Towards GIS-enabled Virtual Public Meeting Space for Public Participation

Abstract

The by-laws of many municipalities and local governments require certain level of public participation in their planning, decision-making processes. One of the common practices in Canada or elsewhere around the world is to hold public meetings, during which the proposed developments are explained and discussed, and public opinions are collected. The problems associated with existing practices are threefold: insufficient access to the information required for public input, lack of effective means of participation other than attending public meetings, and difficulties in explaining spatial concepts during the debate. Using the municipal environmental assessment (EA) process as the application context, this paper presents our effort on developing an integrated online GIS-enabled virtual public meeting space. The system provides a new way of engaging the public and addressing their concerns by facilitating information access, understanding of planning study, and proactive participation in public meetings and in overall municipal class EA process.