Design of a GIS-enabled Online Discussion Forum for Participatory Planning

1. GGE Graduate Seminar 2005 Design of a GIS-enabled Online Discussion Forum for Participatory Planning Teresa Tang

2. Nature of Planning Problems • Not well-defined • Infinite number of possible solutions • Solutions to one problem may cause other problems • Involves diverse views, values, and objectives

3. How to Solve Planning Problems? • Through public participation • Integrate people from all walks of life in the process to: • Define issues, problems, and agenda • Generate and assess options • Recommend solutions

4. Underlying Criteria Spatial context of the discussion should be understood by every participant. Criteria for Successful Participation • Make sure participants can: • Access relevant data, information, & tool • Clearly express and exchange their views among each other • Understand what is being decided and the rationales for decisions Planning discussions concern spatial problems that involve geographic objects, geographic extent, & spatial relationships (collectively known as spatial context)

5. Research Question • Can GIS enhance communication during spatially-related discussions in participatory planning?

6. PPGIS (Public Participation GIS) • Diverse definitions • Common element: focuses on the use of GIS by general public with the aim to involve them in spatial decision-making processes.

7. Conventional GIS vs. PPGIS

8. I think the land parcels adjacent to the existing conservation zone should be included as “conservation area”. Orange County Interactive Mapping, Florida http://www.cityoforlando.net/public_works/esd/gis/interactive_mapping.htm Current PPGIS – Tools that Aid Communication Map Hackney, U.K. http://www.map.hackney.gov.uk/HackneyMap.asp Email + annotations + map attachment  Spatial context communication  Viewsexchange

9. Current PPGIS – Tools that Aid Communication Georeferenced comments  Viewsexchange (unstructured)  Spatial context communication Virtual Slaithwaite Project, U.K. (Evans, et. Al., 1999)

10. Current PPGIS – Tools that Aid Communication Online Discussion Forum +Georeferenced comments  Viewsexchange (structured)  Spatial context communication Argumentation Map, Germany Rinner (1999)

11. Evaluation Matrix

12. Proposed Prototype – GIS-Enabled Online Discussion Forum • Goal: To enhance communication by: • Integrating online discussion forum & web-based GIS • Storing & displaying textual discussion contributions along with spatial context (maps) • Facilitating exchange of views & mutual understanding

13. web-based GIS Communicates spatial context Integration Enhances effective communication Parking Problems Beaverbrook Street Issues and ideas related to this topic UNB Campus Parking Issues and ideas related to this topic Bus Routes Routes and Schedule Issues and ideas related to this topic • online discussion forum • Documents evolution of ideas and decisions • Supports transparent exchange of views Prototype Mock up (1) Transport

14. Parking Problems Beaverbrook Street Issues and ideas related to this topic UNB Campus Parking Issues and ideas related to this topic Routes and Schedule Issues and ideas related to this topic Bus Routes Routes and Schedule Issues and ideas related to this topic Prototype Mock up (cont’d) Transport Parking Problems Beaverbrook Street Issues and ideas related to this topic UNB Campus Parking Issues and ideas related to this topic

15. Street parking causes traffic jam on Beaverbrook St Prototype Mock up (cont’d) Transport Transport > Beaverbrook Street Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2004 4:47 pm Post subject: Street parking causes traffic jam J. Smith I think on-street parking along Beaverbrook Street near UNB main gate is causing traffic jam. I suggest no parking should be permitted during rush hours.

16. A big hole on the road slows down traffic Prototype Mock up (cont’d) Transport Street parking causes traffic jam on Beaverbrook St Transport > Beaverbrook Street Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2004 6:17 pm Post subject: Street parking causes traffic jam M. Taylor I agree. I see another problem. There’s a big hole near the grocery store which is slowing down the traffic! Quote J. Smith: “I think on-street parking along Beaverbrook Street near

17. Other Proposed Functions • Search discussion contributions • Mapping • turn on/off map layers, attribute query • Basic spatial query and analyses • buffer, overlay, measure • Sketches and annotations

18. Next Step • Implement the prototype • Evaluate the prototype

19. Summary • Limitations of current PPGIS: • cannot adequately address communication and discussion needs for participation • Proposed prototype addresses these needs by: • integrating a web-based GIS and online discussion forum to support effective spatial discussions.

20. Acknowledgement • Supervisors • Dr. David Coleman • Dr. Y. C. Lee • GIS Data • David Fraser, UNB, GGE • Felix McCarthy, City of Fredericton • Michael Baldwin, UNB, Campus Services & Planning

21. References • Rinner, C. (1999). Argumentation Maps - GIS-based Discussion Support for OnlinePlanning. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Bonn, Germany. Published as GMD Research Series No. 22/1999, Sankt Augustin, Germany. • Evans, A., R. Kingston, S. Carver, and I. Turton (1999). Web-based GIS used to enhance public democratic involvement. Paper presented at GeoComputation '99, Mary Washington College, Virginia, USA. • Map Hackney, U.K. http://www.map.hackney.gov.uk/HackneyMap.asp • Orange County Interactive Mapping, Florida http://www.cityoforlando.net/public_works/esd/gis/interactive_mapping.htm

22. Questions & Comments