Public Participation GIS Research Articles

Triggers for feelings of insecurity and perceptions of safety in relation to public transport; the experiences of young and active travellers

ABSTRACT A key aspect of an attractive and accessible public transport system is that passengers feel safe and secure, not least from a travel chain perspective. The aim of this paper is to provide an increased understanding of triggers for feelings of insecurity and perceptions of safety in relation to public transport, with a special focus on larger public transport nodes in the city of Malmö, Sweden. The study draws on a map-based online survey (public participatory GIS) which was designed to allow people to contribute their experiences and reflections. An online survey was distributed through social media, and the collected data is of both a quantitative and a qualitative nature. The sample consists of 290 students and workers between the ages of 21–35 who frequently use public transport. The findings show that one in ten respondents have often to very often avoided public transport because of feelings of insecurity. Thematic analysis revealed a variety of triggers, covering aspects from the physical dimension to the social dimension. Some examples include the design of bus stops, the surrounding traffic environment, and other people. The presence of guards and the police force seems to increase the feelings of insecurity for some, while the opposite was true for other respondents. The findings emphasize the importance of further research to illuminate different parts of a journey at a micro level, i.e. from the person-environment relationship, as well as to further highlight the issue of who transit environments are planned and designed for.

Advancing Urban Healthcare Equity Analysis: Integrating Public Participation GIS with Fuzzy Best–Worst Decision-Making

This study provides an innovative collaborative spatial decision support system (SDSS) that aims to ensure an equitable spatial distribution of healthcare services. Evaluating the equality of access to health services across different geographical areas is important, as it requires the analysis of various criteria such as the proximity of health centres and hospitals (HCHs), the quality of services offered, connectivity to primary roads, the availability of public transportation hubs, and the density and distribution patterns of HCHs. This purpose is accomplished via the use of geographic information systems (GIS) and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) methods. The proposed model includes the weights of the criteria, which are determined through the ordered weighted average (OWA) and evaluated based on their ORness, which ranges from 0 to 1. Furthermore, this model is improved by the best–worst fuzzy method (F-BWM). This approach produces a spatial map that clearly shows the equity of healthcare systems in urban environments. The findings show that the maximum score observed in this study was 0.38% (with an ORness value of 1), whilst the minimum score recorded was 0.28%. In the most severe scenario (ORness = 0), over 70% of the region shows different degrees of fairness, ranging from moderate to suitable and very suitable conditions. Governments and health authorities can use this information strategically to allocate resources and address inequities in access to healthcare facilities.

Understanding residents’ perspectives on cultural ecosystem service supply, demand and subjective well-being in rapidly urbanizing landscapes: a case study of peri-urban Shanghai

ContextCultural ecosystem services (CESs) play a critical role in maintaining and improving human well-being in rapidly urbanizing landscapes. Few empirical studies, however, have comprehensively identified and revealed the interactions between urbanization, CES supply, CES demand, and subjective well-being (SWB).ObjectivesThe study aimed to understand human–ecosystem interactions from a bottom-up perspective through an analysis of residents’ perceived supply and demand of CESs and SWB at different urbanization levels.MethodsQuestionnaire surveys including public participation GIS were adopted to obtain residents’ perceived provision of CESs, importance of CESs and SWB in a peri-urban area of Shanghai. Multiple statistical and spatial analyses were performed to uncover their relationships.ResultsResidents identified cultural heritage and education as the highest supply of CES, whereas aesthetic and recreation were of the highest demand. Urbanization had a significant negative correlation with the supply of recreation, aesthetic, education and social interaction but had a significant positive correlation with the supply of cultural heritage. The demands of recreation and social interaction were significantly lower in areas with moderate urbanization level. In these areas, CESs were dominated by high supply–low demand and low-degree matches, whereas residents’ SWB was lower.ConclusionsThe variations of the CES–SWB relationship in our study indicate the development trajectory of social–ecological systems in the context of urbanization. Thus, policies adapted to local conditions are needed to foster landscape sustainability in rapidly urbanizing areas.

