Empowering Public Engagement in Spatial Planning: A Collaborative Mapping Approach

Abstract

This paper explores collaborative mapping as an approach to enhance public engagement in spatial planning. It provides insights into the current state of the art in collaborative mapping for practitioners and policymakers aiming to utilize its potential for better spatial planning. Through a systematic analysis of relevant literature, it investigates the evolution, application, and challenges of collaborative mapping. A comprehensive search of relevant sources on Google Scholar reveals the growing interest in collaborative mapping, particularly since 2018, with a focus on topics like land use and accessibility. The review underscores the importance of democratizing spatial data collection and highlights the role of user-generated content in participatory approaches. Public participation in collaborative mapping is examined, emphasizing the inclusion of diverse stakeholders and the need for tailored approaches to accommodate varied motivations for engagement. Advantages such as cost reduction and data provision are balanced against challenges like data quality, semantic issues and accessibility barriers. Key dimensions of collaborative mapping, including cost reduction, data accuracy, semantic issues and stakeholder importance, are addressed in more detail.