Third public computer center launches, this time in West Philadelphia [VIDEO]

The following is a report done in partnership with Temple University’s Philadelphia Neighborhoods Program, the capstone class for the Temple Journalism Department.

Recent data backs up estimates that more than half of Philadelphia households do not have access to broadband Internet.

According to a survey completed by the Knight Center and with U.S. census data, experts have determined that 41 percent of Philadelphia households do not have Internet and/or computer access.  Most of these households are in North, West and some parts of South Philadelphia and include mostly low-income African-American and Hispanic families, according to the data.

Hamidou Trare helping a student at the new PEC lab.

The City of Philadelphia is working to close the digital divide and for good reason.  In April of this year, the city’s unemployment rate hovered at 9.3 percent, nearly a half a point higher than the national average of 8.7 percent.  As Philadelphia’s economy continues transitioning from manufacturing to information technology, closing the divide could be key to attracting new jobs to Philadelphia.

“It’s a workforce issue,” said Andrew Buss, director of public programs for the City of Philadelphia’s Division of Technology.  “If we don’t have a trained, skilled workforce it will be difficult to attract employers to Philadelphia.”

Buss, along with Lindsey Keck, the program manager for the Public Computer Center Project, helped the City coordinate with a dozen partner community organizations to launch computer centers all over Philadelphia. These centers will offer public access to computers, the Internet and computer skills training.

“We recognize that in order for any Philadelphian or any American to compete in the 21st century they must have literacy skills and this includes verbal, written and computer literacy skills to survive,” said Mayor Michael Nutter during the press conference at the ‘wire-cutting’ launch ceremony of the People’s Emergency Center, located on Warren Street near Spring Garden Street in West Philadelphia.

“Computer literacy is no longer an option,” Nutter said.  “It is a true necessity.”

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Mayor Nutter on government transparency, city CTO and business retention

Copyright City of Philadelphia. Photograph by Mitchell Leff.

Since we launched a year-and-a-half ago, we’ve not only watched, but followed as closely as we could City of Philadelphia technology policy.

Even in our short tenure covering all that is involved — like municipal information technology, government transparency, citywide broadband network infrastructure, economic policy and much, much more — we’ve been witness to a city intent on finding new ways of utilizing technology and finding better ways of connecting with citizens.

Throughout, we’ve heard repeatedly from leaders that Mayor Michael Nutter understands the value of technology in city government and he is intent on involving Philadelphia’s technology community.

Though we write about these initiatives weekly, nothing was more of a reminder of the Mayor’s commitment to technology than when Nutter announced a $120 million capital investment in the Division of Technology during the pageantry of his budget address to City Council in March.

And with his support, DOT has been steered in a new direction, a Chief Technology Officer appointed to the mayoral cabinet, pilot programs created to attract technology businesses and broadband stimulus dollars and gigabit broadband chased.

So, we had to get the man on the phone to talk tech. Yesterday, we spoke with Mayor Nutter about government transparency, Philadelphia’s tax structure, and about his call to action to Philadelphia’s technology community. Our Q&A with Philadelphia’s Mayor after the jump.

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