Mapping the margins: a systematic scoping review of the impact of digital mapping on public participation in informal settlements

Abstract

Informal areas in the Global South are still relatively under-researched. This is partly due to the difficulties associated with accessing these areas, especially when it comes to more complex research topics such as understanding the daily lives of residents and other phenomena that are difficult to measure from the outside or purely through data. In planning, access to informal areas is relevant not only for research, but also for civic participation. The latter has become mainstream in recent years, leading to a growing body of literature on participatory planning. Participation typically involves some form of data collection and, since much data is spatial, mapping, most of which is now done digitally. However, little is known about the interface between digital mapping (in the sense of geodata acquisition involved in wider participatory mapping activities) and participation in informal contexts. This review explores that interface. The collected corpus of articles was assembled according to a rigorous protocol and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. The results show that digital mapping has so far resulted in relatively little additional direct participation by affected residents. However, the results show a number of side effects that have a positive impact on the involvement of informal area residents in the political planning process. We also note that the relevant studies often focus on a few select countries per continent, which may have an impact on the transferability of the results published in the literature. We hope that this scoping review will be useful to both planning researchers and practitioners.