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Good Participation Workshop
Tell Us About Your Project That Utilized GIS or Location-Based Services to Engage Citizens
Win a Free Registration to Where Conference 2012
EngagingCities is raffling off one complimentary registration to the Where Conference 2012. All of our readers are eligible to enter the raffle drawing. All we ask is that you share a story of how you or somebody else successfully used geo-location technology to engage citizens and stakeholders.
What we want:
Have you been involved with a project that utilized GIS or location-based services to engage citizens? We want to hear details about which app was used, and how the public was engaged using maps and technology. The more creative, the better.
Please share links to projects, research, news, a blog post - anything that documents your story.
What you get:
By adding your story as a comment to this post, you qualify for entry into this raffle valued at over $1900. Deadline is February 29. Raffle will take place and winner announced on February 29th. All you have to do is post a brief comment with an introduction to the project and links to more details and you will automatically be entered into the drawing.
About the Where Conference 2012 >>
About the Author
Founder and CEO at Urban Interactive Studio
Chris Haller heads up Urban Interactive Studio (UIS), a technology consulting firm specializing in web and mobile solutions for urban planning agencies and firms. He's the founder of EngagingCities.com where he helps urban planners understand and use the Internet and gives practical advice.
Comments
On Wednesday this week, we held a drawing to see which of our participants won the free registration to Where2012 and the winner is...Tamara Manik-Perlman, project manager and leader of the spatial analysis team at Azavea, a certified B Corp specializing in web and mobile geographic software development. She spends her days thinking about how to make it as exciting as possible for citizens to explore data. Congratulations Tamara! We can't wait to learn about your experience at the conference, and even more about Public Mapping Project, Fix Philly Districts, and University of Pennsylvania Project for Civic Engagement.
Thanks again to all participants and to all our supporters who helped us spread the word about this fun quest for ideas. There will definitely be more to come from us on GIS and Location technology and services so stay tuned and continue to share your insights - they are always welcome!
I am an Egyptian GIS Software Programmer, the Programmer of Elshayal Smart GIS Map Editor and Surface Analysis - First Arabian GIS Software
our GIS software is
1. First Arabian GIS Software - Registered in 2005
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5. Built by Individuals and Not Supported by any Organization
Our free Smart GIS Softwre Example Functions
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1 - Convert GIS Shape to AutoCAD DXF File and Vise versa
2 - Building Tin Surface Analysis
3 - Building Contour Surface Analysis
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6 - Convert Vector and Raster Layer Coordinates System between UTM and Geographic Lon-Lat
7 - Save layout images with written Lon and Lat coordinates to help exporting them to Autocad
8 - Download and save Google Earth Images as rectified images with world file format .jgw
9 - Makes Google Earth as a Background of your GIS Geographic Lon-Lat Map
10- Convert and use all Transverse Mercator Projections & Transformations
Download Links
--------------
The Free Smart GIS Software Ver. 4.74 Free Download
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B2qR4wxKKE_VZDZkZjZkNjUtMzFkYy00NjI5LTk...
OR
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The Free Smart GIS Software Course
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B2qR4wxKKE_VMjEyOWNkNzYtODIwMC00NzUwLWI...
OR
http://issuu.com/GisElshayalSmartGis/docs/elshayalsmartgiscourse
The Free Smart GIS Software Tutorials Videos
http://www.youtube.com/user/ShayalSmartgis
Smart GIS Map Editor Facebook Photos Gallery
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Smart GIS Map Editor approved by Download.cnet.com
http://download.cnet.com/Elshayal-Smart-GIS-Map-Editor/3000-18496_4-1092...
Smart GIS Map Editor approved by Softpedia.com
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The Free Smart GIS Software yahoo Group
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ElshayalSmartGIS/
The best of GIS Users tools 2006
http://www.gisuser.com/content/view/10502/55/
GIS Ideas Conference Organized by Japan-Vietnam Geoinformatics Consortium (JVGC) Institute for Environment and Resources (IER-HCMC)
http://wgrass.media.osaka-cu.ac.jp/gisideas06/viewabstract.php?id=180
United Nations Spatial Data Infrastructure (Netherlands Coordination Office) website Recommending our Free GIS Software
http://www.unsdi.nl/
Menu -> Links -> Tools -> Elshayal Smart GIS Map Editor and Surface Analysis
The Free Smart GIS Software Paper
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B2qR4wxKKE_VNWFhZDYzN2MtNDYyYi00MjdhLTk...
