Evaluating a web-based PPGIS for the rehabilitation of urban riparian corridors

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

  • Xavier Garcia
  • Sarah Gottwald
  • Marta Benages-Albert
  • David Pavón
  • Anna Ribas
  • Pere Vall-Casas
The need for public participation is gaining increasing attention in environmental management in general, and specifically in the rehabilitation of degraded river corridors. Web-based Public Participation GIS (PPGIS) methods are one way of addressing this demand and complementing traditional participation formats, since they are more flexible in time and space and offer the advantage of anonymity for the ‘silent majority’. However, the use of digital technologies creates new challenges for planners and citizens. Hence, it is very relevant to investigate the usability and applicability of real life PPGIS tools during participation processes. The aim of this study is to evaluate the usability and applicability of a web-based PPGIS tool. A mix of quantitative (survey) and qualitative (focus group) methods was employed. The results of the survey show a medium-high usability of the tool, but reveal a digital divide based on age, gender and education level, potentially excluding citizens based on socio-demographic characteristics. Simultaneously, the tool provided an opportunity to participate for citizens who had little prior experience in this respect. In the focus group, participants generally embraced the tool's qualities, such as its multi-scale spatial approach and the opportunities it affords citizens with regard to education and empowerment. In addition, participants identified points for improvement, such as simplifying way-finding, integrating two-way communication functions and using smartphone technology.
Original languageEnglish
Article number102341
JournalApplied Geography
Volume125
Number of pages11
ISSN0143-6228
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.12.2020
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd

Recently viewed

Researchers

  1. Werner Härdtle

Publications

  1. Development of a cycling anger scale
  2. Warm, lively, rough?
  3. Emerging order in movement
  4. Influence of the Microstructure and Silver Content on Degradation, Cytocompatibility, and Antibacterial Properties of Magnesium-Silver Alloys in Vitro
  5. Ice clamping system in manufacturing systems as a cyber-physical system towards Industry 4.0
  6. Beyond carbon, more than forest? REDD plus governmentality in Indonesia
  7. Digital health literacy and information-seeking on the internet in relation to COVID-19 among university students in Greece
  8. Affect, Attachment, and Passion
  9. Pythagoreismus
  10. How to Explain Major Policy Change Towards Sustainability? Bringing Together the Multiple Streams Framework and the Multilevel Perspective on Socio-Technical Transitions to Explore the German “Energiewende”
  11. A Framework for Ecopreneurship
  12. Can we represent future generations in myopic democracies?
  13. Introduction to Music and the Politics of Memory
  14. More effective natural resource management through participatory governance?
  15. HEPS Inventory Tool
  16. Spaghetti Code
  17. Profilierte Ökumene
  18. The declarative value of paraphs and the scope of military opposition. Annotations to Johannes Hurter: On the way to military opposition.
  19. Klimasimulation
  20. Thinking about individual actor-level perspectives in sociotechnical transitions
  21. Explaining Age and Gender Differences in Employment Rates
  22. Mentoring in schulischen Praxisphasen
  23. “It shouldn’t look aggressive”
  24. Mehrsprachigkeit in der Grundschule
  25. Comment on "nomenclature, Chemical Abstracts Service Numbers, Isomer Enumeration, Ring Strain, and Stereochemistry
  26. Marshall McLuhan
  27. Von Differenz zu Vielfalt zu Super-Diversity
  28. Mechanical and corrosion properties of as-cast and extruded MG10GD alloy for biomedical application