ABSTRACT
After spending well over a year contemplating and researching both the scope and the content of this book, we began writing it as the third millennium dawned, a time described by many as a pivotal point between the past and the future. Early in the year 2000, both the popular and the technical press contained numerous articles by leading writers, commentators, and academics predicting how they saw Britain, the world, and people’s lives changing during the 21st century. While their opinions differed, they all recognized that during the past century, science and technology had opened more doors than anyone could have possibly imagined. While science is notoriously unpredictable, most writers foresaw a continuing and rapid growth in information and communication technology. The technical press put more flesh on the bones by detailing the likely developments in Web technology, telecommunications, knowledge-based systems, voice recognition, data availability, and information output. Technological innovations will affect all areas of society, including how people interact with local government and how its services are planned and delivered.
