| Summary: | Planning practice is changing. New media, which can be understood as Internet-enabled
digital communications technologies—online social networks, online surveys, and online
message boards, as examples—are increasingly used in public engagement processes.
These new tools have been said to make public engagement more inclusive and less costly,
as well as improve communication among those involved. Research, in the form of key
informant interviews and a broad literature review, does not fully support these claims.
Moreover, the increased use of new media is accompanied by a number of unforeseen
negative effects. For these reasons, it is from now on the responsibility of planners: to
understand the limitations of the new tools at their disposal, and to further contribute to
this area of inquiry.
|
|---|
