Brandon Brooks (Queens University of Charlotte), Angela Siefer (National Digital Inclusion Alliance), and I have a new blog post up on the Benton Foundation’s Digital Beat Blog. In the post, titled “Digital Equity Planning in U.S. Cities,” we share preliminary findings from our study of digital equity plans in Austin, Portland (OR), and Seattle. Here’s an excerpt from the post:
Based on our preliminary examination of the digital equity plans created by the cities of Austin, Portland, and Seattle, and through our own interviews with local policymakers, we offer these recommendations to federal policymakers, local governments, and other key stakeholders interested in creating effective digital equity plans:
- Local governments should employ a central planning and coordination office with legitimate authority to facilitate digital equity planning.
- Local planners should ensure that traditionally-excluded groups are included in digital equity planning.
- Local decision-makers should use research from a variety of sources to inform digital equity planning.
We offer these preliminary findings and recommendations as key insights to assist local, state, and federal policymakers in creating effective digital equity plans.
Read the full post here.