The Free Smart GIS Software Google Blog
http://freesmartgis.blogspot.com/
We, a group of urban sociologists and architects, were engaged in a project in a suburban area with single detached, private owned housing structure (Location: Graz/Austria). Our mandate was to initiate a stakeholder dialogue about sustainable future development of the area. At the beginning we thought that the owners of the houses are the most crucial stakeholder-group on the question of future usage of the houses. The major result of our substantial stakeholder analysis was, that the decision makers of the future development are often the heirs of the houses – in most cases the children of the owners. As they were often living in other areas, cities or countries it was not possible to integrate them into the process with classical approaches of participation.
So we decided to develop a geobased internet platform to make it possible that this stakeholder group could join the dialogue. Based on google maps we developed an (easy to handle) interface for geo-referenced discussion about places and locations embedded in a forum structure, where announcements could be done, minutes of meetings posted and discussions could be deepened. With this application it was possible to initiate a location based discussion without the need, that the stakeholders are on the side.
www.dichtedialog.geobeteiligung.at
After this pilot project we decided to develop the platform further. To get some immediate field experience on the interaction between communities and the application, we decided to donate this platform as resource to the neighbourhood where our offices are located. We redesigned the platform for this purpose and meanwhile it is actively used to organize neighbourhood activities. The name of the neighbourhood is “Lend”. So we called the platform iLend.
www.ilend.at
When I fist joined CSC in 2006, the team I was hired by had just started entering the LBS realm. We were developing a web application to deliver location intelligence and needed an outlet to both test and advertise our capabilities. Luckily for us, at the time CSC was the proud owner of our own professional cycling team, i.e. our own set of guinea pigs! We did just that at the 2007 Tour of California, the 2007 Tour de France (where yours personally was sent on assignment to ensure a smooth operation!), which brings us to my story, the 2008 Tour of California.
My manager, Dan, took the gig in California while leaving me back at the office in Pennsylvania. At the time we were using pager sized personal trackers, usually tucked into the jersey pockets of our riders. However, during time trials we had the benefit of police motorcycles to stick the trackers on because they were following each individual riders. During the last time trial, we only had a few trackers left (they weren't very durable) and were running dangerously short compared to the number of cyclists on the track simultaneously. Dan was on the course handing out trackers to police motorcycles as riders started and trying to collect trackers as they finished. The handoffs were being made with hardly a few minutes to spare.
I, on the back end, was reprovisioning trackers in the system to new riders as they were being handed back in so our web map showed the correct cyclist for the course. Then then it happened. We ran out of trackers and the next rider was gettig ready to start. Dan knew that someone hadn't turned their tracker back in but had lost track (no pun intended) of who. He began interrogating the police, hehe, but none would own up to having a tracker. After Dan relayed his disdain to me that tracker XYZ had been lost, I took a look at the map online. We were, afterall, running a tracking application. Low and behold, the tracker was still reporting and was sitting right next to where Dan had been standing. I told Dan the his missing tracker was within feet of his current position, he should take a another look. He turned around and there just happened to be a police officer standing right there. Dan says to the guy, "Excuse me officer, I know I may have already asked you, but do you happened to have one of these trackers on you, perhaps in your pocket? Can you do me a favor and check again?" The policeman digs in his pocket, pulls out a tracker and says..."Oops!" ---- Ahhh, the power of location ;-)
Here is a link from CSC showing the fruit of our labor: http://www.csc.com/public_sector/offerings/11054/20217-omnilocation
I've participated in quite a number of community projects that use GIS as a tool for natural resource management and preservation of cultures. The idea basically entailed engaging community members using a "softer" version of GIS called Participatory GIS which leverages on simple tools like sketch maps, 3D-models made by the communities depicting their land and the resources in it.