Diagnosis of the Walbrzych post-mining area: pilot study using social participation

The article presents a pilot study using Public Participation Geographic Information Systems (PPGIS) to comprehensively diagnose the post-mining area of Wałbrzych (Poland) in the aftermath of sudden coal mine closures in the 1990s. Addressing research gaps in social participation and post-mining area assessment, the study provides insights into the complexities of just transition. By combining participatory methodologies, statistical and spatial analysis, the research engages local stakeholders to include the community perspectives in the assessment processes. The study unveils the intricate interplay between social dynamics, environmental concerns, and urban changes following mine closures. The findings illustrate the multifaceted impacts of sudden mine closure, including economic collapse and social crisis. The pilot study contributes to the future holistic approach to diagnosing the post-mining area preceding the processes of just transition and revitalization.

Limits to participation in road infrastructure planning: Which choices do citizens make when their valued landscapes are under pressure?

There is only a finite amount of land, which is why the decision to allow a particular land use often results in a trade-off with other potential land uses. Traditionally, trade-offs have been assumed by planning professionals (i.e. ‘experts by profession’), while citizens, who experience the landscape on a daily basis (i.e. ‘experts by experience’), are only involved to a limited extent. Several researchers suggested that assessment and mapping of these trade-offs should be done at landscape level. The aim of this paper is to examine citizens’ trade-offs between different valued landscapes when under pressure due to road infrastructure development. Using the ‘Place Value Identifier’ (PVI), an online Public Participatory GIS (PPGIS) approach applied in the Netherlands (n = 1044), we analyse: (1) the general sustainability, infrastructure and land-use related values of citizens, (2) their valued landscapes, and (3) their trade-off choices between the different valued landscapes when these are under pressure of spatial developments. Our results show that respondents had difficulty making a distinct choice for a valuable place to be saved or sacrificed; only 23,8% had a strong preference for one place to save. However, the collective result of the individual choices seems to hold important information for planning. As a way forward, we developed information-rich maps (PVI-maps) visualising how landscapes are valued by the citizens around three Dutch road infrastructure projects. The PVI-maps include details on the degree of resistance to sacrificing different places, thus contribute to context-sensitive planning.

Mapping development preferences on the perceived value of ecosystem services and land use conflict and compatibility in Greater Kuala Lumpur

Rapid and unplanned development can diminish the social values for ecosystem services associated with urban landscapes. Tropical Global South cities, such as Greater Kuala Lumpur (GKL), Malaysia, that are highly biodiverse, are particularly vulnerable to the fragmentation and loss of natural ecosystems. This study investigates the social values for ecosystem services in GKL, a rapidly urbanising metropolitan area in Southeast Asia and presents the novel application of the SolVES (Social Values for Ecosystem Services) tool to an urban area. A public participatory GIS (PPGIS) survey was conducted to assess residents’ development preferences and perceived distribution of social values. The study revealed two groups of respondents, using cluster analysis, each with unique development preferences - a group favouring both green and grey developments and another favouring green development but strongly opposing grey development. The two groups differed statistically in their sociodemographic characteristics, and also how they mapped different social values. Our spatial analysis of their preferences towards future urban expansion in GKL highlighted locations where there is potential for land-use conflict. For example, the favour-balanced-development group tended to value built areas over green spaces. These findings support the need to consider residents’ preferences and socioecological traits through greater public engagement in urban landscape management.

Cities for citizens! Public value spheres for understanding conflicts in urban planning

Identifying the diverse and often competing values of citizens, and resolving the consequent public value conflicts, are of significant importance for inclusive and integrated urban development. Scholars have highlighted that relational, value-laden urban space gives rise to many diverse conflicts that vary both spatially and temporally. Although notions of public value conflicts have been conceived in theory, there are few empirical studies that identify such values and their conflicts in urban space. Building on public value theory and using a case-study mixed-methods approach, this paper proposes a new approach to empirically investigate public value conflicts in urban space. Using unstructured participatory data of 4528 citizen contributions from a Public Participation Geographic Information Systems in Hamburg, Germany, natural language processing and spatial clustering techniques are used to identify areas of potential value conflicts. Four expert interviews assess and interpret these quantitative findings. By integrating quantitative assessments with the qualitative findings of the interviews, we identify 19 general public values and nine archetypical conflicts. On the basis of these results, this paper proposes a new conceptual model of ‘Public Value Spheres’ that extends the understanding of public value conflicts and helps to further account for the value-laden nature of urban space.

