IMPLEMENTING GIS FOR PLANNING - LESSONS FROM THE HISTORY OF TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION

Geographic information systems have finally arrived in state and local governments and, with them, an extraordinary opportunity for planning . Many groups with differing agendas are competing to define this new technology, what it will do, and who will use it. It is by no means ce rtain that planners will do well in this competition. This article min es the literature on technological innovation and concludes that plann ers must understand GIS as a socially constructed technology, includin g not just hardware and software but also the practices, laws, organiz ational arrangements, and knowledge that are necessary for its use. Th e article recommends a strategic approach to GIS implementation that i nvolves both human and technical systems.