Built Space, New Technologies and Networks

The New IGU Commission on “The Geography of Information Society” (2000-2004)

HUH Woo-kung, Information on the IGU after the 29th International Geographical Congress, Seoul, Korea, 2000

BAKIS Henry, Kellerman Aharon, Messages

KELLERMAN Aharon, Proposal for a commission on the ‘Geography of Information Society’ 2000-2004

Built Space, New Technologies and Networks (Henry Bakis, editor)

BAKIS Henry, KELLERMAN Aharon, Built Space, New Technologies and Networks: Introduction

Built space, Towns and Urban systems

MIRALLES-GUASCH Carme, TULLA PUJOL Antoni F., Le transport dans la ville de Barcelone. Un parcours historique

Abstract.— This article analyses Barcelona city transport as strategic instruments of urban policy. The analysis presents different interpretations which allow us to understand the mobility of citizens: the street as a space for the connection of pedestrians and public and private transport. All this within a wide time span which begins at the start of the XIXth Century and finishes at the end of XXth Century.

Keywords.— Barcelona; urban policy; transports

Resumen.— En este artículo se analizan los transportes de la ciudad de Barcelona como instrumentos estratégicos de la política urbana. El análisis recorre diferentes líneas interpretativas que nos permiten comprender la organización de la mobilidad de los ciudadanos: la calle como el espacio de conexión del peatón, los transportes colectivos y los transportes privados. Todo ello dentro de una perspectiva temporal amplia que empieza a principios de s. XIX y acaba a finales de s. XX.

Palabras claves.— Barcelona; política urbana; transportes

GUY Simon, Networks in Development: Infrastructure, Buildings and the Social Construction of Demand

GIAOUTZI Maria, STRATIGEA Anastasia, The Role of Contact Networks in Reconsidering Urban Systems Hierarchies

Abstract.— The drastic changes occurring within the European continent during the last decade, such as the removal of national barriers within the European Community and the strengthening of economic and political relationships between countries, imply a new geo-economic order in Europe as well as considerable changes in the hierarchical relationships between the regional and urban production systems. Reconsideration of hierarchical relationships will be based upon a certain number of criteria such as economic, social, ethnic as well as polarization and accessibility to contact networks.

As contact networks can be considered all kinds of networks, both physical as well as non physical. The emphasis given to the notion of contact networks reflects strongly the growing importance attached to the interaction taking place between the various actors or regions, which adds a new dimension to the relationship between networks and spatial development.

The growing accessibility of urban centres based on various types of contact networks is expected to reconsider accessibility and development patterns in the urban hierarchy at a European scale. In such a context, the hierarchy of urban centres so far based on indicators such as production activities, population e.t.c. has been at stake. Cities are nowadays acquiring the role of being the nodes of contact networks.

The focus of this paper is related to the process of evolving urban hierarchy at a European scale in the light of accessibility of urban centres to contact networks, both from a theoretical as well as a methodological point of view. The paper aims at establishing a methodological paradigm for evaluating the dynamics of urban hierarchy, where the issue of accessibility to contact networks is taken into account through various accessibility indicators.

Keywords.— Technological change, contact networks, accessibility to contact networks, new patterns of urban hierarchy.

MBADINGA Michel, Elf et Port-Gentil (Gabon)

Résumé.— L'implantation des entreprises multinationales interagit avec la structuration des territoires quelles que soient les échelles prises en compte. S'il est généralement admis que l'organisation spatiale des firmes est fortement influencée par la hiérarchie spatiale et les positions relatives d'accessibilité physiques, économiques et sociales, surtout pour ce qui est des régions industrialisées, les entreprises multinationales peuvent aussi, avec l'aide des collectivités territoriales, contribuer à développer certains espaces, quelles investissent, attirant, par effet d'osmose, d'autres entreprises. Cette hypothèse s'est vérifiée dans le cas du Gabon, à travers notamment l'exemple de la société Elf. Mais, au delà de son apport sur l'aménagement de la ville de Port-Gentil, cette dernière a parallèlement contribué non seulement à perpétuer un modèle de développement basé sur l'exportation d'une ressource naturelle, mais aussi à maintenir une occupation spatiale urbaine héritée de la colonisation.

