIF). Proponents of TIF argue that these incentive programs have fostered new investment and increased property tax revenues in areas that would otherwise have experienced negative growth. Opponents argue that TIF is now used in non-blighted areas-on projects that could have been completed with no special government subsidies. This paper describes a number of perverse incentives that are inherent with TIF projects. It then outlines a comprehensive framework for estimating the net future fiscal impacts with and without proposed TIF projects for all affected jurisdictions. Finally, it illustrates how the framework can be used to reach better economic development policy decisions at both the state and local levels.