The New Wave of Interactions
As humans, interactions with others are essential. Certainly, most people do enjoy alone time, but we thrive off communicating with others and keeping up to date.
This is not a groundbreaking theory: just ask your typical twenty-something if s/he uses, let’s say, Facebook or Twitter on a daily basis; most do. Although our social networks extend well beyond the Internet, undoubtedly, the Second Generation of the Web (also known as Web 2.0, i.e. post dot-com bubble) have tightened our networks so quickly and stunningly, in such ways that we could not even envision just a few years ago.
Our world is now so entrenched in this New Media/Social Media process.
Much has been written about President Barack Obama’s internet prowess; his campaign managed to harness the power of a multitude of social websites (including Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, YouTube and his blog) and a massive database/email distribution list, both of which ultimately resulted in a grassroots network of interested parties and contributors. By just creating the web presence, maintaining the accounts, and disseminating the message, the Obama campaign product became viral — spreading effortlessly. Armed with record amounts of cash, an ironclad message of “change,” and an army of dedicated volunteers, Obama cruised to an historic victory. Now, the weekly presidential radio address and press briefings are broadcast via Vimeo.
People have woken up, and now realize that this interactive model can be applied to mostly anything.
For better or worse, the New Media has entered the mainstream consciousness. We have reached a critical mass in that not adapting with the New Media is to fade away into antiquity.
All of this in just a few years.
How does this relate to planning? Well, the planning process is participatory by nature, in that the most thoughtful plans are vetted among a disparate group, such as stakeholders, developers, public agencies, the press, etc. In the past, while all interest groups have had the ability to express their opinions on issues through their respective interactions, the general approach had almost always been controlled by the bureaucracy.
Now, with the ubiquity of the internet, a bottom-up approach is now tenable, and there is no reason that a critical mass of information and power should not be exploited by everyone. Even beyond this, municipalities should be tapping into the power of the new wave and promoting these invaluable to tools to their respective citizenry.
For instance, on the simplest level, a municipality could easily create a Twitter account to disseminate news instantaneously, solicit input from its residents, and engage in an ongoing two-way dialogue.
In addition, a municipality could create a simple mapping interface, linked to Twitter updates, for its residents to report broken street lights, property maintenance issues, and crime “hot spots,” among others. This could be displayed in real-time and updated when issues are rectified, thus holding department heads accountable.
Lastly, for the true urbanite, these same networks can be also used to streamline daily life, such as real-time updates of bus schedules, wait times at restaurants, and “rideshare” requests.
The interplay between internet technology, the New Media, and interactions in the planning process, a practice that I feel is ready and well suited for a dose of Web 2.0, should be both maximized and evangelized—and I will push this movement through this blog.
On the tech front, future updates will include:
- A review of the New Jersey State Atlas, an interactive mapping website, which is maintained by John Reiser, and how it is a prime example of the New Wave interplay;
- An analysis of how contemporary crime prevention techniques are changing the law enforcement rubric and our communities, including crime mapping and gunshot detection technology; and,
- An ongoing, expanded examination of how municipalities should be adapting with the New Wave to meet the needs of their respective constituents.
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