Mots clés.— Multinationales, aménagement, territoire, développement, ville.

Abstract.— The establishment in a territory of multinational companies interacts, at whatever level one takes into account, with that territory's infrastructural development. If it is generaly admitted that these firms'spatial organisation is heavily influenced by a spatial hierarchy and by relative physical, economic and social accessibility, multinational companies can also, with the aid of local governing bodies, contribute to the development of certain areas, where they put in place an infrastructure thereby attracting other companies by an osmosis effect. This hypothesis is verified in the case of Gabon, and notably by the exemple of Elf. But beyong its effects upon the planning of the tawn of Port-Gentil, this latter has equally helped not only to perpetuate a development model based on the export of a natural resource, but also to maintain a form of spatial occupation inherited from the colonial period.

Keywords.— Multinational company, development

Information Society Technologies (IST)

BAKIS Henry, BONNET Nicolas, VEYRET Alain, Montpellier Méditerranée Technopole: le développement de centres d’appels (Dell Computers et France Telecom Mobiles Services)

Résumé.— Nous nous intéresserons aux Centres d'Appels Téléphoniques (CAT) dont l'essor remarquable mérite l'intérêt des collectivités territoriales et des aménageurs. Après une présentation du phénomène de manière générale, nous choisirons de nous intéresser à un cas particulier: celui des CAT de la technopole de Montpellier.

Mots clés.— Centre d'Appels Téléphoniques (CAT), Montpellier, Technopole. Geocyberespace.

Abstract.— The rapid development of Call centers interests planners. After a review of this phenomenon we will study the case of DELL and FTMS (Montpellier, France).

Keywords.— Call Centers, Montpellier, Technopolis. Geocyberspace.

BERNARD Éric, Le développement des réseaux électroniques en Afrique: l’exemple du Réseau Intertropical d’Ordinateurs

Résumé.— La place des réseaux de recherche scientifique dans le développement des réseaux électroniques a été prépondérante aux États-Unis comme en Europe. En Afrique certains organismes de recherche ont également joué un rôle important, souvent oublié, pour mettre en place ce qui deviendrait plus tard l'internet. C'est le cas du Réseau Intertropical d'Ordinateurs, programme soutenu par l'Orstom (Institut français de recherche scientifique pour le développement en coopération). Cet article aborde deux aspects de ce programme: son rôle dans la mise en place des réseaux électroniques dans certains pays d'Afrique francophone subsaharienne et le trafic électronique qu'il a permis d'assurer entre ces pays et le reste du monde.

Mots clés.— Afrique, réseaux électroniques, RIO, coopération scientifique et technique

GRIMES Seamus, Overview of opportunities offered by Information Society Technologies (IST) for European peripheral areas

Abstract.— While well-informed policy intervention can have a significant impact on the prospects arising from IST for peripheral areas, it is essential to realise that the underlying logic of IST is profitability, competitiveness and productivity. Although there is no doubt that IST is bringing about a revolutionary change in the geography of economic activity, with huge implications for less favoured regions, the benefits and opportunities for such regions arising from IST can only be exploited by consistent and forward-looking investment in capacity-building, infrastructure and skills. With 25 years of such investment in IST skills and infrastructure, Ireland presents an interesting and rather successful case study for other European peripheral areas. A significant part of Ireland's impressive employment creation has been based on IST-related FDI in sectors such as software and internationally traded services. Much of this growth has been recent and around 80 % of IST-related employment creation is concentrated in the eastern urban region around Dublin. Regional provincial centres are beginning to show signs of benefiting from IST activity, but the challenge for rural areas remains daunting.

