Robert H. Wilson

Broadband Utilization in Space: Effects of Population and Economic Structure

The Internet segment of the information and communications technology industry has been forecast to reach nearly 1.5 billion users by 2007. Generally referred to as broadband, a number of alternative technologies are now deployed broadly across the United States. This article utilizes a unique data set of 9000 survey responses generated by the Pew Internet and American Life Project in 2004 to examine the impact of several spatial factors, including population size and economic structure, on the likelihood of broadband utilization, after controlling for a set of demographic characteristics. The utilization of broadband is found to be greater with larger cities and in cities with large telecommunications-intensive economic sectors. However, demographic characteristics are also found to be quite significant and relatively stronger than geographic factors in determining broadband utilization.

Urban segregation and governance in the Americas

Residential Segregation and Governance in the Americas: An Overview B.Roberts & R.H.Wilson UT Austin PART I: Buenos Aires A.Lourdes Suarez & F.Groissman Lima P.L.Peters & E.H.Skop Mexico City A.Villarreal & E.Hamilton Montevideo R.Kaztman & A.Retamoso Santiago F.Sabatini Sao Paulo H.Gama Torres & R.Mirandola Bichir CEBRAP Brazil PART II: Campinas J.M.Pinto da Cunha , M.A.Jimenez & E.Bilac Austin C.Flores & R.H.Wilson Conclusions

Telecommunications and Economic Development: The State and Local Role

The telecommunications infrastructure of the U.S. is becoming an increasingly important component of the economy. In many industries, fast and efficient telecommunications is essential for survival in a competitive environment. The relation between telecommunications and economic development is not well understood, at least in terms of the actual or potential effect of public policy on this relationship. Furthermore, federal deregulation of telecommunications has placed greater policy responsibility on state and local governments. A better understanding of the telecommunications industry is important as state and local governments attempt to use telecommunications policy as a tool for economic development. This article serves three purposes: (1) to identify the forces of change in telecommunications policy, (2) to describe the linkages between telecommunications and economic development, and (3) to examine the policy making environment and public policy issues faced by state and local governments.

UNDERSTANDING LOCAL GOVERNANCE: an international perspective

Enormous change and innovation in governmental practices are occurring throughout the world. Local governance, in particular, has become a concern in many countries. Processes such as redemocratization and decentralization and imperatives of international lending agencies have focused attention on developing good governance practices. Improvement in local government remains a high priority in most countries, but unless the relationship between citizens and government is more fully developed the actions of local government will not necessarily lead to improvement in the conditions of people’s lives. This paper will explore the concept of governance and propose an analytical framework for the study of local governance in an international context. The article concludes with recommendations on strategies to improve governance systems and government performance.

Growth policy in the age of high technology : the role of regions and states

Part 1 The states as actors: technology, regions and states, Jurgen Schmandt and Robert Wilson regional roles in the governance of the scientific state, Jurgen Schmandt structural economic change and the powers of state government - the viability of regional development strategies, Robert Wilson. Part 2 Theory and evidence: high tech policy, high tech realities - the spatial distribution of high tech industry in America, Amy Glasmeier technological innovation and paths to regional economic growth, Edward Malecki state innovation policies and regional restructuring of technologically dependent industry, Ed Bergam. Part 3 State development strategies: recent state initiatives - an overview of state science and technology policies and programs, Marianne Clarke state strategies for business assistance, Scott Fosler an assessment of state technology development programs, John Rees the impact of elementary and secondary education on state economic development, Ray Marshall simple faiths-complex facts - vocational educational as an economic development strategy, Norton Grubb engineering regional growth, Stuart Rosenfeld and Robert D. Atkinson university-industry research and development relationships, Irwin Feller state government-university cooperation, Karen Paget creating and sustaining the U.S. technopolis, Raymond W. Smilor and David Gibson. Part 4 Conclusions: technology and economic development in the States - continuing experiments in growth management, Richard Barke.

A Model of Shopping Center Location

The purpose of this paper is to present a model of retail employment which includes planned shopping centers in the employment-allocation function. The differences between planned shopping centers and unplanned areas are explored. The model to project retail employment is presented. Multiple sources of demand are allowed and an equilibrium between employment and demand is assumed. A procedure to locate additional planned shopping-center areas is derived. The calibration procedure involves a hill-climbing algorithm, a criterion function, and the partial derivatives of the allocation function. Calibration results indicate a good parameter fit and support the hypothesis that planned shopping centers attract retail employment.

Poverty and distorted industrialization in the Brazilian Northeast

Abstract Dramaric federal intervention and extensive industrialization in the Brazilian Northeast have not overcome its stagnant economy and society. After centuries of isolation and dependence on sugar exports, the Northeast was integrated economicallu into Brazil during 1930–1960, and since then it has been partially industrialized. The regional economy, however, is weakly integrated and highly unequal, leaving local markets small; industrial growth remains keyed to other parts of Brazil; and dependent politics distort the regions relations with Brasilia. Social inequality is extreme. Prospects for the future are bleak.

Governança metropolitana nas Américas

O trabalho apresenta os resultados de um estudo transnacional e comparativo sobre arranjos e desafios metropolitanos em Argentina, Brasil, Canada, Mexico, EUA e Venezuela. Sao descritas as principais caracteristicas institucionais e organizacionais das iniciativas encontradas e identificados os fatores que moldam seu surgimento e sua dinâmica atual. Perguntamos – mesmo com poucos exemplos de sucesso – se essas iniciativas estao adquirindo legitimidade politica e oferecendo oportunidades para governanca democratica. Concluimos que: 1) sao os governos estados que oferecem a melhor base para iniciar a construcao de uma governanca metropolitana capaz de eficientemente prestar servicos urbanos, mas que nao ha um unico caminho direto. 2) algum nivel de estrutura de governanca participativa para as areas metropolitanas e necessario para desenvolver politicas adequadas para melhorar a vida das pessoas de maneira equitativa.

Weather normalization of electricity sales to the school sector: Potential model misspecification

Abstract Weather normalization of electricity sales adjusts actual electricity sales to the levels that would have occured if weather had been normal. Normalization facilities performance evaluation by shareholders and regulators as well as providing valuable input for internal electric utility planning functions. The major concern utility analysts have expressed over their existing weather normalization procedures involves the extent to which non-weather variables are accounted for. This investigation demonstrates the significance for the weather normalization of electricity sales to schools of one particular non-weather variable, viz a changing distribution of types of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning equipment.

Urban resilience to climate change challenges in Africa

Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law, with funding from the U.S. Department of Defense