Data Intermediation and Beyond: Issues for Web-Based ppgis sidney wong and yang liang chua Department of City and Regional Planning / University of Pennsylvania /Philadelphia / PA /USAAbstractThis article explores the implications of moving public participation gis (ppgis) onto the World Wide Web. Itdiscusses the potential benefits and impediments of using the Web for ppgis application; it then uses a ppgis projectdeveloped solely on the Web as a case study to illustrate various issues such projects may face. It finds that the cost- benefit calculus in this transition is ambivalent: whereas some costs decrease, other threshold costs actually in- crease. Moving ppgis to the Web will not undermine the traditional intermediation role ofppgis but, rather, diver- sify it. The Web helps attract “occasional users” to use gis; however, this creates new challenges for ppgis providers, who used to work with defined clients and must now cul- tivate client support to anonymous clients. The Web has greatly improved connectivity and data access, which, in turn, promote collaboration among geogr aphic and non- geographic information providers. In this context, the Web increases awareness of integrating non-geographic information such as local knowledge into gis operations. The article concludes that Web technology alone is notsufficient to enhance the capability of every community group and resident to use gis, to change the reality thatgis is a specialized skill, or to significantly level the une- qual socio-economic or political relationships that hinder participation in distressed communities. Introduction he application of geographic information systems (gis) technology in the community participation proces s is not new ( Barndt an d Craig 1994; Carv- er 1998; Weiner, Harris, and Craig 2002). gis profession- als concerned about community development have developed a framework generally called public participa- tion geographic information systems ( ppgis) or partici- T patory gis. The ppgis framework has been used to help neighbourhood community groups and individuals use mapping and spatial analysis in the participatory process in a variety of areas, including community development(Bosworth, Donovan, and Couey 2002; Craig, Harris, and Weiner 2002; Ghose and Huxhold 2001; Tulloch 2002), neighbourhood revitalization (Casey and Peder- son 2002; Elwood 2002; Ventura and others 2002), envi- ronmental justice (Sieber 2002; Stonich 2002), and natural resources management (Jordan 2002; Kyem 1999; Macnab 2002; Meredith, Yetman, and Frias 2002). Like other technology used for social and political purposes, ppgis has experienced both technical and non-technical impediments to implementation (Krygier 2002). ppgis literature raises numerous issues with re- spect to how to use effectively gis in community develop- ment efforts. There is some agreement among planners and technicians that the success of community empower- ment through gis depends on a number of technical, social, and organizational factors (Barndt 1998; Carver, Evans, and Fritz 2002; Elwood and Ghose 2001; Elmes 2001; Sieber 2000a). Harris and Weiner (1998) and Talen (1999) further demonstrate the possibility ofbuilding resident-centred and community-integrated ppgis in public participation strategies to promote a greater degree of community empowerment. In recent years, the Internet has become a prominentform of communication, transforming every aspect ofhuman activity (Anderson and others 1995; Cisler 1998; DiMaggio 2001; Lévy 1997; Wilhelm 1999). 1 With the widespread applications ofgis, a natural connection be- tween the two technologies has promoted the integra- tion of the Internet and gis (Doyle, Dodge, and Smith 1998; Goodchild 1997, 2000; Peng 1999; Peng and Tsou 2003; Plewe 1997). As Internet-based gis technologies mature, ppgis applications on the Internet will become increasingly common. Two emerging issues are whether this innovative union will be useful for the goals and ob- jectives ofppgis and, if so, how the Internet, and particu- larly the World Wide Web (“the Web”), can be utilized to improve ppgis efforts. These are pressing questions be- cause a variety of Web-based ppgis projects are currently underway. Examples include a Web-based gis applica- Sidney Wong, Assistant Professor, Department of City and Regional Planning, University of Pennsylvania, G19 Meyerson Hall, Philadel- phia, P A 19104-6311 USA. T el.: (215) 573-4154. Fax: (215) 898-5731. E-mail: sidneyw@design.upenn.edu. Yang Liang Chua, Doctoral Candidate, Department of City and Regional Planning, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, P A 19104-6311 USA