Community members are divided into groups following a criteria of gender, age and sex- the idea being that all these people perceive their environment differently and in a unique way.
Aerial photographs and georeferenced Google earth imagery are used to orient them while GPS are utilized in gathering point data like shrines, caves, hunting grounds etc.
Once this data is captured, its transposed into a GIS platform where softwares like ArcGIS, Mapwindow etc are used to analyse the data and generate different thematic maps.
Indigenous communities like the Ogiek in Mau forest (Kenya) have used these outputs-like the maps, models and atlas- to lobby for their rights with the government; Young children have also been privileged to learn about their traditions and cultures which have been captured graphically and in textual format. This has enabled them reconnect with their cultures amid the influence posed by modernity and therefore they have been able to protect their natural resources and also adapt to climate change after inventorying their resources. This links give a summary of some of that application>
http://shalinry.org/hankkeet/giseem/?lang=en
http://www.iapad.org/applications/ich/mauforest.htm
The project I am working on is the historical reconstruction in Google Earth of Lieutenant James Cook's first voyage of discovery and exloration in H.M.Bark Endeavour.
Using a 3D model of a ship, available in the Google 3D Warehouse, some audio-editing software, and Cook's journal, I have built KML files that illustrate the voyage. When these are loaded in Google Earth the track of the ship is displayed and the significant capes, bays, and islands are highlighted.
As an example, I would point to: http://www.hazelhurst.net/Cook/Australia.kml which shows the arrival of Endeavour off the coast of Australia and follows the ship, day by day, as Cook surveys the coastline. I have incorporated into the animation recordings of Cook's journal so, in effect, the country and his interactions with the people he met are revealed in his own words. The other Google Earth tours I have built are accessible at: http://captainjamescook.wordpress.com where I am also posting a daily blog of Cook's journal. In another blog at: http://netkingcol.wordpress.com I give a running commentary on the progress of the project which I hope adds further insight.
In terms of engaging citizens, I have found the project to be well-received and not only by GIS geeks. The following two communications illustrate this:
The PlanYourPlace (PYP) project at the University of Calgary is building a comprehensive webGIS-supported collaborative planning and engagement tool. The tool not only allows users to view plans and compare and rank them, but also to contribute by sketching on maps and plans to suggest changes or point out issues. User can also discuss, both through traditional thread-based discussion and via location-specific comments on maps.
The tool aims to engage citizens in planning, and foster dialogue between municipal decision makers, community residents, and domain experts to support participatory, inclusive planning. It will also provide much needed spatial tools to support understanding and analysis of plans, citizen involvement in the analysis, and collaborative decision making. Ultimately the tool is designed to employ GIS in support of widespread engagement in planning both online and in in-person community engagement.
The functionality to explore regions in Calgary, discuss, and even comment on specific locations on the map has already been created and implemented; PYP has created an online GIS that allows site visitors to explorethe demographics and history of communities in Calgary. We have also developed another map that allows users to place their comments about their neighbourhood directly on the map, thus adding an explicit spatial dimension and index to community discussions. A traditional discussion forum has also been established.
Future phases of the project will involve adding sketching functions and plan evaluation tools. The tool will also be tested “live” in community engagement process around the city. Though the project is ongoing, engagement has already started, and the response from citizens has been very encouraging!
The tool is being built using an open source structure of modern web-based solutions. This means that anyone can use our work as a platform for their own. We also feel it supports our participatory methods as open source supports both principles of inclusiveness and empowerment to change one’s own environment.
The project, sponsored by GEOIDE and TECTERRA has been featured in the Calgary Herald (http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/city/story.html?id=a389d787-3f...), PhysOrg.com (http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-06-high-tech-remedy-urban-headaches.html), and the University’s magazine, UToday (http://www.ucalgary.ca/news/utoday/june7-2011/urban_planning).
