Online participation is the use of digital platforms and tools to involve citizens in decision-making about spatial projects, policy and plans. It uses the internet and digital technologies to make participation processes more accessible and effective.
Traditional participation mainly takes place through physical meetings, where people must be present in person. Online participation makes it possible to participate at any time and from any location, which significantly increases accessibility.
Online participation platforms offer various functionalities: interactive maps where people can share their opinions, surveys, discussion forums, real-time feedback and analysis tools. This makes it possible to collect input in different ways.
The advantages of online participation are numerous: it reaches more people, it's more accessible to people who cannot attend meetings, it's more efficient and it makes it possible to collect and analyze input in a structured way. MapTalk is an example of a platform that offers all these advantages.
