Democratization of mapping: Conceptual design and implementation of a multi-channel, multi-purpose participatory mapping program

Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) enables a form of participatory mapping that, relying on the Internet technology, allows communities to get involved in mapping projects. Unfortunately, due to the lack of Internet access especially in developing countries, this approach is not everywhere accessible. Ushahidi, one of the leading developers in this field, provides a solution to support the collection of VGI. However, this solution has several weaknesses, including the slow processing of information and the missed opportunity to enable collaboration between contributors. The concept implemented in this study overcomes these weaknesses and conceptualizes, implements and publicly evaluates a participatory mapping platform incorporating a new concept of Volunteered Geographic Services (VGS) and automatizing the processing of information. Its main component is a versatile Android application, which allows users to provide spatial participatory information via Internet and, more importantly, using the Short Message Service (SMS) approach. The final platform is usable worldwide and for different use cases. Particularly, it enables a user-friendly collaboration between participants of different origins, social statuses and degrees of expertise.