Participatory GIS (PGIS)

Participatory Geospatial Information Systems (PGIS) developed in the 1990’s from concerns that GIS use emphasized quantitative, empirical data while devaluing qualitative and local knowledge. Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) has utilized PGIS for humanitarian, volunteer-driven mapping initiatives since 2010. Participatory mapping has proven to be not only beneficial to program administrators, but especially beneficial to marginalized people living in the lesser mapped regions of the world. Community participation can lead to government consideration during the decision making process and has shown to improve living conditions among people. This is not so easily done however, as success of PGIS programs being introduced into these marginalized communities is largely dependent on community involvement and government project funding. The Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) is dedicated to mapping the unmapped places and people in the world.

This paper highlights the history of Participatory Geographic Information Systems (PGIS), the different types of PGIS, the pros and cons of PGIS, how the Humanitarian OpenStreetMapTeam (HOT) fits into the field of PGIS, and what the future of PGIS and its efficacy) look like.

Participatory Geospatial Information Systems (PGIS) developed in the 1990’s from concerns that GIS use emphasized quantitative, empirical data while devaluing qualitative and local knowledge. Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) has utilized PGIS for humanitarian, volunteer-driven mapping initiatives since 2010.

Participatory Geographic Information Systems (PGIS), Public Participatory Geographic Information System (PPGIS), Volunteer Geographic Information (VGI), and Citizen Science are all platforms in which untrained volunteers can contribute to geospatial mapping and data collection. Though each of these platforms are similar in the way they function and in the way the public can contribute, they all have specific functions which make them unique.

Participatory mapping has proven to not only be beneficial to program administrators, but especially beneficial to marginalized people living in the lesser mapped regions of the world. Community participation can lead to government consideration during the decision making process and has shown to improve living conditions among people. This is not so easily done however, as success of PGIS programs being introduced into these marginalized communities is largely dependent on community involvement and government project funding.

The Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) is dedicated to mapping unmapped places and people in the world. HOT is a global organization that works to make sure there are no missing places or people from maps. Hot currently has 274,296 community mappers all around the world. (HOT 2020). By using resources and technologies that are easily accessible and user-friendly, it encourages people from all over the world to participate.

There are countless benefits of participatory geographic information systems, but there are still issues to be worked out or improved upon. As GIS continues to grow and improve, so will participatory mapping. As technology becomes more advanced and spreads further around the world, the implementation of GIS in every community will be greatly facilitated. Moving forward, participatory mapping will allow all parts of the world to be mapped and all communities to be recognized.

Brown, G. (2016, May 20). A Review of Sampling Effects and Response Bias in Internet Participatory Mapping (PPGIS/PGIS/VGI). Retrieved November 03, 2020, from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/tgis.12207

Brown, G., M. Kytta. 2014. "Key issues and research priorities for public participation GIS (PPGIS): A synthesis based on empirical research". Applied Geography.. 46:229-237.

Center of Excellence for Geospatial Information Science (CEGIS). (n.d.). Retrieved November 03, 2020, from https://www.usgs.gov/core-science-systems/ngp/cegis/vgi

Corbett, J., G Rambali, P Kyem, D Weiner, R Olson, J Muchemi, M McCall, R Chambers. 2006. "Overview: Mapping for change - the emergence of a new practice." Participatory Learning and Action. 54:13-20.

Dobson, Jerome E. 1983. “Automated Geography.” The Professional Geographer 35 (2): 135–43.

Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team. 2020 “Disaster Response”. Accessed November 11, 2020

www.hotosm.org/impact-areas/disaster-response/

Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team. 2020. “Environment”. Accessed November 11, 2020

www.hotosm.org/impact-areas/environment/

Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team. 2020. “Gender Equality”. Accessed November 11, 2020

www.hotosm.org/impact-areas/gender-equality

Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team. 2020 “Public Health”. Accessed November 11, 2020

www.hotosm.org/impact-areas/public-health/

Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team. 2020 “Refugee Response”. Accessed November 11, 2020

www.hotosm.org/impact-areas/refugee-response/.

Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team. 2020. “Sustainable Cities”. Accessed November 11, 2020

www.hotosm.org/impact-areas/sustainable-cities/

Kyem, Peter A. Kwaku. 2002. “Examining the Community Empowerment Process in Public Participation GIS Applications.” In Proceedings of the First International PPGIS Conference.

McCall, Michael K. 2004. “Can Participatory-GIS Strengthen Local-Level Spatial Planning? Suggestions for Better Practice.” In 7th International Conference on GIS for Developing Countries (GISDECO 2004).

Mukherjee, F. 2015. "Public Participatory GIS". Geography Compass. Vol 9, No 7. pp 384-394.

National Geographic Society. (2012, October 09). Citizen science. Retrieved November 03, 2020, from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/citizen-science/

OpenStreetMap Wiki. n.d. “History of OpenStreetMap.” Accessed November 11, 2020a. https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/History_of_OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMap Wiki. n.d. “Humanitarian OSM Team/History.” Accessed November 11, 2020b. https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Humanitarian_OSM_Team/History.

Pickles, J. (1995). Representations in an electronic age: geography, GIS and democracy. In: Pickles, J. (ed)Ground truth: the social implications of geographic information systems. New York: Guilford Press, pp.1–30.

Rambaldi, Giacomo. “About PGIS.” PPGIS, 20 June 2015, www.ppgis.net/about-pgis/.

Sheppard, Eric. 2005. “Knowledge Production through Critical GIS: Genealogy and Prospects.” Cartographica: The International Journal for Geographic Information and Geovisualization 40 (4): 5–21.

Soden, Robert, and Leysia Palen. 2014. “From Crowdsourced Mapping to Community Mapping: The Post-Earthquake Work of OpenStreetMap Haiti.” In COOP 2014-Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on the Design of Cooperative Systems, 27-30 May 2014, Nice (France), 311–26. Springer.