## 5 Examples of Crowdsourcing Applications in Spatial Planning
In Los Angeles, citizens participate in neighborhood councils through wireless neighborhood communities by expressing opinions and proposals on several projects concerning their area, independently of their social or economic situation. Wireless neighborhood communities (WNC) constitute a novel way of initiating, stimulating and maintaining collective actions at the neighborhood level [14]. Regarding the issue of \"map creation\", users of the web can contribute to the creation of online maps and relative geographic information. Google Maps is an example of web mapping where users can enrich the content of base maps by adding spatial or attribute data or information. OpenStreetMap (OSM) is another example of user created map content, which is broader compared to other alternatives, such as WikiMapia, which is based on Google Maps [12]. \"Citizens participating in OSM became more sensitive to the surrounding world, to their representation in computers and also more aware to changes in their neighborhood\" [19]. As a result, citizens are gradually becoming more familiar with tools used for manipulating spatial information with the support of a \"web editor\". This is a kind of GIS software requiring no installation or license. Every user can take part and add elements on a map background or even create the map. \"MapTube\" is also an application that allows users to overlay shared maps and compare data visually. The map creation process has been combined with responses given by people after invitations from a radio station. Each user-response updates the respective element of a database of the underlying shape file with GMapCreator running every 30 minutes. A new map is created, and subsequently, \"MapTube\" is updated. \"This is Neogeography: free, easy to use and yet potentially very powerful in terms of GI science, social science and the ability of both professionals and amateurs to tap into the expertise of users and _vice versa_\" [12]. A project implemented in Portugal concerned the mapping of McDonald's restaurants. McDonald's webpage was used for the necessary information about the McDonald's restaurant distribution to be extracted with parsing techniques. The information was then compared to the existing restaurants in OSM maps, and the user's task was to map (by editing the OSM map) the missing restaurants or correct the distance between two restaurants. An issue emerged in this context, which had to do with the tracking of changes and the updating of the map. In this case, two approaches were adopted: the first concerned the periodical visiting of the source website for checking to see if any changes exist, while the second concerned the checking of the features' date and time of last editing [19]. The \"Woodberry Down Project\" is another application created for the regeneration of Woodberry Down Estate in the London borough of Hackney, one of the most deprived boroughs of London. It mainly concerns the design of an online system that will support the area's future development. In this context, an authority's website has been created, which delivers everything, from routine services to ideas (alternative options) for the area's future [13]. The application enables text and maps to be displayed, data to be downloaded and users to provide feedback indirectly through e-mail or directly through modified bulletin boards [13]. The purpose of this application was to enable local communities to learn more about their local environment and participate (community participation) in the development of ideas for making Hackney a more livable place [13]. Towards this end, some kinds of \"educational software\" (site) have been developed, based on GIS and digital panoramas, which facilitate the participation of the residents and the study of the local community.