Modeling ICT Perceptions and Views of Urban Front Liners

This paper offers both a conceptual and an operational model that aims to map out the causes and implications of ICT perceptions and views of urban policy makers and/or administrative officials (denoted as urban front liners). This is followed by the presentation of an opera- tional path model, viz. a linear structural equations model (Lisrel). The model serves to describe and test the rela- tionships between perceptions of the city, policy makers' beliefs about ICT and the associated urban ICT policy. According to the model, respondents that perceive their city as having many urban functions (e.g., commercial centre, service centre, higher education centre) have more awareness to various ICT tools and are likely to consider a multiplicity of ICT measures as relevant to their city. Re- spondents that consider their city as having severe bottle- necks (e.g., traffic congestion, housing shortage) are less likely to think of ICT measures and ICT -related goals as relevant to their city, nor that the municipality impacts significantly on ICT in the city. Furthermore, respondents that perceive their city as suffering from many socio- economic problems (unemployment, ageing population, industrial decline and so on), are likely to consider many ICT tools as relevant to their city, although they have a low awareness of the specific tools to be deployed. Finally, respondents who believe that ICT will affect significantly (and positively) the city and its administration, tend to at- tach a high municipal influence on ICT, and consider many ICT initiatives as relevant to their city.