Links to our project:
The entry to GIS-based community exploration (just start clicking to see it in action): http://planyourplace.ca/explorecalgary.html
The project’s main page: http://www.planyourplace.ca/index.php
The blog: http://planyourplace.ca/pypblog/
Hello, I'm a geographer student in the DC area. I've been working with a national group of students that focuses on using GIS to improve communities within various applications of earth science. For example, one group in my program has used ArcGIS to examine air quality and urban heat in Los Angeles with Census Tract Regional data and EPA ground measurement stations to see what sections of the city were the most vulnerable to extreme heat and particle exposure. The results of the study were passed on to relevant agencies to help with informing the public.
Here is a link to the project: http://www.earthzine.org/2011/08/10/identifying-communities-of-vulnerabi...
The Town of Banff has implemented a unique combination of Microsoft Great Plains, ESRI's ArcMap, Google Fusion tables and Google Maps API.
In a nutshell, we have asked citizens if they wish to participate in a program we've called Pet Connect. This program allows anyone that finds a missing pet, wearing a current pet licence tag, to access the Town of Banff's web site where they can enter a lost pet's ID tag, and see on a map the approximate location of the pet's home, along with the pet's description, name, and most importantly, the owner's contact phone number.
The free program has been able to achieve >30% participation of registered pet owners within it's first 2 months of official launch! As well, we've already had some great feedback from citizens with one appreciative owner saying how happy she was to get a call about her missing dog - expecially when she didn't even know the dog was missing from her back yard!
The program helps citizens reunite with their pets faster, introduces citizens to one another, and saves the Bylaw department time and money by reducing the number of lost and found pet calls that they need to respond to.
You can see the app here at the bottom of the page - http://www.banff.ca/town-hall/bylaw-services/lost-pets.htm
First, I want to say that this post is a great idea, and it's exciting to hear about all the projects that people are working on!
I'm a geographer at Azavea, a software development company focusing on web- and mobile-based geography applications. In fact, I just found out that one of our company's projects, OpenTreeMap, has been profiled on this very site!
http://engagingcities.com/article/working-together-inventory-philadelphi...
Being a political junkie in addition to a geo-nerd, I also wanted to share our work on DistrictBuilder, an open source redistricting application that we built in collaboration with the Public Mapping Project. DistrictBuilder enables members of the public to create their own redistricting plans. The application automatically calculates contiguity, compactness and population statistics so that users know how their plan stacks up against legal requirements. More details are at:
http://www.districtbuilder.org/
http://www.publicmapping.org/resources/software
You can read one take on it over on O'Reilly Radar:
http://radar.oreilly.com/2012/02/data-public-good.html
The platform has been used in contests around the country within cities, counties and states. All told, DistrictBuilder has been used by thousands of citizens who have been inspired to think in depth about the requirements of redistricting and have submitted hundreds of plans.
I was particularly excited about Fix Philly Districts, a contest that was held here in Philadelphia and that I believe helped facilitate dialog between the public, city council (responsible for redistricting) and the media. Azavea was joined by WHYY (our local public media station), the Philadelphia Daily News and the University of Pennsylvania Project for Civic Engagement. To launch the application there was a forum held at WHYY, and I had the chance to participate in lively debates with my fellow citizens and to see their enthusiasm about having tools that they could use to create plans to counter the ones being generated by politicians whose interests might be different than their own. While none of the citizen-generated plans were adopted, the contest changed the dialog, causing City Council to hold more public hearings and we ended up with districts that were a significant improvement over the current ones. The contest is over, but the web site is still up at http://www.fixphillydistricts.com.
The other thing that is really exciting about both OpenTreeMap and DistrictBuilder is that they are both open source projects, meaning that anyone with sufficient technical expertise can use the code to create a version of the application for their own area.
I'm working with Metro Blooms to organize their green infrastructure projects while expressing them through GIS. Using ArcGIS online, I took the Powderhorn Neighborhood of Raingardens map and posted it on the Metro Blooms website. This map and the designs expressed will be a great asset to our website as we encourage residents to install raingardens by attending our public raingarden workshops. This map is also important because Metro Blooms is undergoing a stormwater quality experiment with the nearby Powderhorn Lake. The Neighborhood of Raingardens is being compared to another control area nearby that has no raingardens. As the experiment unfolds, the ready-to-access map will be a valuable reference point to organizations as well as the public.
