Dr. Anthony Townsend’s research focus is on the impact of new technology on cities and public institutions, and the role of technology in economic development. Recent forecasts he has developed at the Institute for the Future address several inter-related topics: the impact of urban data on the poor, national innovation strategy for a major emerging economy, technology and restructuring of large public organizations, and the role of science and technology parks in economic development. He was recently named one of Planetizen’s Leading Thinkers in Urban Planning & Technology and Top 100 Thinkers tracking the Internet of things by Postscapes.
Anthony is actively involved in policymaking and economic development organizations around the world. He testified at a United States Senate hearing on “Research Parks and Job Creation” on December 9, 2009, and serves on the advisory board of the International Association of Science Parks (www.iasp.ws). He has served on mayoral municipal broadband advisory boards in both New York City and San Francisco, and advises technology and economic development agencies in several global cities..
Before joining IFTF, Anthony enjoyed a brief but productive academic career at New York University, where he directed research sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Homeland Security. In 2004 he was a Fulbright Exchange Scholar at the Seoul Development Institute in South Korea, studying the social impacts of broadband on the Seoul metropolitan region. He was one of the original founders of NYCwireless, a pioneer in the municipal wireless movement that promotes the use of public-access Wi-Fi in the development of local communities.
Anthony holds a Ph.D. in urban and regional planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a master’s in urban planning from New York University, and a B.A. in urban studies with a minor in physics from Rutgers University.
Phone: +1-650-233-9522 Email: atownsend at iftf dot org
Twitter: @anthonyiftf
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