Participatory, location-based systems in community place-making.

Abstract

The last few years there has been a proliferation of location-based systems beyond the commonplace use of digital maps for navigation. Such uses range from Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for neighbourhood planning, to mapping selforganised civic initiatives and location-based Facebook events. Responding to such developments, the HCI community and research has been active in exploring the potential of such systems for a more meaningful participation of citizens in place-making. Building on such research, this paper explores the design of GIS to support location-based civic participation through undertaking expert interviews, local community workshops and deploying a bespoke GIS system in the context of Athens, Greece. In our findings, we highlight the diversity of opinions and needs of different stakeholders in such technology-enabled and location-based projects.