Keywords.— Information Society Technology (IST), peripheral areas, capacity-building, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

STRATIGEA Anastasia, GIAOUTZI Maria, Teleworking and Virtual Organization in the Urban and Regional Context

Abstract.— The globalization process taking place in the context of information society provides a broad range of opportunities to the actors involved in more efficient organizational forms, new trading opportunities, restructured educational perspectives, new employment challenges, etc. Employment patterns so far have been dramatically influenced by the rapidly evolving technological innovations and their potential role on spatial structuring both at the urban and regional level. One prominent application of the newly offered possibilities is teleworking which alters considerably traditional patterns of work, mobility patterns, energy consumption patterns, personal relationships, etc. While teleworking has induced new forms of work organization, technological developments have also advocated radical changes in the structure of firms, where "virtual organization" is emerging as a response to increasing competition and need for efficient use of resources. Virtual organization is characterized by three distinct elements, namely: new organizational forms, being active beyond the limits of the traditional company model, a network function support, where various firms are trying through networking to seize business opportunities, which none of them would be able to realize on their own and the ability to overcome time and space barriers in a rapidly changing global marketplace. The focus of the paper will be to explore the new perspectives opened to spatial restructuring due to the introduction of virtual firms.

Keywords.— Teleworking, virtual organization, spatial restructuring, impacts at the individual, business and spatial level.

Living in ‘two spaces’: towards the Geocyberspace

LI Feng, Living in “Two Spaces”: New Progress in Geography and the Implications for Organisations

Abstract.— With the rapid development of computing and telecommunications infrastructure, a new electronic space has emerged which co-exists, and sometimes intertwines, with the physical space and place of our world. This has greatly increased the complexity and flexibility of the new space economy for organisations and individuals, and increasingly we have to live in 'two spaces'. Since the late 1980s, geographers have successfully dismissed the misconception about the 'death of distance' in the information economy through systematic research. However, new progress in geography has been slow to spill into other disciplines. Utopian views about the 'end of geography' remain very influential in current business thinking and in research on information systems and organisational innovations. Numerous failed business applications of information systems have been resulted from a lack of geographical considerations. The situation is significantly exacerbated in the last few years by rapid developments of the Internet and new applications based on it (such as e-commerce). Geographers have the duty not only to understand the new geography of the information economy, but also to inform the public about the key features of the 'two spaces' that all organisations and individuals have to live in. In this paper, some case studies and emerging business phenomena are used to illustrate the importance of introducing a geographical dimension in research on information systems and organisational innovations. Several new themes for further research will also be highlighted.

Résumé.— Avec le développement rapide des infrastructures de télécommunications et des Nouvelles Techniques d'Information et de Communication (NTIC), un nouveau monde émerge, cohabitant et communiquant avec notre monde. Cette interaction a eu une répercussion positive sur la souplesse et la complexité de ce nouvel espace, ce qui fait qu'on doit vivre dans « deux espaces ». Dès la fin des années 1980 les géographes ont put prouver que « la mort de la distance » est une farce. La situation est devenue très critique avec l'émergence d'Internet et de ses nouvelles applications (E-commerce). Cet article présente des études de cas pour montrer l'importance d'introduire une dimension géographique dans la recherche des NTIC. Enfin d'autres sujets seront abordés pour approfondir la réflexion.

GRENTZER Martin, Approach for a Geography of the telecommunications

Abstract.— Due to IT the world is changing. Therefore new geographic researches are necessary to explain this new phenomenon of spatial development. The following article describes a new approach for a Geography of Telecommunications.

Keywords.— Geography of telecommunications, space of flows

Zusammenfassung.— Unsere Welt ist aufgrund der IT-Technologien einem starken Wandel unterworfen. Darauf muss auch die geographische Forschung reagieren. Im Folgenden soll ein neuer Ansatz einer Geographie der (Tele-)Kommunikation vorgestellt werden.

Résumé.— Notre monde change à cause des technologies d'information. De ce fait les nouvelles recherches géographiques doivent réagir, et expliquer les mutations spatiales qui en résultent. Cet article veut décrire une nouvelle approche pour une géographie de s télécommunications.

