Interface for a sketch-planning workbench

Interactive Knowledge Co-Production and Integration for Healthy Urban Development

“…Additionally, the MapTable appeared to be a useful medium to bring the people together, encourage them to "show what they meant". This corroborates with findings from Hopkins et al [81] who found increased interaction among groups working with horizontal compared to vertical displays. In the sense of a transdisciplinary approach, in which the participants are the active agents and co-creators of knowledge, the ISUSS approach appeared to support such process of co-creation by providing a "dialogue space" where evidence-based discussion is encouraged.…”

Socio-technical PSS development to improve functionality and usability—Sketch planning using a Maptable

“…In studies that followed at later dates, three major lines of research can be distinguished: (1) the integration of sketching with GIS, among others, through shape-recognition in GIS environments (Sun et al, 2003;Zhengxing et al, 2005); (2) the development of innovative hardware interfaces that connect GIS and sketching to a group setting (Hopkins et al, 2004); and (3) the effective application of the PSS that combine these functions (Geertman, 2002;Harris, 2001;Sieber, 2006).…”

“…Furthermore, the fact that many PSS often build on the single-user desktop-computer paradigm when aiming at supporting groupwork also hampers usability. Advanced hardware solutions dedicated to support group work have been unavailable or unaffordable until recently (Hopkins et al, 2004;Maceachren, 2000;Maceachren et al, 2005). The result is that in many PSS for sketch planning, sketching has unfortunately remained, if integrated with GIS at all, more a process of digitizing polygons than as freehand drawing.…”

“…The result is that in many PSS for sketch planning, sketching has unfortunately remained, if integrated with GIS at all, more a process of digitizing polygons than as freehand drawing. The GUI is usually suitable for trained single users instead of groups of laymen (Geertman, 2002;Hopkins et al, 2004). This is very unsatisfactory for landscape architects and process facilitators who have to work with these tools.…”

“…A special category of PSS is dedicated to support-sketch planning in collaborative settings. Such PSS typically combine the appropriate sketching and geographical information system (GIS)-mapping tools to explore the area, in addition to developing alternatives with a hardware interface that supports groupwork (Al-Kodmany, 2002;Geertman, 2002;Harris, 2001;Hopkins, 1999;Hopkins et al, 2004;Shiffer, 1992). Examples of such PSS for sketch planning are Al-Kodmany (2002), who describes a GIS based system using a whiteboard and a beamer used to involve multiple participants in a sketch-planning process, and Geertman (2002), who describes SketchGIS a Planning Support System based on a GIS which supports participants in group processes to create intuitive designs.…”