Usage Of ICT in Public Participation

The traditional method of public participation involves the use of public meetings. These are regarded by most as an inefficient, unfair, and are nearly always held in a fixed place or location and at a fixed time, often when people are at work or in the evening when other commitments mean people cannot attend meetings (The meetings are quite often confrontational, they can be dominated by vocal minority groups, it is often difficult for the layperson to understand, and the whole process quite often involves highly technical and legal ‘jargon’. Members of the public who attend these meetings also often experience difficulty understanding the spatial relationships portrayed on 2-D maps and plans, their frustration often leading to miscommunication and mistrust of planners.)

The importance of the public’s participation in the process is tantamount in avoiding further conflict and objection once a development has been undertaken. “The picture is worth a thousand words and direct involvement in most endeavors results in a greater understanding of the experience” (Howard, 1998). Unfortunately the wisdom of this phrase has not fully been understood by the planning world as yet. The message here is clear, greater involvement in the planning process leads to greater understanding and acceptance of plans and proposals. Therefore any process which will improve the relationship between planners and the community they serve will inevitably result in a more fair and efficient planning system.

(Shiffer, 1996) writes, "Information is only powerful when it is effectively comprehended by those who use it. IT (Information Technology) can help people to comprehend information, (thereby delivering knowledge)." Nearly all planning information possesses a spatial orientation that is essential to acquiring the knowledge necessary for effective planning participation. (Shiffer, 1995a) and others (Hundt 1997, Krygier 1998, Pieplow 1998) have demonstrated that geographically related technology, including:

GIS Concept

Digital Aerial Photography

geographic information systems (GIS); digital aerial photography and photographs; digital simulation and animation; and even audio/video recordings of public meetings where land use issues are discussed can be employed during participatory activities to provide that geographic orientation.

(Dandekar, 1982) suggests that involvement of the public to stimulate good ideas and build a consensus amongst a diverse community requires three modes of communication: presentation of information to the public; receipt of information from the public; and exchange of ideas and opinions that build upon shared information as the ideas evolve. The importance of information exchange between the public and the local planning authorities, ICT infrastructure can play a major role in stimulating this process.

(Kaj, 2002) said that electronic tools can overcome many traditional obstacles in the aspect of reaching out to the public with the information. Among the traditional obstacles that can be overcome are,

i. Preparation of information in the form of electronic data can reduce the cost on hardcopy printing materials (reduced usage on paper).

ii. The public will be able to reach out to certain information or documents through the internet, at their own preference time without disturbing their normal day routine.

iii. There will be no need for the public to go the authorities office to gather the information that they need, in fact this can be done anywhere with internet connection

iv. The electronic information usage in different from the traditional information usage, although both convey the same information but the electronic information has the advantage that enable the public to do information search electronically, Cut and Paste of the information, alteration and correction on the information can be done much easier.

Public Participation in Malaysia

The notion of Malaysian public involvement in planning can be traced to the Town Board Enactment of the Federated Malay States of 1927. It provides for the general town plan to be displayed to the public to make objections and propose recommendation on how to overcome the objections. Later the Town Board Enactment 1930 (which are still applicable in some parts of the country) provides similar arrangements for public involvement. In all these cases, the public was only allowed to participate after a draft plan has been completed.

The Town and Country Planning Act (TCP ACT), 1976 which succeeded the Town Board Enactment was the only significant planning legislation which covers all local authorities in Peninsular Malaysia. The rationale the TCP Act 1976 was basically to replace the Town Board Enactment which was considered extremely physical in approach and too rigid in accommodation changes in socio-economic needs for a country experience rapid development.

The 1976 Act essentially provide for public participation in these stages:

a) while preparing the structure plan policies

b) objection and representation to the structure plan

c) objection to the local plan

According to Kamalruddin (1994), the public participation exercise in Malaysia relied heavily on the following principles:

a) opportunities should be given to the public to involve themselves at the early stage of study;

b) public participation programme should involve all the people in the society;

c) public participation techniques must be suited to the various types of people directed at;

d) public participation could also be considered as an approach to educate the public concerning town planning based on the 1976 Act

Thus far, public participation in Malaysia has been quite successful in informing the public about the development plan of their respective area. However, more significant contribution from the public is desirable to improve the relationship between the authority and the public which would facilitate better development effort for the country.

