They say, “show, don’t tell,” but too often data gets presented in dense reports or endless spreadsheets. For communities, that means missed opportunities to meaningfully engage. For projects, it can mean delays, budget blowouts or cancellation.
In Australia alone, more than $30 billion worth of infrastructure projects have been cancelled or significantly delayed over the past decade due to stakeholder pressure and a loss of social licence.
Why GIS Matters in Public Consultation
At its core, community engagement is about building trust and facilitating meaningful engagement. Traditionally, high-touch engagement such as in-person meetings, workshops, and community forums has been considered the most effective method for fostering open dialogue and building trust in public consultation.
However now in the digital age, with the advent of advanced Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and their integration with web-based applications, many can experience the same level of engagement as a town-hall from the comfort of their living room; low-touch engagement methods proving to be equally effective in many contexts.
GIS technology enhances the engagement process by making data interactive, visually appealing, easier to understand (especially by the layman) more accessible and relevant to local communities.
The Spectrum of Participation, developed by the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2), identifies and describes five levels of increasing influence that the public can have on an outcome or decision – Inform, Consult, Involve, Collaborate and Empower.
GIS supports all phases of the community engagement spectrum; even at the most basic level, effectively informing the public by allowing information to be presented in a clear, visually appealing meaningful way that a non-expert can easily understand.
For example, Forbes Shire Council used an interactive map as part of its consultation for the Forbes Active Transport Plan 2025. The plan guides future improvements such as footpaths, shared paths, crossings, and signage. Residents were invited to drop pins on locations where they wanted new bike lanes or safer pedestrian routes, enabling place-based feedback that directly informed the planning process.
“The central problem of our time is our lack of understanding and our failure to collaborate.” – Jack Dangermond
When Data Doesn’t Speak Clearly, GIS Gives It a Voice
With so much information at our fingertips, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed – especially when it’s difficult to understand what that information means for you.
Understanding the scope of a proposed project is essential for meaningful engagement, yet technical reports and static visuals are often hard to interpret. GIS bridges this gap by translating complex data into clear, visual, and location-based insights.
An example of this is the interactive story map developed by the City of Sydney. As part of its commitment to combat rising urban temperatures and improve community wellbeing, the city plans to increase tree canopy cover from 19% to 27% and green cover from 33% to 40% by 2050.
Using advanced spatial analysis techniques, the story map allows for detailed, street-by-street environmental data collection and interpretation. It helps both the public understand local conditions, supports more accurate urban forest planning, and fosters greater transparency and engagement through accessible, interactive visualisation.
Modern GIS technology, particularly web-based platforms, enables users to explore, analyse, and interact with 2D and 3D spatial content seamlessly across both desktop and mobile devices. Through these technologies, users can:
- View project areas from different angles and perspectives: Gain a clear spatial understanding of how a project fits into the surrounding landscape, including topography, infrastructure, and land use.
- Toggle between existing and proposed conditions: Compare “before and after” scenarios to better visualise how proposed changes could affect their community and environment.
- Leave feedback directly within the map interface: Provide input tied to specific locations, making comments more actionable and easier for project teams to review and assess.
- Access real-time updates and project milestones: Stay informed with up-to-date information on project status, timelines, and community consultation phases.
- Filter information based on personal relevance: Focus on data that matters most to them, such as traffic impacts, environmental effects, or proximity to their property.
Bringing Data to Life
Studies have found that experiential learning can increase knowledge retention by as much as 75 percent by allowing users to see, hear, and interact with virtual objects. This multi-sensory approach can leave much more of an impact than a simple slide presentation.
Today, web-based mapping platforms, such as ArcGIS, Mapbox, and Cesium, support the integration of multimedia content, including photos, videos, audio clips, and 3D visualisations. When combined with the technical expertise to design and deploy them effectively, these tools create immersive, interactive experiences that support various ways of engaging with information.
Features like time sliders allow users to visualise changes over time, while interactive pop-up boxes provide contextual information without overwhelming the main visual display. Whether embedded in a public consultation website or integrated into custom apps, GIS technology can create meaningful story-driven consultations.
To make the most out of them, there are key considerations when visualising geospatial data:
- What is the message you are trying to get across?
- Does it provide answers or raise more questions?
- Is the context meaningful and accurate?
- Is the visualisation accessible to a non-technical audience?
- Can people see what’s relevant to them?
- Does it support action or decision-making?
Seeing Is Understanding
Public consultation is often a key part of building consensus, but you can’t agree on what you don’t understand. GIS takes complex, technical information and turns it into something visual, local, and intuitive. By doing so, it empowers people to not only see the data, but to understand its implications and shape the outcomes.
When the information is clear, confidence grows—and with confidence comes trust. It is now an integral part of stakeholder and community engagement.
