Public participation GIS (PPGIS) for town council management in Singapore

Abstract

The authors examine the relevance of public participation geographic information systems (PPGISs) to housing-estate management in Singapore. Formal interviews were conducted with five key informants to collect data. A mock-up PPGIS was developed and evaluated. Informal interviews with property managers and secondary data also contributed to the discussions. Findings suggest that the current level of information technology applications and the mandate to build a 'People's Town' in Singapore's public housing estate have laid a solid base for introducing PPGIS to housing-estate management. The existing channels of public participation in town council management also pointed to a collective form, based on the Residents' Committees, for accessing and using the PPGIS. It is hoped that this study contributes to PPGIS research by extending explorations to a new cultural context and to a new application area.