What is the role of public participation in developing transportation policies, programs, and projects?

Public participation is vital to provide a good and comprehensive transportation planning. Without significant public participation, there is a risk of making poor decisions, or decisions that have unintended negative consequences that only burden the public rather than benefiting them.

With public participation, it is possible to make a lasting contribution to an area's quality of life. Public participation is more than an agency requirement and more than a means of fulfilling a statutory obligation. Meaningful public participation is core and essential to good decision-making.

The fundamental objective of public involvement programs is to ensure that the concerns and issues of everyone with a stake in transportation decisions are identified and addressed in the development of the policies, programs, and projects being proposed in their communities.

Who is the public?

The public that I am talking about are those who reside, has an interest in, or does business in a given area which will potentially affected by transportation decisions. All this includes both individuals and organized groups (NGOs, community neighborhood group and etc…). It is also vital to provide opportunities for the participation of all private and public providers of transportation services. Finally, those who traditionally were underserved by existing transportation systems, such as low-income or minority households and the elderly, should be encouraged to participate in the transportation decision making process.

Federal, state, and local authorities with an interest in transportation issues play a particularly important role in the development of transportation projects. Many of those government agencies have a statutory responsibility to review environmental documents or issue permits for transportation projects.

What are the indicators of an effective public participation process?

A well-informed public can contribute meaningful input to transportation decisions through a wide array of involvement opportunities at all stages of decision making. Useful elements in planning for effective public involvement are:

• Clearly defined purpose and objectives for initiating a public discussion on transportation issues;

• Specific identification of the involved public and other stakeholder groups with respect to the plans and programs under development;

• Identification of techniques (ICT) for engaging the public in the process;

• Notification procedures or communication that effectively target between the traffic planners and affected groups;

• Methods and measures for evaluating the effectiveness of the public involvement program;

• Education and assistance techniques, which result in an accurate and full public understanding of transportation issues; and

• Solicitation of feedback from the public and stakeholders on the effectiveness of the public involvement process.

Neighborhood Planning

In 1915, Robert E. Park and E. W. Burgess introduced the idea of "neighborhood" as an ecological concept with urban planning implications. Since then, many concepts and ideas of a neighborhood have emerged. Milton Kolter defines a neighborhood as, “…a political settlement of small territory and familiar association, whose absolute property is its capacity for deliberative democracy.” While most neighborhoods are difficult to define geographically, anyone who lives in an urban setting relates to an area that they call their neighborhood. As such, it is a useful level at which to engage in planning practice.

Neighborhood planning deals with a level of planning greater than household size but smaller than that of a city. In fact, one of the first steps in planning for a neighborhood is to define the boundaries of the neighborhood. This process can sometimes be problematic. It becomes difficult when some areas do not want certain streets or houses to be included in their neighborhood boundary.

On the other hand, it can also be a problem if more than one neighborhood district attempts to claim a certain street or group of homes. Two less problematic ways in which to define neighborhood boundaries are by using natural objects like rivers and parks or by dividing up the city using information based on the census report. If all else fails, public meetings and surveys can help the decision making process.

After the boundaries of the plan are established, officials need to decide how to get the neighborhood involved with the planning process. Most people wrongly assume that a neighborhood plan will be done democratically.

In reality, a city official may do all of the planning with minimal contact or input from the residents. The plan may also be done by a small, self-selected group of residents who ignore input from others in the neighborhood.

Either way, without involvement of as many neighborhoods as possible, the outcome may lack critical information and perspectives and thus not fully represent the desires of the neighborhood residents. This may create problems for the community.

Neighborhood planning can work with all scales of area, from city neighborhoods to rural areas. Other established methods exist including Market Town Initiatives. Neighborhood plans are a way of empowering local residents to take responsibility for their areas.

(In the UK neighborhood planning in rural areas is led by Rural Community Councils who can assist rural communities or parishes in creating parish plans or village design statements, a form of rural neighborhood plan.)

Public involvement/participation

The purpose of neighborhood planning is to understand what individual neighborhoods want to become. To understand this, public participation of neighbors is absolutely crucial. In reality, it is only at this level, where the actual number of parties is small, that true democratic decision making may be possible.

