Cities in the Third Wave ─ The Technological Transformation of Urban America

Ruchelman (urban studies and public administration, Old Dominion U.) sees three waves of technological change as having profound impact on the shape and nature of the American urban environment, suggesting that as we once transitioned from the preindustrial city to the industrial city, we are now witnessing a new transformation to the evolving postindustrial city shaped by new telecommunications and information technologies. He examines the impact of these new technologies on American cities, posing questions regarding the economic shift away form the production and distribution of material goods to the circulation and consumption of information goods, how cities and their regions are being affected physically by advances in technology, and the import of these changes for urban management and governance. Annotation c2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Leonard I. Ruchelman is Eminent Professor of Urban Studies and Public Administration at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.