Interface Devices and Public Participation

Research on public-participation geo-spatial technologies is largely directed at taking advantage of the potential broad reach of the Internet. In particular, Web-based GIS applications support asynchronous participation by individuals in different locations. Public involvement is, however, facilitated to a significant extent at community meetings and charettes where people meet face-to-face, review spatial information, and collectively arrive at inferences that inform decisions and choices. In this paper, we describe ongoing work on how a collection of digital interface devices, intelligent software agents, and conventional paper-based tools can facilitate face-to-face collaboration among members of small groups. We also present some preliminary observations about incorporating this approach and an agenda for future research.