E-Participation enhanced by 3D Real-Time Interaction: Citizens are Leaving the Public Gallery and Entering the Playing Field of Improvement.

The Challenge

Citizens Participation in Public infrastructure Projects is getting a Crucial Success Factor

The continuous growth of cities, with its uninterrupted demands of natural resources consumption is related to serious environmental and social problems. The increase of traffic problems, the deficit of infrastructure, the suppression of green spaces, and a loss of quality of life have been registered, sprouting of illness and social conflicts.

Town and country planners are facing an increasing complex and challenging environment with interconnection of technical, social, economic and environmental issues.

Public participation, supporting the population’s commitment and guidance to urban planning actions is therefore of utmost importance in the development process and transformation of the cities for the future.

Several surveys have clearly shown that around 80 percent of the citizens see a demand for more participation in public decision processes. But looking in detail less than 5 percent of the overall population are using implemented solutions in the decision-making process.

On the other hand, the time consumed for plan approval procedures is increasing significantly in the last years. In some cases, this phase needs more than double of the time compared to construction of public infrastructure.

Modern citizens are poised to invest their time, competence, and experience to improve the cohabitation in their neighbourhoods, as far as their effort is respected.

? Citizens not only want to be informed, they want to actively familiarize themselves with the projects

? Citizens want to be part of the process and not only be confronted with the final solutions

? Citizens want to see, how their ideas are integrated in the final solution

? Citizens want to evaluate not only proposals, also comments from others

? Citizens want to exchange knowledge in an easy to use and interactive interface

A shift of paradigm in implementing support tools for participation processes is strongly needed to improve this important phase of public infrastructure investment life cycle.

From Data Transfer to Knowledge Management

Communication Platform in a Dynamic Environment

The new technological possibilities with Web 2.0 and more gave rise to far-reaching expectations of entering a new stage of democracy with more direct participation of citizens. However, although a lot of money has been spent for these projects, not much has been changed in general. Some major obstacles beyond technology seem to hinder the expected success.  

Among other (technical) factors the one most affecting is the organization of the communication between public body and the citizens. The experts in the field are publishing a proposal i.e. for a new train station. All the knowledge gained during the planning process is kept secret. The community is confronted with the results of the planning process. The citizens comment the proposals having in mind the detail of the situation but missing the context of other constraints. As a result, the planners can implement only view of the proposed improvements and the citizens cannot see why some good proposals are not implemented. There is a big gap between the stakeholders in the e-participation process.

Implementing knowledge management strategies in e-participation solutions could bridge the gap between planners and citizens and improve the acceptance of e-participation.

Knowledge Transfer as Interaction between Experts and Novices

From Maps, Charts and Documents to 3D Real-Time Models

Looking on the levels of Citizen Participation (Information – Consultation – Active Participation) tools supporting the process should activate the creativity and knowledge of both partners: government and public. Data and Information should be compiled in a way, that they are understandable by all stakeholders. The knowledge transfer between experts and novices need to be established.

Citizen Participation is composed by 2 strategic directions: creativity to improve the solution and understanding and convincing to build acceptance for the solution. Both perspectives are based on a communication platform to enable a common understanding of complex interrelations. As a result, the huge amount of data generated during the planning process need to be reassembled and compiled in respect to the different background of the audience in the citizens participation process.

Nowadays there are some e-participation frameworks on the market with focus on passive knowledge transfer. The documents, maps, charts, etc. are selected from the project documentation and published via web to the citizens. In this case the knowledge transfer is one dimensional and selective, because the participant can′t start to improve his knowledge concerning his expertise and experience. In contrast to this one-dimensional approach virtual models enables the participant to explore the knowledge in his own way with and individual speed.

Tacit Knowledge is getting Touchable (explicit) by 3D Real-Time Interaction.

3D Real-Time Interaction in Virtual Spaces

Explain – Involve - Convince

Geographic Information Systems, 3D City Models, and 1st-generation e-Participation solutions are coming from the information perspective, presenting the information in the planning process to the participants and giving the opportunity to comment the planning results of large public infrastructure projects.

The routes of 3D Real-Time Interaction can be found in Knowledge Transfer explaining complex equipment, systems and concepts in training tools and sales support systems. Data and information are compiled in a manner to explain systems and convince people.

GOVIES, a combination of games and movies, are optimized to enable the bidirectional knowledge transfer during Citizens Participation Processes increasing the acceptance of all stakeholder and reducing duration of plan approval procedures.

Complex problems can only be solved in collective learning situations. Collective learning is defined as a situation where all persons exchange different perspectives and afterwards integrate these perspectives into one solution. 3D Real-Time Interaction in Virtual Spaces is the platform for knowledge transfer and Creativity in this learning conditions.

Currently available 3D Virtual Worlds are sophisticated platforms that support a set of human activities and interactions, enriching the way we learn, work and socialize.

? Touch and Understand

? Guided by Movie and interact with detail any time

? Get familiar in Real-Time

? Knowledge Transfer from Experts to Non-Experts

? Explore and Understand Complex Systems

? Change the view

? Participation in Real-Time Chat

? Comment in the Context

? Customized to specific requirements

? Supported by several platforms (PC, iPad, Intranet, Internet, Smartphone)

3D Real-Time Interaction Models can be easily enhanced to interactive training environments to improve staff education as a complete knowledge management and transfer platform.