Using Geographic Information Systems to Increase Citizen Engagement

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Using Geographic Information Systems to Increase Citizen Engagement Using Geographic Information Systems to Increase Citizen Engagement Sukumar Ganapati Assistant Professor Public Administration Department School of International and Public Affairs College of Arts and Sciences Florida International University E-Government/Technology Series 2 0 1 0 E-GOVERNMENT/TECHNOLOGY SERIES Using Geographic Information Systems to Increase Citizen Engagement Sukumar Ganapati Assistant Professor Public Administration Department School of International and Public Affairs College of Arts and Sciences Florida International University TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword ..............................................................................................4 Executive Summary ..............................................................................6 Introduction: Evolution of Geographic Information Systems ...............9 First Wave: Desktop GIS ...................................................................9 Second Wave: Web GIS .................................................................10 Third Wave: Geospatial Web 2.0 Platform .....................................11 Citizen-Oriented Geospatial Web 2.0 e-Government Applications ...13 Citizen-Oriented Transit Information ..............................................13 Citizen Relationship Management ..................................................15 Citizen-Volunteered Geographic Information .................................18 Citizen Participation in Planning and Decision Making ................21 The Future of GIS-Enabled Citizen Participation in Decision Making: Challenges and Opportunities ..............................................25 Introduction ..................................................................................25 Challenges to Online Participation ................................................26 Four Aspects of Using GIS to Increase Public Participation ...........27 Looking Ahead: Future Trends ............................................................29 Appendix: State Geospatial Data Clearinghouses ..............................33 References .........................................................................................35 About the Author ...............................................................................42 Key Contact Information ....................................................................43 3 USING GEOGRAPHIC Information SYSTEMS to INCREASE CITIzEN Engagement FOREWORD On behalf of the IBM Center for The Business of Government, we are pleased to present this report, “Using Geographic Information Systems to Increase Citizen Engagement,” by Sukumar Ganapati. Professor Ganapati traces the evolution of the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in government, with a focus on the use of GIS by local gov- ernment. The first wave (desktop GIS) was largely geared to professional planners and was of limited use to citizens. The second wave (web GIS) saw the increased use by citizens of GIS on the Internet. The current third wave (Geospatial Web 2.0 platforms) has seen GIS become more interactive with Web 2.0 features and accessible through mobile phone and other handheld Jonathan D. Breul devices. The third wave has seen a dramatic increase in the use of GIS by citizens, such as obtaining transit and crime information. Professor Ganapati presents several case examples of how GIS is now being used by local governments across the nation. The potential use of Internet-ready mobile phones, coupled with enhanced GIS capabilities, is seen clearly by the research firm Gartner’s prediction that such devices will surpass the numbers of computers in the world by 2013. Of special interest to Professor Ganapati is the potential use of GIS in reaching out to citizens to increase their participation in planning and decisionmaking. He concludes that, while progress has been slow in this area, there is great potential for government and other groups to use GIS to increase citizen Curtis Clark participation. 4 IBM Center for The Business of Government USING GEOGRAPHIC Information SYSTEMS to INCREASE CITIzEN Engagement This report continues the IBM Center’s longtime interest in enhancing citi- zen participation in government decision-making. Recent reports exploring this important topic include “Leveraging Web 2.0 in Government” (by Ai-Mei Chang and P.K. Kannan) and “Public Deliberation: A Manager’s Guide to Citizen Engagement” (by Carolyn Lukensmeyer and Lars Hasselblad Torres). A 2002 study, “From E-Government to M-Government? Emerging Practices in the Use of Mobile Technology by State Governments” (by M. Jae Moon), envisioned the increased use of handheld devices and GIS. We hope that this report serves as a useful and informative introduction to the potential use of Geographic Information Systems as a tool to improve citizen participation in government at all levels. Jonathan D. Breul Curtis Clark Executive Director Global Director, Regional and Local Government IBM Center for The Business of Government IBM Public Sector [email protected] [email protected] www.businessofgovernment.org 5 USING GEOGRAPHIC Information SYSTEMS to INCREASE CITIzEN Engagement EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are techno- ronment, wherein spatial data can be overlaid logical tools to depict spatial information visually on existing map servers through application pro- and to conduct spatial analysis. GIS is commonly gramming interfaces. For example, Google defined as “a system of hardware, software, data, Earth, Google Maps, Microsoft’s Bing Maps, and people, organizations and institutional arrangements Yahoo Maps provide a base platform on which for collecting, storing, analyzing, and disseminating other spatial data can be added. information about areas of the earth” (Dueker and Kjerne, 1989, 7-8). There has been significant The focus of this report is on the prospects of the growth since the 1990s in the adoption of GIS by Geospatial Web 2.0 platform for citizen-oriented local governments across the United States and in public services. many other countries. In parallel with that growth has been the effort to apply GIS methods to citizen- The traditional desktop-based GIS was accessible oriented public services. Indeed, Public Participation only to technical experts and professionals, because GIS (PPGIS), which broadly refers to citizen partici- expertise was needed to use the highly technical pation in enhancing public services and decision software running on a desktop computer. With the making using GIS, is a major theme of GIS research. adaptation of GIS to the Internet through Web GIS This report examines the future of citizen-oriented and Geospatial Web 2.0 platforms, GIS became services in local e-government due to recent increasingly accessible to lay users. With the newer advances in GIS technology. generations of “smart” phones [equipped with both GIS and global positioning system (GPS) capabili- GIS technology has rapidly evolved since the 1990s ties], social networking sites such as Facebook, and in three broad technological waves: the traditional microblogging sites such as Twitter, the Geospatial desktop GIS, the Web GIS, and the Geospatial Web Web 2.0 platform has the power to harness public 2.0 platform. GIS software across all three waves is participation in real time. For example, citizens can both proprietary and open source: use Geospatial Web 2.0 platforms to report the loca- • First wave: The traditional desktop GIS encom- tions of potholes, water leaks, accidents, and other passed stand-alone GIS applications running on events that should be addressed by municipal agen- personal computers. These GIS applications cies. The recent advances in GIS technology hold offered powerful methods for producing maps great potential for citizen-oriented services. on the fly and for conducting spatial analyses. Four substantive areas of citizen-oriented services • Second wave: With the advent of Web GIS (also for GIS applications are reviewed in this report: referred to as Online GIS or Internet GIS) in the • Citizen-oriented transit information. In terms 1990s, GIS became integrated with the Internet. of transit information, the Geospatial Web 2.0 Web GIS maps broadened GIS accessibility to platforms can take advantage of the Internet to anyone with a computer and Internet connection. provide real-time reports on traffic conditions, • Third wave: The Geospatial Web 2.0 platform is directions, and transit options based on the the adaptation of Web GIS to the Web 2.0 envi- user’s origin and destination. 6 IBM Center for The Business of Government USING GEOGRAPHIC Information SYSTEMS to INCREASE CITIzEN Engagement • Citizen relationship management (CiRM). With their citizen-oriented public services and to seek the integration of nonemergency citizen service greater participation. As this report describes, entre- requests through centralized call centers (e.g., preneurial local governments have begun to take 311), CiRM has become crucial to the routing of advantage of these opportunities. In principle, GIS such requests to the appropriate department and should particularly benefit those public services that the tracking of their fulfillment. Integrating CiRM have a spatial dimension. The transit agencies, plan- with the Geospatial Web 2.0 platform allows ning departments, 311 call centers, and real estate the geographic tracking of citizen demands. agencies have been among the early adopters of GIS. A number of additional agencies—including public • Citizen-volunteered geographic
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