Barriers towards the widespread adoption of PPGIS in spatial planning practice

This doctoral dissertation explores online Public Participatory GIS (PPGIS) tools and the barriers that have hindered its widespread adoption in spatial planning practice. By virtue of the fast-paced technological advancements in the last decades, PPGIS has brought the promise of accessibility, a wider audience, and more precise spatial data. Its wide recognition in academia for its multiple benefits towards the democratization of spatial planning is as big as its underwhelming application in real practice. Based on the results of three case studies, it is concluded that, as opposed to literature, neither epistemological nor technological problems are the main barriers to its adoption in practice and should, therefore, not be the main focus of improvement. Attention should be paid instead to the human aspects of the tool, such as cultural barriers among the institutions behind them and the participants operating them.