## 2 New Era of Participation Processes
### The Evolution of Public Participation GIS (PPGIS) and New Technologies Today  
The concept of using the Geographic Information System to aid the decision-making process in order to strengthen citizen participation is a relatively new field. In fact, the intentions of the first PPGIS [17] were to enhance the capabilities of the Geographic Information System (GIS) in order to meet and satisfy the interests of the community, while remaining aware of the potential limitations of these technologies. One of the first descriptions of these applications goes back to 1995 by [PERSON] _et al._[18] and [PERSON] [19]. Although they do not directly use the terminology Public Participation GIS (PPGIS), many of the applications and features they have listed are examples of \"community which integrates with GIS\" creating widespread participation. The terminology Public Participation GIS (PPGIS) became officially recognized a year later at the two meetings organized by the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA). The PPGIS has become synonymous with the integration of local knowledge using participatory approaches which unite the face to face model (expressed through traditional meetings), with online GIS tools. However the literature does not provide a single definition of what exactly identifies or which tools build a PPGIS. For example a publication by [PERSON] gives us a historical view on the argument [20] and although it does not provide a clear definition it characterizes PPGIS as a set of practical activities from different disciplines in which the participatory planning is supported, if not improved, by the use of digital tools such as GIS maps. [PERSON] and [PERSON] distinguish the different terminology in the literature (Participatory Geographic Information Systems--PGIS; Public Participation Geographic Information Systems--PPGIS; Participatory Planning Support Systems--PPSS; Public Participatory Planning Support Systems--PPPSS) as all having the democratic support of the local community at the decision-making stage in common [21]. [PERSON] and [PERSON] [22] present a practical example to illustrate PPGIS. They imagine and describe a matrix with different types of \"public\" along one axis and various types of \"participation\" along the other. The matrix cells which connect the various points along each axis contain the expected results of PPGIS. According to the authors, the process also works in reverse, _i.e._, you start from an objective and then identify the most appropriate type of \"public\" and \"participation\". From the second half of the nineties, participatory planning integrated with information technology produced a great deal of enthusiasm which was put into many experiences [23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31] and during this period the importance of social education of the whole community emerged. At present, the development of PPGIS confirms and documents that the technology allows users to participate in the production of information, rather than remain passive consumers. In fact, the netiezens can not only take advantage of interactive 3D visualization tools but also integrate digital, dynamic and interactive maps with multimedia content (for example, with ideas, comments, photos, videos, drawings, sketches and other types of data or information) associated with a precise point on the map using the potential of WebGIS. However, it is important to note that the instruments used in a given PPGIS process depend largely on the level of participation that wants to be attained. The International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) has articulated five levels of public participation--to inform, consult, involve, collaborate, empower--each successive level allows a greater impact on the overall process. Low levels of participation (inform, consult) involve the use of information tools such as interactive websites, public meetings or focus groups.