| Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have been traditionally used as single-user tools employed to solve static, well-structured problems. An increasing saturation of computers in society creates new opportunities to extend the use of GIS to support participatory democracy in the process of solving spatial problems. Public participation often suffers because of a low level of understanding, an inability to visualize the problem and an unwillingness to get involved in the process. Integration of GIS and multicriteria decision-making tools may help to achieve better outcomes during town meetings, increase awareness and perception, and potentially increase collaboration. With the advent of the Internet society, this approach can be extended to create virtual meetings where citizens have an opportunity to explore and understand problems, interact with decision-makers, and contribute to the decision process.; The dissertation examines the effectiveness of a prototype system, called the Spatial Understanding and Decision Support System (SUDSS), to support public participation in the experimental framework of land use planning. The experiment results show that the societal GIS is unlikely to become a part of mainstream decision support systems since many citizens do not have the necessary interest and determination, and most lack the knowledge and expertise required to participate in decision making processes. However, a public participation GIS may become an important tool to educate the public about a problem, the criteria used, and the potential alternatives considered in the decision process. A public GIS may help to engage the public in local-level planning by providing a means of interaction among citizens and stakeholders on a public forum and by giving the public an opportunity to voice concerns and influence decision processes. The ability to explore, learn, and understand, may be the most valuable aspect of public GIS and may help users cope with the irrational opposition of communities to change, which so frequently hinders public planning. |
