Robert A. Bell

Robert Bell is co-founder of the Intelligent Community Forum, a think tank that studies the economic and social development of the 21st Century community. Whether in industrialized or developing nations, communities are challenged to create prosperity, stability and cultural meaning in a world where jobs, investment and knowledge increasingly depend on advances in communications. For the 21st Century community, connectivity is a double-edge sword: threatening established ways of life on the one hand, and offering powerful new tools to build prosperous, inclusive and sustainable economies on the other. ICF seeks to share the best practices of the world's Intelligent Communities in adapting to the demands of the Broadband Economy, in order to help communities everywhere find sustainable renewal and growth.

Robert directs the multi-stage analysis of communities for the annual Intelligent Community Awards program. He also developed and leads the Intelligent Community Community Accelerator programs.

His fellow ICF co-founders and co-authors include John Jung, who originated the Intelligent Community concept. He is a registered professional urban planner, urban designer and economic developer who leads regular international business missions to US, European, Asian, Indian and Australian cities. Co-Founder Louis Zacharilla is the developer and leader of the Intelligent Community of the Year Awards program and oversees development of new Institutes of the Intelligent Community Forum around the world.