Predicting context-sensitive urban green space quality to support urban green infrastructure planning

Urban green spaces (UGSs) support human health and well-being in diverse ways. In addition to their availability and accessibility, also the quality of UGSs is relevant for understanding human-environment interactions between urban populations and their local UGS. However, data on UGS quality are rarely available with the geographic coverage required for spatial decision making and urban green infrastructure (UGI) planning and management.This study uses data from a large-scale public participation GIS (PPGIS) survey to predict perceived UGS quality across the city of Espoo, Finland. The respondents (n 3,132) mapped over 8,500 frequently visited sites situated in UGSs. Generalized linear mixed models were used to study associations between the perceived place quality of the respondent-mapped sites and diverse objectively measured UGS characteristics. The presence of blue elements, high forest biodiversity, level of UGS maintenance, and low daytime noise exposure contributed to positive perceptions of UGS quality, while daytime noise exposure and decreasing UGS size were associated with negative perceptions.The model was extrapolated spatially to predict perceived UGS quality across the entire city, revealing local differences in the accessibility of high-quality UGS. The results exemplify how both UGS quantity and quality are relevant for understanding the mechanisms leading to UGS visitation and the health and well-being benefits gained from UGS use and exposure. Moreover, the study demonstrates how UGS characteristics valued by the local population may be identified to support local UGI planning and management.

A reliability study of the Park Life public participatory geographic information system survey

AbstractPlanning policy for parks is typically guided by a standard approach that fails to account for how communities actually use parks. Moreover, few researchers know the exact parks people use, even though “use” is often hypothesised in the relationships being tested. Public participatory geographic information systems (PPGISs) present an opportunity to collect specific, spatially referenced information on park use and park‐based activities. However, the reliability of these instruments has not been studied. The Park Life PPGIS captured residential location, park location, and park‐based behavioural data from a sample of adults and was tested for reliability. Kappa scores and intra‐class correlations assessed the reliability of the items. Recall of individual items all showed acceptable reliability and mostly achieved “substantial” agreement or “near‐perfect” agreement. The Park Life PPGIS is a reliable instrument to capture park use and activities. Such information is essential for public health and physical activity researchers, urban planners, and park managers to develop informed planning and public health policies and programs that promote park use.

Social Value of Urban Green Space Based on Visitors’ Perceptions: The Case of the Summer Palace, Beijing, China

Urban green spaces play a key role in constructing an ecological civilization in China. In this context, the realization and assessment of the social value of urban green spaces have received increasing attention. Taking the visitors of the Summer Palace in Beijing as the research object, this study used the public participation geographic information system (PPGIS) to collect research data, assess the social value of ecosystem services in the Summer Palace, and determine its spatial distribution. By examining the social value of urban green spaces, this study explored the relationship between the spatial distribution of ecosystem social value and environmental landscape features. The influence of different environmental values on the spatial distribution of the visitors’ perceived social value was also investigated to provide a decision-making basis for the planning and management of urban ecological spaces and the supply and protection of urban ecological products. This study found that cultural, historical, and aesthetic values were preferred by an increasing number of visitors. The hotspots of social value in the Summer Palace of Beijing have three cores and multiple centers. By analyzing the relationship between the three value types with higher preference and the environmental landscape features of the Summer Palace, this study found that the distribution of social values is closely related to the architectural complexes and waters. Anthropocentrists have smaller sample sizes and generally lower social value indices within the sample group, and ecocentrists have higher perceptions of overall social values.