KOCH Andreas, Linking human beings in linked spaces

Abstract.— The paper is dedicated to the relationships of human being(s), space(s), and information and communication technologies concerning the multiple possibilities of their linkage(s). First we will take a glance at the specific meanings of both the spatial and social and technological types of linkages separately. To bring all three networks into contact with each other - to overlap them interdependently - again, enables to emphasise of what will happen topologically. This relational background creates the basis for the main target: To demonstrate how, and how strong current approaches of both the spatial theories and the technological architecture at the one hand and the social sciences at the other hand, are enforced to give up the distinction of human being(s) and space(s) by linking them via different kinds of communications networks. The focus here is on the overcoming distinctions of structure, function and order. The emerging and developing continuous 'Space-Time-Attribute'-states will be exemplified by using the triangle of core notions of 'smart buildings', 'telepresence' and 'acting' (in different spheres respectively).

Keywords.— Social/spatial/technological networks, systems, geographical spaces, virtual spaces, information and communications technologies

Résumé.— L'article suivant examine des résaux sociaux, spatiaux et technologiques en leurs possibilités de jonction multiples. D'abord les réseaux respectifs sont observés séparément. Avec la notion système (en sens système-théorique de Luhmann) une analyse des interactions entre les phénomènes sociaux, spatiaux et technologique est possible. En s'appuyant sur des exemples choisis les rapports entre des 'personnes réelles/virtuelles' et des espaces 'réelles/virtuelles' sont analysés.

Mots clés.— Résaux sociaux/spatiaux/technologiques, systèmes, espaces géographiques, espaces virtuelles, technologies d'information et de communication

LENZ Barbara, Telecommunications and Space: Questions and Concepts

Abstract.— The great variety of concepts and research contexts indicates on the one hand that research on the issue of I&C technologies and new media is a very active field. On the other hand, it is also evidence that further studies are necessary, especially on the following subjects: microstudies on the intertwine of physical place (and local actors) and NICT/telecommunication; studies on the relationship of the private and the business sector in shaping the virtual world; studies on the spatial conditions for, and spatial effects of, commercial/business usage of electronic networks; studies on the relationship of virtual networks and physical [transport] networks; studies on the virtual networks and central functions of cities/places; studies on the mobility effects by virtual networks (or more simply: virtual patterns); and methodological discussion.

Keywords.— Telecommunication Geography, Space

Note

KADDOURI Lahouari, Une distribution urbaine comparée au modèle de Christaller: l’arc méditerranéen français

Abstract.— To show the uneven distribution of cities on space, multiple processes exist. Among these, the comparison of the constructions of an urban distribution and a distribution according to the theoretical model of W. Christaller (1933) clearly emphasizes the heterogeneity of the distribution of the French Mediterranean towns and its distance to the model.

Keywords.— Urban networks, model of Christaller, cities, urban distribution and hierarchies, French Mediterranean bow

Résumé.— Afin de montrer l'inégale répartition des villes sur un espace, il existe de nombreux procédés. Parmi ceux-ci, la comparaison des constructions d'une distribution urbaine et d'une distribution selon le modèle théorique de W. Christaller (1933) montre, de manière efficace et simple, la répartition hétérogène des villes des régions françaises méditerranéennes, et les écarts à une certaine uniformité.

Mots clés.— Réseaux urbains, modèle de Christaller, villes, distribution et hiérarchies urbaines, arc méditerranéen français

Documentation

“TeleGeography Inc. and Geocyberspace studies” by Henry Bakis
“Le colloque UGI de Kwangju, Corée du Sud. Compte-rendu” par Olivier Lefebvre
“Les transports maritimes sur le net. Quelques sites” par Jérôme Lombard
“Politiques de transport et accessibilité des villes atlantiques”, par Manuel Appert
“Vitesses et rapidité différenciée” par Manuel Appert

Objectives of the IGU Commission on information society (2000-2004)

Publications

Digital Communities: Cities in the Information Society. Call for papers from Mark Wilson