COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY CENTERS: Narrowing the Digital Divide in Low-Income, Urban Communities LISA J. SERVON Rutgers University MARLA K. NELSON Rutgers University ABSTRACT: As access to information technology (IT) and the ability to use it increasingly become part of the toolkit necessary to participate and prosper in an information-based society, many fear that the IT revolution is bypassing low-income, urban communities. In the absence of comprehensive public or private efforts to close the technology gap, com- munity technology centers (CTCs) have emerged at the grassroots level. The purpose of this article is to describe the work CTCs are doing to address the economic and social impacts of the shift to an information society. In addition, we develop a typology of CTCs by orga- nizational type and programmatic goal that is helpful in conceptualizing CTCs. This ex- ploratory work is an important first step that must occur before answering tougher questions concerning their effectiveness, outcomes, and capacity. As access to information technology (IT) and the ability to use it increasingly become part of the toolkit necessary to participate and prosper in an information-based society, many fear that the IT revolution is bypassing low-income, urban communities. Recent studies substanti- ate these fears. Falling through the Net: Toward Digital Inclusion, the fourth in a series of reports published by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA, 2000), reports that the divide between those with access to telephones, computers, and the Internet still exists and in many cases, is actually widening over time. Although overall access to information and communication technologies is increasing at a rapid rate, particular kinds of households are gaining access while others are not. Low-income persons and minorities, particularly when they reside in inner cities, are among the groups that are being left behind. *Direct correspondence to: Lisa J. Servon, Department of Urban Planning and Policy Development, 33 Livingston Avenue, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1987. E-mail: lisa@policylink.org JOURNAL OF URBAN AFFAIRS, Volume 23, Number 3-4, pages 279–290. Copyright © 2001 Urban Affairs Association All rights of reproduction in any form reserved. ISSN: 0735-2166.