Opportunities for Volunteered Geographic Information Use in Spatial Planning

This chapter highlights two types of georeferenced User-Generated Content (geo-UGC) that show considerable potential for fruitful usage in spatial planning in practice: Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) and Social Media Geographic Information (SMGI). By describing selected case studies, the chapter illustrates how geo-UGC can be used at different stages of spatial planning processes, supporting a more pluralist understanding of places, fostering the collaboration between decision-makers and contributing to a more participatory practice in spatial planning. The Geodesign approach is used as the framework for underpinning the discussion. Selected case studies developed by the authors are presented showing how geo-UGC can be beneficial for building knowledge on current urban and territorial dynamics, for identifying possible alternative futures and for finding agreement on preferable future developments. In all the selected cases, large numbers of users were involved in collecting volunteered content. The findings are also interpreted within the Smart Cities paradigm, where participation is an essential factor for building successful smart communities.