PUBLIC DECISIONS AND CITIZEN SATISFACTION: THE POTENTIAL ROLE OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS

The concept of “public participation” is currently of great interest to researchers and policymakers. The major challenge that this concept presents is the development of methods to verify the results of the effects of inclusive participation practices on decision-making processes1. There is also a lack of evaluation methods regarding the participation of the public through Public Participation Geographic Information Systems (PPGISs). To fill this gap, the ongoing research has two objectives: first, to develop an analytical framework through which PPGIS initiatives can be evaluated; second, to apply the above-mentioned framework to a multi-case study to analyze and evaluate the results obtained from different PPGIS projects. In detail, we investigate the level of citizens’ satisfaction regarding their active participation within PPGIS projects. To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, we apply cross-case analysis and content analysis methodologies.