Characterising and mapping potential and experienced tranquillity: From a state of mind to a cultural ecosystem service

AbstractTranquil places that induce a sense of calm and peacefulness are important for those seeking respite from their stressful everyday lives. Although tranquillity is a word commonly used in everyday English, we show that its definition is complex, most often encompassing sight and hearing, with strong cultural and historical influences. To shed light on the concept of tranquillity and related research in geography and other disciplines, we (i) trace how tranquillity has been conceptualised and characterised (ii) outline how the potential for tranquillity has been modelled in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and (iii) highlight methods capable of extracting individual experiences of tranquillity from interviews, public participation GIS and text analysis. We conclude by charting a research agenda for tranquillity that makes a case for theory development across disciplines including human geography, GIS, and environmental psychology, with interdisciplinary methodologies that should be implemented and developed to better reflect the importance of the combination of physical environment and lived human experience in shaping experienced tranquillity. Based on its importance for people's well‐being, we argue for the recognition of tranquillity as a cultural ecosystem service in its own right. Finally, we call for a more holistic inclusion of tranquillity in policy‐making and planning, where a focus on tranquillity and associated positive landscape and soundscape elements could help extend the focus beyond simply protection from noise, towards creating liveable and healthy environments for the future.

A national scale web mapping platform for mainstreaming ecosystem services in Greece

This study outlines the conceptualisation and development of a public participation geographic information system (ppGIS) and web GIS (webGIS) platform for hosting, visualizing, and updating ecosystem services (ES) related data at national scale through participatory mapping. The ppGIS/webGIS is developed within the framework of the LIFE-IP 4 Natura, a project has received the most substantial nature-focused funding scheme for Greece approved by the European Commission. One of the project's central goals is the mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services (MAES) in Greece. This initiative contributes to the implementation of Action 5 of Target 2 of the European Union (EU) Biodiversity Strategy to 2020, following the standard EU MAES guidelines. The LIFE-IP 4 Natura online mapping infrastructure hosts and visualizes spatially explicit maps and information produced earlier in the project at a national level. It also provides a mechanism for updating this baseline information via public participation, thereby fostering increased public awareness of the necessity for ecosystem protection, conservation, and management. Following a multi-stakeholder user requirement analysis, the herein presented ppGIS/webGIS platform is designed and developed. The platform incorporates various geospatial data explorers (GDE), ppGIS services for local and national public participation, geotools and data, visual content representation, and an introductory-level knowledge repository for ES (ES-pedia). An, overview of the platform's preliminary usage is presented, and its potential in promoting the uptake and mainstreaming of the ES concept is discussed.

A social-ecological-technological system approach to just nature-based solutions: A case of digital participatory mapping of meaningful places in a marginalized neighborhood in Copenhagen, Denmark

Systems-based frameworks offer a promising opportunity to integrate smart and green city approaches to create positive contributions to urban sustainability. In particular, digital public participatory GIS (PPGIS) presents a tool for combining technological approaches to urban planning with an agenda for more just nature-based solutions (NBS) by elucidating community voices and subjective perspectives. In this study, we investigate the potential for PPGIS to support more just and inclusive planning and implementation of NBS in a marginalized housing area (Hørgården) in Copenhagen, Denmark. Combining digital PPGIS with qualitative approaches, we identify residents’ meaningful places, narratives about community priorities and needs, and relational values expressed therein. We identify three key findings: (1) an absence of demographic difference in meaningful places identified in Hørgården; (2) a core-periphery structure in the presence of relational value and distribution of sites identified as unsafe or in need of care that is the inverse of that found in Danish policy discourse, and (3) the essential role of qualitative, community-engaged, and reflexive approaches to PPGIS in deriving these results. Based on these findings we conclude that smart technologies like digital PPGIS, framed within systems-based approaches and utilized in locally sensitive and responsive ways, can contribute to more just NBS for sustainable cities by connecting local neighborhood experience to municipal planning and policy agendas.

