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Draux, Hélène (2013) Coastal land use conflict identification in a nature reserve: exploration of participatory GIS techniques. Doctoral thesis, London Metropolitan University.
Public participation is increasingly encouraged in decision-making as part of a growing shift from government to governance. Participatory GIS is an approach to public participation that relies on maps and focuses on community inclusion. Attractive but fragile ecosystems, coastal urban areas are currently under pressure from climate change-induced sea-level rise and urban growth. Planning for the coast therefore requires reassessing land uses that were once taken for granted - thus creating conflicts. This thesis investigates Participatory GIS techniques for coastal land use conflict identification while exploring spatial awareness and map use. The novelty of the thesis resides in the investigation of the relationship between GISystems and Participatory GIS, arguing that GISystems can support participatory processes at the same time as Participatory GIS can inform map use.
The research draws on debates around GIS-based participatory approaches, cartography, sustainable coastal planning, and governance. The discussion is based on extensive fieldwork, involving the use of three custom-designed Participatory GIS techniques (two on-site and one online) inspired by Rapid Rural/Urban Appraisal techniques, as well as stakeholder interviews. The particular conflict considered here is a nature reserve in a high-population density, low-lying city where recent coastal management decisions consider abandoning a man-made terrestrial reserve to the sea to recreate disappearing intertidal habitats; hereby drastically reducing the availability of already scarce open spaces in the city.
The thesis investigates the uses of the reserve by its users and its perceived value to both users and non-users. This is based on their use of local open spaces and their expressed open space and land use valuation. Uses and values were used to support inclusive conflict identification. The thesis argues that participation is too often limited to a one-way process, eliciting information with limited feedback. It contends that the current coastal management process - the Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) in England and Wales - is weakened by its non-statutory aspect, undermining its application. Its role is confined to steering debate, falling short in terms of exploring non-consensual issues as it focuses on building sea defences rather than taking a holistic approach to shoreline management that would consider both defences and pollution risks. It is also set out of local spatial planning in terms of budget, diminishing its flexibility and therefore impact on a long-term perspective. Finally, the lack of real investment in public flood risk awareness and public participation weakens its legitimacy.
The thesis also argues that GISystems participate in knowledge production and 'places' questions into spatial and thematic context; thus Participatory GIS has a great potential to support effective participation in land use conflict. Participatory GIS, as a Rapid Rural/Urban Appraisal, therefore has the potential to participate into good governance.
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