A Brave New World: The Impact of Apps on Planning
A Brave New World: How Apps Are Changing Planning
Summary :
Mobile apps are becoming more popular among planners as a tool for increasing participation in local governance and planning, as well as tapping into the wisdom of the crowd. A survey conducted by Brittany Kubinski and Jennifer Evans-Cowley shows that social media apps like Twitter and Facebook, note-taking apps, and productivity apps like Photoshop and PowerPoint are most commonly used by planners. Seventy-eight percent of planners use their smartphones for work purposes, with 15 percent saying their organization has created an app and 37 percent discussing creating one in the future. The survey also revealed the most effective mobile apps for planners, including Accela 311 for service requests, Accela Analytics for data analytics, and FEMA for disaster preparedness information.
Description :
Mobile applications have become increasingly popular as a means of increasing participation in local governance and planning. These apps provide planners with the opportunity to tap into the collective knowledge of the public. Brittany Kubinski and Jennifer Evans-Cowley conducted a survey to understand the app usage habits of planners and to develop a comprehensive list of the most effective mobile apps for planners. This allows planners to interact with the public in real-time, collecting and sharing data with them, and opening the door for developers to enhance and build on the data collected. This era of open data and crowdsourcing is very exciting for planners, as they are beginning to realize the power of mobile apps to help them improve planning projects, create more sustainable communities, and increase efficiency. From July 11th to July 26th, 2012, a survey was conducted to study planners and their use of mobile apps for planning. The survey analyzed the most frequently used apps by planners, focusing on social media, note-taking, and productivity apps like PowerPoint, Prezi, and Photoshop. The survey also explored how planners use smartphones and mobile apps at work, with seventy-eight percent of those surveyed using their smartphones for work purposes. A primary goal of the survey was to identify apps that planners use to support their work, with a focus on apps that were being created by their organizations. The survey yielded information on several popular apps used by planners, including Accela 311, Accela Analytics, American City & County, APA, ArcGIS, Dropbox, ES File Explorer, ESRI BAO, Evernote, FEMA, GoodReader, Google Earth, Google Maps, LinkedIn, Loopnet, Note Everything, Noteshelf, and Photoshop.
sources:
1- melk360.com ,A Brave New World: How Apps Are Changing Planning ,2012-09-04 23:00:00
2- https://www.planetizen.com/features/58314-brave-new-world-how-apps-are-changing-planning?rand=493