One approach does not fit all settings: Exploring the effects of natural and built environments on running pleasantness across places

Running is one of the most frequently practiced exercises worldwide. Perceived pleasantness of running contributes to exercise motivation and thereby can promote running behaviours. However, the associations between environmental factors and running experience have been largely overlooked. This study adopts a public participation GIS approach to collect the mapped point features (N = 941) and assess running pleasantness from 222 runners who resided in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Finland. The results of a global regression model indicated that nature exposure (including eye-level greenness, top-down greenness, and blue space availability) and housing price were positively related to running pleasantness. Intersection density, traffic noise, and population density were negatively associated with running pleasantness. The spatial heterogeneity of these associations across the study area was revealed by adopting a local regression (MGWR) approach. Positive environmental attributes (e.g. blue space availability) increase running pleasantness more effectively when such attributes are more abundant, while negative attributes (e.g. traffic noise) strongly affect running pleasantness in settings where such environmental features are relatively rare. Given that the spatially-varying and scale-varying relationships between running pleasantness and environmental variables were observed across the study area, our findings provide evidence-based knowledge for planners and related policymakers, which suggests that utilizing a single approach without targeting specific settings is unwise to promote running exercise. Activity-based locations tend to have various environmental characteristics, the exposure of which needs to be adjusted uniquely and separately. Therefore, location-targeted interventions would be more effective in promoting running exercise and other physical activities than blanket approaches.

Crowdsourcing social values data: Flickr and public participation GIS provide different perspectives of ecosystem services in a remote coastal region

Spatial planning and environmental management are expected to adopt participatory processes. However, the needed spatial data on social values of ecosystem services are limited, especially for marine spatial planning for large, remote coastal areas, and the collection of such information can be time and resource intensive. Crowdsourcing techniques are cost efficient sources of social values data, but must meet the information needs of planners and managers with sufficient confidence. We evaluated the reliability of crowdsourced social values data by assessing the agreement between geotagged photos posted to the social media platform Flickr and data from an online public participation GIS (PPGIS) survey conducted to support marine spatial planning in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.Flickr could not represent all of the social values mapped in the PPGIS dataset, was notably dominated by scenic values, and under-represented the importance of recreational fishing and Aboriginal cultural values. The Flickr dataset was more affected by accessibility from settlements and transportation infrastructure (roads, boat ramps) and more restricted spatially. Maximum entropy (maxent) distribution models developed to explore the socioecological drivers determining where social values occur also highlighted that Flickr and PPGIS samples provide different perspectives on social values, even after accounting for differences in sampling intensity. The Flickr dataset suggested that the social values occurred under narrower ranges of socioecological conditions, and the PPGIS dataset was more likely to find protected areas to be valued, likely because participants believe protected areas to support those social values, but may not themselves pursue them there.Flickr and PPGIS crowdsourced datasets provide different perspectives on the spatial distribution of social values for several reasons: They differ in their spatial and demographic biases, as well as their measurement of revealed vs. stated preferences. Flickr is most effective at representing social values that are easily photographed and interpretable in photos, and may not capture some information needs of managers. PPGIS is under greater investigator control but, because stated preferences can be disconnected from actual use of the sites mapped, may be best suited for assessing management preferences and social acceptability. With understanding of the nuances of these datasets, crowdsourced social values data can be applied most appropriately to support successful planning outcomes.

Integrating public perceptions of proximity and quality in the modelling of urban green space access

Access to urban green space (UGS) is associated with a number of physical and social benefits. Recognizing the importance of UGS access for people’s wellbeing, several methods have been proposed to model UGS accessibility and highlight areas underserviced by UGS. However, existing methodologies have several limitations. Models often make use of universal, normative maximum travel distances, which may not reflect the distances people actually travel to reach UGS they regularly visit. Additionally, many of these analyses do not consider UGS quality, which will largely influence use and experience of these spaces and may act as a pull factor affecting the distance people are willing to travel to visit a UGS. Those methods that do integrate quality often rely on proxies, such as size or number of amenities, and fail to consider perceived quality. To address these limitations, we propose a methodology that integrates user perception and the actual distance people are prepared to travel into a quality-accessibility (QA) analysis applied at the building block scale. Information on travel distance and quality are gathered from a public participation GIS survey conducted in the Brussels Capital Region. The results of the analysis highlight inequalities in access to specific, essential UGS experiences throughout the region. Insights provided by this analysis can help planners prioritize interventions to improve access to experiences provided by UGS in parts of the city where interventions are most needed.

