Categorisation of digital tools for co-creation of public open spaces. Key aspects and possibilities

Abstract

Information and communication technologies (ICT) have the potential to contribute to the quality and attractiveness of public open spaces and to promote their inclusiveness through a co-creating approach, when ICT tools are used with consideration. There are many different digital tools available and all the time new ones are being developed. However, there is no scholarly consensus on which types of ICT tools are best to use in a specific stage of the co-creation process to effectively support the spatial planning process. This chapter explores the literature and discusses technological and spatial quality as well as user-related aspects of different types of digital tools. Our objective is to define the basis to better understand the different potential of digital tools to meet the needs of people and be useful for all the parties involved in the co-creation process with the focus on planning and development aspects of the quality of public open places. The chapter addresses the challenges faced by urban planners and designers when they wish to integrateICT into the process of planning and design and the complexity of the User – ICT – POS interlink. It also explains stating points for a categorization of digital tools for co-creation. Finally, it proposes a framework for classification of digital tools for co-creation. It also takes up the challenge of identifying the criteria for the assessment of existing ICT tools, their features, added values, suitability and usefulness at a particular stage of the public open space co-creation and development process, as well as paving the way for further analyses of their advantages and disadvantages in comparison to analogue tools.