This is a report/project that I worked on and may be of interest to
some of you. What follows is the press release, but the full ICT CEDS
report may be downloaded by visiting
http://www.wrjgroup.com/projects/index.htm. Mapping results are
available by accessing http://24.199.43.78/ICTMaps/.
--
Dr. Darrene Hackler
Dept. of Public & International Affairs
George Mason University MSN 3F4
Fairfax, VA 22030
Ph: 703-993-1418
Fax: 703-993-1399
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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'RED ZONE' ORANGE COUNTY AT RISK FOR DETERIORATION, REVEALS
18-MONTH TECHNOLOGY / ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STUDY
Technology Assessment Tool Developed as Model for Nationwide
Replication
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. (May 23, 2006) - Orange County received only
passing grades on its vital technology infrastructure, which could
spell disaster for the County's underserved communities if not acted
upon, according to a just-completed study directed by WRJ Group, Inc.
and funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development
Administration (EDA).
The Information and Communications Technology Comprehensive Economic
Development Strategy (ICT CEDS) project was launched in September 2004
by Fountain Valley, Calif.-based WRJ Group, a community investment
consulting firm, in conjunction with Claremont Graduate University, The
Center for a New Orange County, and the Orange County Business Council.
The study, which analyzed the degree of broadband connectivity by
measuring per capita meters of fiber optic and/or co-axial cable, DSL
bandwidth, and wireless access points, and then compared it with
economic factors, resulted from a $250,000 EDA grant.
Results of ICT CEDS reveal that not only are technology infrastructure
and economic development success integrally linked, but that,
surprisingly, Orange County has a disproportionate number of "Red
Zone" regions in danger of rapid economic and social deterioration,
especially when compared with Los Angeles. A Red Zone is defined as an
area exhibiting a comparatively high degree of poverty and unemployment
and low investment in education when viewed against other County
locations.
Jill Dominguez, president of WRJ Group, explains that Red Zone areas
are likely to experience further deterioration. It is not surprising
that most are situated within older, highly populated areas of north
and central Orange County.
"The fear is that these areas will experience more traditional
blight - what I call the 'broken window syndrome' - if we
don't intervene now," said Dominguez, a 15-year veteran of
community investment and economic development. "Abandoned,
broken-down buildings, homes and schools in disrepair... No one wants
to live there. Without investing in our communities, I see the
potential for our own 'South Central' right here in 'The OC.'
"Right now, none of this is being addressed - not in
infrastructure bonds, not in planning committees," added Dominguez.
"This assessment and Orange County's ranking on it only have
meaning if they spur the region's decision makers into action."
For example, the study found that overall, Red Zone businesses account
for 21.7 percent of Orange County employment. Yet Red Zones average
only 2.5 percent employment in high-tech sectors compared to 10.5
percent elsewhere in the County. For the purposes of ICT CEDS,
high-tech was limited to biomedical, telecommunications, hardware and
software industries.
"ICT-CEDS is just the first step, but an essential one that many
cities are skipping," said Dr. Darrene Hackler, assistant professor
of public and international affairs at George Mason University in
Virginia, and a consultant on the project. "Understanding the
importance of digital infrastructure to a city's future economic
growth begins with knowing which communities are lacking it and what
can be done to alleviate the disparities."
Created with a dual-purpose in mind, ICT CEDS was undertaken to (1)
develop an assessment template for evaluating regional Information and
Communications Technology ("ICT") infrastructure that can be
replicated across the United States, and (2) gather baseline ICT
infrastructure measurements for Orange County - including mapping
disadvantaged Red Zones - and use this information to develop
strategic recommendations and an action plan for regional economic
development.
As a result, the project team developed the Balanced TECH Index, which
assigns a single overall ICT aptness score that serves as a fundamental
measure either standing alone or in comparison to other municipalities
or geographic areas.
"This is a breakthrough study," said Tom Horan, executive director
of Claremont Information and Technology Institute at Claremont Graduate
University. "Most communities across the country have been able to
analyze civil and soft infrastructure - such as streets, sewers, and
schools - but not their digital or technology infrastructure.
"With ITC CEDS, we compared economic factors with existing
technology infrastructure. This is first time such information has been
quantified and it is has direct implications for the social and
economic health of an area," said Horan.
The study took a balanced scorecard approach, conducting an analysis
that balances long-term investment in innovation, training and
education with shorter-term financial goals. According to Wallace
Walrod, president of The Center for a New Orange County, results
indicate that Orange County is plagued with "Dead Spots/Zones," not
only in the geography of ICT infrastructure, but in other important
social, financial and government institutions.
"Many Orange County cities lack the resources to launch and maintain
innovative technology investment strategies," said Walrod. "Beyond
the macro perspective of business attraction and retention of
higher-paying, technology-dependent companies, individuals are deeply
affected by ICT infrastructure. It influences their housing, shopping,
schools and investment into their neighborhoods. It reflects the core
of who and what a community is, and what it can become."
Some specific recommendations and strategies resulting from ICT CEDS
include:
o Require all new residential developments to include fiber optics
o Work with the County to actively pursue development of WiFi
technologies
o Further refine the O.C. Balanced TECH Index and use as a benchmark
for tracking change/progress
o Create a voucher system for individual ICT investment in Red Zones
and within low-income populations/schools
o Align ICT corridors with transportation corridors, a proven success
strategy
o Persuade universities and non-profits to coordinate community
outreach and training on the importance of technology and how to use it
o Encourage community colleges to partner with County and Workforce
Investment Boards to establish community technology centers and
training programs
o Design and implement public and private business incubation programs
o Develop a County-wide strategic technology development plan that
emphasizes multi-city cooperation.
Partners in the ICT CEDS project are: WRJ Group, which led community
outreach, analysis and planning, including goal-setting for solving
economic development challenges; Claremont Graduate University, which
led technical research, including defining technology infrastructure,
conducting spatial analyses, developing a metric to assess ICT
infrastructure and providing recommendations for implementing the
metric; The Center for a New Orange County, which led the analysis of
business and labor impact, facilitated infrastructure research, and
encouraged the participation of private sector businesses; and the
Orange County Business Council, which provided economic development
research as well as office space, administration, staff and equipment.
For additional details, the full ICT CEDS report may be downloaded by
visiting http://www.wrjgroup.com/projects/index.htm. Mapping results
are available by accessing http://24.199.43.78/ICTMaps/.
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TELECOM-CITIES
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