Four Trends in the Changing Spatialities and Consequences of Global E-Government and Urban E-Planning

Abstract

Over the last decade, four major trends have converged to improve access to e-government for large numbers of the world's people. The first concerns the increasing adoption of e-government by countries in the developing world and offers evidence about the rapid growth in e-government readiness in many developing countries, particularly in Africa and Asia. The second trend involves the shift from stationary to mobile e-government, or m-government, as smart phone usage has grown rapidly. The third trend involves the diffusion from well-educated classes to poorer, less educated ones, including groups that have long been excluded, including women, the elderly, and people with disabilities. Fourth, e-government has shifted from being overwhelmingly urban in nature to one straddling the urban-rural divide; many e-government applications are explicitly designed to help rural communities. India is the world's leader in this regard. Farmers in particular have benefited. These trends have greatly expanded access to e-government among populations that have long been excluded from the process.