The map can be found by scrolling to the "Powderhorn" segment of our projects page:
http://www.metroblooms.org/neighborhood-of-gardens.php
or directly to ArcGIS online: (may need to zoom in)
http://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=11e8ca3ca17448fa988...
At Sasaki, we are constantly looking for ways to broaden publiic outreach and innovate the process of gathering feedback. To this end, and utilizing the skills of some very technologically-savvy planners, we created an online, customizable GIS tool to gather feedback from constituents across various communities - academic, public and corporate.
Though used in a variety of ways, the most recent application was part of the Central Iowa Regional Sustainability Plan - called The Tomorrow Plan (thetomorrowplan.com). Here, the application enables visitors to the website to map their own individual paths across the region. After they have completed their own map, the application enables two 'rewards'. First, the user can see everyone else's networks - allowing them to understand their answers in the context of other users. Secondly, it allows users to apply filters to assess demographic trends in the data.
We are excited to share this ... Check it out: http://projects.sasaki.com/iowa/
GIS and comprehensive planning with save a rural county in Georgia $3.3 billion in public infrastructure over the next 40 years.
During the housing boom of the 2000s, Newton County, a rural/suburban county outside Atlanta, embarked on a comprehensive planning process. Without professional planners or expertise, a group of concerned residents formed The Center for Community Preservation and Planning, a local non-profit, as a neutral space to plan for the county's future. The Center invited the local elected and appointed officials to discuss the changes taking place around them.
With the help of student GIS interns and volunteers, this group ("the Leadership Collaborative") designed, adopted, and is implementing an aggressive growth management strategy. Communities identified the places they wanted to preserve and develop, and a combination of students and emeritus professors turned public feedback into a general plan for the county. This 2050 Plan designates five compact communities that will hold 88% of the future population, while the rest will be preserved for agriculture and conservation.
Jeffrey Dorfman, a land economist with the University of Georgia, studied the public savings generated by adherence to this 2050 Plan instead of allowing growth to continue spread evenly across the county. By restricting public infrastructure to these compact communities, the cities, county, schools, utilities, and other public agencies will save $3.3 billion. This strategy will also allow the compact communities to grow around attractive neighborhood schools, walkable streets, and mixed use development. These cost savings include 27% lower sewer capital costs, 43% lower bus transportation costs, and 39% less congestion on county roads, not to mention a 33% reduction in carbon emissions and 62% more tree cover.
For more information on the Center, the Leadership Collaborative, and Newton County, please refer to this article by MIT's Community Innovator's Lab.
Hi folks, about 2 years ago we(planners,municipality, citizens)did some strategic planning in Mantta-Villpula, Finland. It was a kind of a mix with community planners, regular planning consultants and of course bunch of active citizen from the region. For one of the youth workshops we(workshop framework was created by local students) incorporated a gis tool(created by Esri-Finland). The basic options were to draw a point, line or area and you could give any of these somekind of atributes (Colors,styles,text,pictures,video and othermedia(links)). This tool was used to map different ideas of local kids. The resulting maps were used for further discussion with other groups who where involved in the planning process, but used other charrette like events. Here is the site to the youth group:http://www.facebook.com/groups/118799398133676/
I`ve been studying this topic for a while and even wrote a master thesis about it. There are many digital collaborative tools(web 2.0 stuff) i`m not going to count them all here but abstractly you can divide them in this classic participation ladder from Arnstein(http://lithgow-schmidt.dk/sherry-arnstein/resources/ladder-of-citizen-pa...).
To make a small conclusion every successful participatory app or gis tool i`ve come across have different goals and a kind of specially tailored process to them(just like social networks they are a kind of representation of real human relationships). and most important they are so easy to use that it would be impolite to mention the "Digital divide".
Here`s some local Baltic project http://socmap.com/ It`s more social than callobarative, but in future they are attempting to incorporate it in some urban planning projects.
Atis