A methodological framework for analyzing PPGIS data collected in 3D

ABSTRACT Public participation geographic information system (PPGIS) is a facilitated Volunteered Geographic Information approach and data collection method that aims to capture the spatial experiences of individuals. Although we experience the space around us three-dimensionally, altitude, as the third dimension, has been often absent from PPGIS research and practice. This is largely because of the complexity of implementing surveys in 3D but can also be attributed to a lack of analytical preparedness for using such data. This study complements 3D PPGIS data collected from a pilot study of the Aninkainen block in Turku, Finland with synthetic, i.e. artificially manufactured, data to propose an analytical framework for the study of 3D PPGIS data. The analytical framework divides methods based on the geographical scale into two groups: micro- and macro-scale analysis. In this framework, we propose the use of geospatial metrics to analyze 3D PPGIS data. We argue that while this multidisciplinary area of research is in its infancy, use of intuitive 3D adapted geometric and landscape metrics can help overcome some of complexities associated with use of this emerging participatory data. We conclude by outlining the limitations and envisioning areas for future research.

Prioritizing participatory planning solutions: Developing place-based priority categories based on public participation GIS data

Prioritization of knowledge produced in participatory planning has been approached mainly from the perspective of whose perspectives are most in need of consideration. We ask, whether it is also possible to consider which locations, based on the knowledge from participants, should be prioritized. We developed a place-based approach to inform spatial decision making especially when the prioritization of limited resources is necessary. In the place-based prioritization model frequency of use and perceived quality of everyday places were used to identify various priority categories. We argued that especially places that are perceived negatively but used often in daily life pose a risk to wellbeing and the quality of life and should thus be prioritized in development. Such places belonged to the Development priority category, but also three other categories, Development potential, Management potential and Management priority were identified. The prioritization model was tested empirically by using place-based knowledge about inhabitants everyday and quality networks collected in the Finnish city of Espoo. According to the results, the Development priority category was represented only in about 5% of places, most often in land associated with road and rail networks as well as in continuous urban fabric. As hypothesized, high share of the Development priority places in everyday networks reduced individual’s quality of life. We also found that a rather high share of these places was located within existing planning areas of the city.

Mapping public support for urban green infrastructure policies across the biodiversity-climate-society -nexus

Urban green infrastructure can help cities tackle biodiversity loss and support well-being, but also contribute to climate change mitigation. This can be enhanced with green infrastructure policies that favor biodiversity, residential well-being, or climate benefits such as carbon sequestration. However, assessing public support for policies favoring specific green infrastructure outcomes, or potential trade-offs between them, is vital to understanding the social implications that such policies may have upon implementation. This paper presents the results of a public participation GIS (PPGIS) survey (n = 3 237) in Helsinki, Finland, concerning public support for policies favoring diverse climate, biodiversity, and well-being outcomes in green infrastructure. The results of the survey, derived with spatial and aspatial analyses, indicate that urban residents strongly support green infrastructure policies that favor climate benefits such as carbon sequestration, and are more willing to compromise the well-being benefits, rather than the biodiversity, of green infrastructure in favor of climate benefits. The results also reveal how support for policies favoring different green infrastructure outcomes varies spatially across the city, manifesting into priority areas of support for climate, biodiversity, and well-being outcomes. Finally, different ways of valuing and utilizing green infrastructure, and the socio-economic background of the respondents, predict support for policies favoring different green infrastructure outcomes. Our methods and results help take global political targets of mitigating climate change and reversing biodiversity loss into practice in cities in a manner that acknowledges the plurality of understandings on how green infrastructure should be managed, for whom, and most importantly, where.

Improving Participation for Sustainable Transport: Testing CoAXs Amidst Controversy Around a BRT Project in Santiago, Chile

We examine to what extent Public Participation GIS (PPGIS) contributes to a successful participatory process and how context affects the tool’s role in both process and results. We tested a tool to visualize accessibility effects of transport projects, using it in participatory workshops related to a major bus corridor proposal in Santiago de Chile. We innovated in the tool itself, to visualize overcrowding effects as a way to include comfort issues. We found that the GIS encouraged a sincere and realistic conversation among participants. Perceptions of the project did not necessarily improve, but the tool did reduce polarization of opinions.