As pointed out by one respondent from a community planning campaign, this digital format was particularly beneficial for those with disabilities. This also applies to less confident personalities who reported that the use of the chat function and the possibility of turning the camera off allowed them to feel less exposed when expressing their... See more

There was a consensus on the convenience of meeting online, emphasising how much easier participation had been “for people [...] after work” or “for someone who has childcare responsibilities”. Recording such live events enabled people to play back meetings in case they were interested but not able to attend

It is more important than ever to work with established networks and advocates to reach traditionally excluded sections of society

The work of Falco and Kleinhans (2018) discusses this from the point of view of Local Government and identifies a series of challenges, including internet accessibility and varying levels of digital literacy, pre-existing institutional frameworks, keeping pace with technological advancements and data management, process related challenges,... See more

Further to this, Afzalan and Muller (2018) highlight the costs involved in initiating digital methods as a key obstacle in increasing online participation

Afzalan and Mulle r (2018) conclude that issues around privacy, ethics, security and equity should still remain key considerations when exploring online participation.

An interesting example of digital engagement in practice is Wilson et. al. (2019) and the review they conduct of the Change Explorer smart watch application that enables participants to easily and quickly reflect and comment on changes in their environment, whilst in situ. The use of the Change Explorer application is particularly relevant as it... See more

as public cannot interact with the decision makers or planners. They call ‘focus groups’ as the ‘pseudo participation’, as citizens are regarded as the objects of research, who cannot actively participate in policy making process (Innes and Booher, 2000)

Third approach is citizens’ juries, which is defined by Gooberman‐Hill, Horwood and Calnan et al (2008) as a method that ‘sit at the upper end of the Arnstein’s ladder.’ However, critics like Qvortrup (2007) think citizens’ juries were criticized that they can be manipulated in some degree and fail to genuinely reflect freely considered opinions of... See more