Mitchell Moss

The Internet Backbone and the American Metropolis

Despite the rapid growth of advanced telecommunications services, there is a lack of knowledge about the geographic diffusion of these new technologies. The Internet presents an important challenge to communications researchers, as it threatens to redefine the production and delivery of vital services including finance, retailing, and education. This article seeks to address the gap in the current literature by analyzing the development of Internet backbone networks in the United States between 1997 and 1999. We focus upon the intermetropolitan links that have provided transcontinental data transport services since the demise of the federally subsidized networks deployed in the 1970s and 1980s. We find that a select group of seven highly interconnected metropolitan areas consistently dominated the geography of national data networks, despite massive investment in this infrastructure over the study period. Furthermore, while prosperous and internationally oriented American cities lead the nation in adopting and deploying Internet technologies, interior regions and economically distressed cities have failed to keep up. As information-based industries and services account for an increasing share of economic activity, this evidence suggests that the Internet may aggravate the economic disparities among regions, rather than level them. Although the capacity of the backbone system has slowly diffused throughout the metropolitan system, the geographic structure of interconnecting links has changed little. Finally, the continued persistence of the metropolis as the center for telecommunications networks illustrates the need for a more sophisticated understanding of the interaction between societies and technological innovations.tions networks illustrates the need for a more sophisticated understanding of the interaction between societies and technological innovations.

The Stafford Act and Priorities for Reform

During the past fifty years, federal disaster policy in the United States has been shaped by an ongoing conflict between proponents who favor federal intervention following a disaster and those who believe disaster response should be the responsibility of state and local governments and charity. This article explores the existing federal disaster policy landscape within the United States with a focus on the Stafford Act, the cultural and political forces that produced it, and how the current system is ill equipped to aid in the response and recovery from major catastrophes. The Stafford Act defines how federal disasters are declared, determines the types of assistance to be provided by the federal government, and establishes cost sharing arrangements among federal, state, and local governments. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) carries out the provisions of the Stafford Act and distributes much of the assistance provided by the Act. With the establishment of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the threat of domestic terrorism, and large-scale natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina, the limits of the Stafford Act and FEMA have been shown. We look at several areas where the shortcomings of the Stafford Act have emerged and propose directions for reform.

Technology and Cities

This article explores the ways in which communications technologies influence the shape and form of cities and large metropolitan regions. After reviewing the scholarly literature, the author suggests that there is a need to consider the ways in which telecommunications can lead to both the centralization and decentralization of economic activity. The article analyzes the limits and opportunities for telecommuting as well as the emerging pattern of Internet development in the United States. Although local governments have traditionally taken a passive role with regard to telecommunications systems, there is a growing awareness that telecommunications can affect local economic development. Furthermore, the widespread deployment of antennas for cellular telephones is stimulating public involvement in land use regulations. Finally, the article considers the impact of new telecommunications on inner-city communities and the delivery of public services in cities.

Reinventing the Central City as a Place to Live and Work

Abstract Public policies for urban development have traditionally emphasized investment in physical infrastructure, the development of large‐scale commercial facilities, the construction of new housing, and the renewal of existing neighborhoods. Most efforts to revitalize central cities by building new facilities for visitors have focused on suburban commuters and tourists. At the same time, many housing initiatives in central cities have concentrated on low‐income communities because outlying suburban areas have attracted traditional middle‐income households. This article argues that emerging demographic and cultural trends—combined with changes in the structure of business organizations and technological advances—provide new opportunities for cities to retain and attract middle‐class households. Using gay and lesbian populations as an example, it focuses on the role that nontraditional households can play in urban redevelopment. In light of the rise of nontraditional households and the growth of self‐em...

Telecommunications and the future of cities

Summary This article examines the impact of new telecommunications technologies on urban growth and development. Contrary to the conventional wisdom, the author argues that new technologies are str...

The diffusion of new telecommunication technologies

This article assesses the recent diffusion of new telecommunication technologies. Drawing upon an historical framework, the authors find that new technologies face significant barriers to rapid penetration in the home and office. Data on cable television, electronic text services, teleconferencing and alternative video distribution technologies are analysed to highlight the constraints facing the growth of new telecommunications services.

The Role of the Real City in Cyberspace: Understanding Regional Variations in Internet Accessibility

Since 1993, when the first graphical web browser, Mosaic, was released into the public domain, the Internet has evolved from an obscure academic and military research network into an international agglomeration of public and private, local and global telecommunications systems. Much of the academic and popular literature has emphasized the distance-shrinking implications and placelessness inherent in these rapidly developing networks. However, the relationship between the physical and political geography of cities and regions and the virtual (or logical) geography of the Internet lacks a strong body of empirical evidence upon which to base such speculation.

The urban port: A hidden resource for the city and the coastal zone

This paper is concerned with the changing pattern of activity on the urban waterfront. It examines developments in marine transportation technology and in the economic structure of the central city that have influenced the function of the urban port. Drawing upon data related to the West Side of Manhattan, the impact of the changes in cargo and passenger ship operations on the urban port is described and analyzed. A twofold strategy for public agencies to identify and understand the opportunities presented by technological change and to formulate policies for the redevelopment of the urban coastal zone is discussed.

The lost waterfront of New York

Abstract No integrated municipal policy exists for managing the New York City waterfront. Despite much rhetoric and many proposals to renew the citys coast, the municipal government has done little to improve the citys coastal shoreline. External organizations and citizens’ groups have been largely responsible for efforts to improve the use of the citys coastal resources. This article assesses the role of the city government and analyzes the factors affecting its performance in coastal management. It proposes new policies to foster local initiatives and encourages private and public cooperation in the revitalization of the coast. Given the size and diversity of the citys coast, an incremental strategy may be the most feasible and sensible approach to recapture the citys lost waterfront.

Moving information in the twenty-first century city

This chapter on decision-making and the Gowanus Expressway is from a book on moving people, goods, and information in the 21st century. The author first reviews the situation under discussion, then reprints his interview with Albert Appleton. The Gowanus Expressway, part of the Federal Interstate Highway system, moves thousands of commuters to Lower Manhattan each day, and is a major route taken by trucks moving goods into Manhattan. The Gowanus Expressway was widened into a six-lane highway in 1961, but has not received any major reconstructions since then. The author describes the various studies and community concerns that happened during a review process between 1991 and 1996, noting that the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) is now reviewing 13 different tunneling alternatives, along with three non-tunneling alternatives, one of which will be included in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), scheduled for release to the public late in 2004. The author notes that restructuring the NYSDOT process to include a full EIS and a detailed review of a Gowanus Tunnel as an alternative reflects a major change in decision making. The interview offers the account of one of the central actors who brought about that change. Albert Appleton, a mathematician and administrative lawyer by training, is now working with the Regional Plan Association (RPA) where his work focuses on innovative solutions to environmental and infrastructure problems.