Accueil / Newsletters / Newsletter n°7 English version - december
Manchester: “In the working-class areas, only a quarter of the population have access to the web.”
 |
MDDA has existed now for four years. Could you say that Manchester is now a green and connected city?
No, not yet, but this is what we are aiming towards. No city in England could today be considered as one that is green and connected, even if many are going in that direction. At MDDA we believe that we will never achieve a green city if it is not first a connected one.
What are the major focal points of your action programme?
Our priority is to wipe out digital exclusion by putting in place super-fast broadband at a very low price. This is our major objective for the next five years. Manchester is essentially a town that includes large areas of poverty. Here, salaries are lower than anywhere else in Britain. It’s the fourth poorest city in the country. This high-speed broadband coverage would allow the sustainable development of energy usage, buildings, transport etc. We are also working on new access to ICT through the television, for example. But most of our work has, until now, been concentrated on access to information and education to teach better habits that are more in keeping with the objectives of sustainable development. The behaviour of the individual is the key. Through digital information systems we are educating people about sustainable development. One of our main objects is to encourage residents to use the web. Creating themed virtual communities, opening networks that consist of local residents, radio stations, the residents of Manchester are not passive participants in the implementation of this policy: they generate audio and video web material. It is coming up to ten years when we started implementing programmes of this genre.
 |
In December we are holding a referendum on the theme of sustainable mobility. The creation of a ‘congestion charge’, such as the one in London, will be fought out at this occasion, but as it stands, half of the population is opposed to it and the automobile lobby is very strong here. It remains to be seen.
Were people able to easily make use of these digital services?
The problem of digital divide still remains. In the well-off areas, 80% of the population have access to the Internet, whereas we are still at the 25% mark in the working-class areas.
How do you conceive the city of the future?
There is an outstanding sci-fi book by an English author whose vision is very close to the direction we are taking at the moment. This author is Charles Stross and his book is entitled ACCELERANDO. He shows the fusion between man and the machine, the human being and new technology. It’s an excellent book that shows that we are not so far from the reality of the human machine.
What ICT uses should be conceived of in priority in order to benefit sustainable development?
Everything concerning the economy of energy and use of new energy sources, tele-centres and the development of distance working are as essential as is the development of tele-health services that allow people to access care from their homes.
Is your work supported by the regional council?
We were formed by the city council’s economic policy, a sector with which we involved ourselves when the agency was established. We are part of its administration. The politicians understood that this topic was essential to ensure a sustainable and economic development of the city. That’s why, in 2004, the agency was created. It is a dedicated team and a tool used to generally create policies favouring the knowledge and creative industry but also research and teaching.
What opinion do you have of digital development in France?
For me, France is an innovative country that could be said to be at the origin of dematerialised information systems, such as Minitel that was a true groundbreaker. There are certain territories in France with which we have for a long time now made exchanges because they have an interesting approach. Lyons, for example, is home for the World Agency for Digital Solidarity.
For more information on the green and connected city:
ITW Charles Secrett
ITW Magali Vergnet