Usability Issues in Applying Participatory Mapping for Neighborhood Infrastructure Planning

Abstract

Public participation is required in neighborhood infrastructure planning and problem-solving. Although Participatory GIS methods are considered important to help urban community groups identify problems and express their needs and concerns, usable means to help groups produce their maps remain difficult to be realised. Further, an effective means to facilitate the integration of government spatial plans and participatory maps also remains unclear. This article addresses usability issues in participatory mapping activities by exploring group collaboration mechanics and accomplishing use assessments. The study aims at testing the usefulness and the impact of participatory mapping for community development. User studies including questionnaire surveys, interviews, group usability testing, scenario assessments, and the scaling-up activity were executed. Transparent photomaps, Mobile GIS, and a Web map were implemented and assessed in the study area. A use scenario for community and official spatial data integration was also developed. The results of user studies show that the use of transparent photomaps is more effective to complete group tasks to discuss, draw, and annotate their infrastructure problems. For group participants, the transparent maps are more engaging, easy to learn, and more error tolerant than the use of Mobile GIS. A combination use of simple and advanced PGIS methods is necessary to be implemented to reach informed priority-decision making.

Understanding the factors that make public participation effective in health policy and planning: a realist synthesis

“…However, EvansCowley and Hollander (2010) argue that technology-based public participation works best as part of a broader public participation process. This suggests that public participation should happen at different levels and with different methods; for example, the use of a combination of techniques that may provide balance between breadth and depth, leading to a more rounded understanding of public situations or increased understanding (Mullen 2008;del Rio and Levi 2009;Mitton et al 2009;Aditya 2010;Evans-Cowley and Hollander 2010;Mandarano et al 2010;Fredericks and Foth 2013). However, Oliver et al (2009) point out that the development of such methods of involvement should be a shared task with lay people, to allow them to be more proactive rather than being merely required to comply with methods developed by professionals alone.…”

Motivations, Results and the Role of Technology in Participatory Design Research during 2000’s – a Review in the Field of Architecture and Urban Planning

“…The results outline scientific knowledge, for example, about urban policies [6], [11], [16], [21], the usability of participatory methods [7], general design process development [12], [18] and urban or regional development [19], [22], [24]. According [18], compensation for participation as well as facilitating active participation is a vital issue.…”

“…The observational studies included comparison of colonial and post-colonial urban development [16] and [6], whereas experimental studies included determining the quality of housing in refugee camps [17], public participation in strategic environmental assessment [18] and participatory mapping for neighbourhood infrastructure mapping [7].…”

“…The participatory GIS method was used to support identifying the problems, expressing their needs and concerns in addition to integrating different types of plans. However, when comparing paper-based photomaps in Mobile GIS and participatory web maps, the former ones were seen as more effective for facilitating group interaction and sharing ideas, whereas the latter ones were an efficient and effective way to gather mass information; given this, they still might be a little bit difficult to use to learn and share ideas in practice [7].…”

“…Finnish Land Use and Building Act 132/1999 [3]. Recently the focus of participatory design research has been on architecture in designing library spaces [4] or school environment [5] and on urban planning in structural development in different types of districts [6], [7].…”