城市的形态，结构及其演变正逐渐被一种新的动力所推动，这种动态就是信息革命。然而，今日电信技术的惊人增长到底将如何影响城市与区域的发展？生机勃勃的“虚拟世界”（ｃｙｂｅｒ　ｗｏｒｌｄ）又将如何与根植于物质空间的世界（ｐｌａｃｅ－ｂａｓｅｄ　ｗｏｒｌｄ）相联系？电子商务、网上购物、虚拟社区、远程工作、电子社区和政府以及英特网基础设施建设将对我们的城市规划设计、开发和管理产生什么样的影响？　　显然，信息革命对城市发展的推动作用有其自身的基本规律。在今日欧美，伴随信息革命发生的城市特性的衍变实际上已经超过了电信技术的发展。虽然城市的发展前景仍不很明朗，但有一点却已经可以确定，那就是：未来能够在规划上取得成功的城市，必定是那些能够认识、理解并紧紧跟上信息技术变化潮流的城市。　　──栏目主持人：方可、章岩 The city’s shape, structure and evolution are gradually being driven by a new impetus that is the information revolution. However, how will the dramatic growth in telecoms technology affect the development of cities and regions today? How is the vibrant “cyberworld” associated with a place-based world rooted in material space? How will e-commerce, online shopping, virtual communities, telecommuting, e-community and government, and Internet infrastructure contribute to our urban planning and design, development and management? Obviously, the information revolution has the promotion of urban development with its own basic rules. In today’s Europe and the United States, the evolution of urban features with the information revolution has actually surpassed that of telecommunications. Although the city’s development prospects are still not clear, one thing is certain: the cities that will succeed in planning in the future must be cities that recognize, understand and closely follow the changing trends in information technology. ─ ─ Column Host: Fang Ke, Zhang Yan