ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that advances in communications technologies are not leading to the demise of cities; rather, they are strengthening a handful of principal world cities. It examines the relationship between advanced communication and information technologies and the future pattern of urban development. Communications technologies are often regarded as space-extending phenomena; specifically, they allow individuals and firms to function within a geographically larger set of boundaries. Telecommunication systems, by allowing firms to overcome the traditional limits of distance, permit what were once separate economic activities to become highly integrated functions. Communications and information technologies are strengthening a small number of world cities while weakening the traditional autonomy of many smaller cities. The design, development, and management of the telecommunications infrastructure in all nations have been totally under public control. The movement toward competition in telecommunications is clearly bound to strengthen the telecommunications infrastructure in those cities that have become centers for information-intensive industries.
