The Geospatial Web

Abstract

This chapter introduces a spatial view to e-participation in urban governance which is based on the technological core of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and their more recent transformation into service architectures. The chapter begins with the premise that the technological realms are available today in professional software packages and in open source software environments. It focuses on the utilization of GIS and various methodologies in participatory planning projects. The technical descriptions are limited to a degree that the reader can understand the applications envisaged. The chapter describes developments in the GIS domain which are summarized under the term ‘Public Participation GIS’ (PPGIS) since the 1990s. In 2005 however, the launch of Google Earth changed the situation significantly: such mapping platforms—including Microsoft Bing and others—brought mapping functionality to the computers of hundreds of millions of internet users and soon after, the term “volunteered geographic information” was created. It refers to the two-way communication possibilities using geospatial tools and to the participation of citizens in planning initiatives. The chapter highlights a few of such applications in urban planning and administration and discusses the situation in developing and emerging countries, while posing the question of whether or not such options may lead to an empowerment of citizens.