There are many strategies that may be used in order to involve the residents of the neighborhood in the planning process.

• One way is to utilize outreach methods in order to get the word out that planning is taking place.
  
• Another way to get the neighborhood involved is by collecting data and information about the area and how the residents use it.
  
• A third method is to actually have residents assist in the work for the planning process.
  
• A true democratic neighborhood plan includes all three methods.

Outreach Methods include five different techniques that may be used to inform the neighborhood that planning is taking place.

• The first type of method is personal contact and includes door-to-door visits and phone calls. This method is the most personalized, making it the most effective. It can also be the most time consuming. In order to cut back the time, it is suggested that a phone tree is used when personal calls take place and flyers be created to put on doors of houses that are visited.

• The second type of method that can be used is the mass-media. This method includes both the printed and electronic media. Many newspapers and radio stations will run a press release or public service announcement (PSA) if they receive the information in the proper time and form. If this does not work, an add spot in the paper or electronic media can usually be purchased.

• The third form of outreach methods are field office/ drop-in centers. This involves having an actual place where members of the neighborhood can drop by and learn about the planning process (usually outside of a high traffic, high density area). These centers need to have an individual available to answer questions that neighbors may have. This is also a great opportunity to provide residents with surveys that would gather more information to assist the planners.

• The fourth outreach method involves utilizing existing organizations as a way to inform residents on the planning process. This method can use varying strategies to accomplish its goal. One way is to obtain permission to insert brightly colored flyers into news publications or hang them in public offices or retail stores. Posters and papers displayed in public locations are a great way to utilize an existing organization.

• The fifth and final form of outreach methods are displays at key settings (creating attractive posters and ads to catch the residents attentions at specifics nodes within the subjected site). This method is similar to using flyers or advertisements as a way to inform residents of planning. However, is different in the way that it accomplishes this. This method involves using a large vacant lot or path of high traffic to display information to the neighbors. The lot needs to be in a central and busy area of the neighborhood in order to be effective. All of these methods are ways in which planners can collect information from members of the neighborhood, involving the neighborhood in the planning process.

Other techniques of engagement can be carried out, the methodology chosen should be specific to the area and ideally be led by the local community. Questionnaires, workshops, exhibitions. Community development practitioners are often asked to assist with consultation as they can act as an independent facilitator to engagement.

Planning process

After a valid and useful information source has been established, collecting information becomes easier.

1. First step is the Collecting of information in neighborhood planning. Planners combine the information they have gathered from residents with other information they have obtained from personal observation and surveying the land. They use all of this information to create a large, more informative picture of the neighborhood.

• The second step in the neighborhood planning process is making sense of the information. This entails pinpointing issues and establishing which issues are of major concern. Pinpointing issues helps to define which issues will take precedence if they should conflict with one another.

• Setting goals is the third step of neighborhood planning. This step should come easily after certain issues and problems have been discovered. The goals that are set need to represent the community and what would best suit their interests.

• The fourth step in the neighborhood planning process is to come up with alternatives and select among them. This involves the planning committee coming up with different alternatives for each goal. After these alternatives are established the committee will discuss and decide which alternatives are the best suited to reach the goals. Probably combining all alternatives in a way that benefits reaching all goals in the least loss-causing way would be the best alternative among all.

• The fifth step of neighborhood planning is to put the plan together. Now that goals and policies have been established, strategies and specific courses of action need to be defined. This involves putting all of the elements together to create a plan.

• The sixth step is to figure out how to implement the plan the committee has created. This requires the planning committee to decide what actions need to take place in order to effectively implement the plan. The committee needs to decide what resources are available, and ways in which to create more available resources. This step helps decide where funding and financial stability will come from.

• The seventh and final step of neighborhood planning is monitoring, evaluating, and updating your plan. While this may be the final step of neighborhood planning, it does not mean that the planning process is finished. The committee still needs to take a look at the decisions they have made and decide which parts of the plan work and do not work. The plans that do not work should be revisited and revised. Because the plan can always be updated and changed, the process is never really finished. One thing is for sure, planning and sustaining a functional neighborhood is a process that involves generations of work and decision making.

All sources are from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia