INTEGRATING TRANSPORTATION AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS PLANNING IN SANTA MONICA

Two revolutions once proceeding in parallel - one in urban transportation planning, the other in technology - are converging as the next millenium approaches. The implications of this convergence for urban areas could be profound, yet few dimensions of this issue have been systematically analyzed. The complex, context specific relationship between telecommunications and transportation has several potential benefits for urban planners. These benefits raise a fresh set of research questions about this relationship, such as: what are the issues involved in integrating transportation and telecommunications planning at the local level?; do any models exist on how to conduct such planning?; what benefits might result from the integration of transportation and telecommunication planning, particularly broad quality of life benefits that transcend the narrow question of whether telecommunications can substitute for travel? This paper addresses these questions by incorporating empirical evidence from a case study of the city of Santa Monica, CA. In presenting the case study, one of the central arguments is that the current urban transportation planning process, structured nationally under ISTEA, provides a template for how to integrate transportation and telecommunications planning.