Speakers
Description
Traditional GIS was critiqued for its reductionist approach, leading to the emergence of Public Participation Geographic Information Science (PPGIS) in the mid-1990s. PPGIS marked a shift towards inclusivity and empowerment. Along with related approaches or methodology such as Participatory GIS (PGIS), community mapping and Critical GIS, it has been used in human geography to incorporate marginalized groups into decision making and addressing social concerns. Despite its widespread use in urban and regional planning, PPGIS has been relatively underutilized in health geography research. This scoping review explores the evolution and diverse applications of PPGIS in the field of health geography. This scoping review gathers evidence from X articles to illuminate when and how PPGIS is used to address health issues. PPGIS holds promise in contributing to a wide range of health-related studies, focusing on community-level determinants of health and health equity. Moreover, the review underscores the significance of stakeholders and communities in shaping both place and health decision-making processes. By leveraging spatial participatory data, PPGIS offers a robust framework for addressing health challenges and fostering empowerment among marginalized groups in health-related decision-making contexts. Integrating participatory GIS into health geography research has the potential to bridge accessibility gaps, incorporate diverse spatial knowledge, and enhance participatory processes, thereby empowering marginalized communities in health decision-making realms.
