Creating Spaces of Resistance and Centers of Knowledge Production: The Role of Information Technologies

Melvin King

Prof. Emeritus, MIT, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning. E-mail: mhking@MIT.EDU

The development of sustainable cities cannot be ensured merely by the creation of an efficient information infrastructure. The capacity of citizens to address complex environmental and social issues that affect their every-day lives is integral to fostering sustainable city and community development. While research evidence argues that information and communication technologies (ICT), and the ensuing decisions made by using them, are likely to affect the lives of ordinary people in communities, especially those who are not directly involved in creating these technologies, the "digital divide" between information haves and have nots grows even in so-called developed societies such as the United States.In this context, we argue that community-based technology centers directly attempt to mitigate the effects of differential access to IT, particularly for young people. In addition,they create physical and electronic spaces of resistance within which young people can develop their critical thinking skills.




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