01559758

Component

A key factor in the effectiveness of public involvement is whether the technical information provided by professionals is adequate to inform public discussion. The text, maps, and other images used to tell the story of a project can help to bridge the gap between expert and citizen perspectives, but only if the information is selected and presented in ways that are meaningful to participants. To support informed involvement, information not only needs to be clear and objective, it must also help citizens “size up” situations – giving them a sound basis for understanding choices still to be made, how their communities might be affected, and how they can contribute to decision-making. For more collaborative approaches, information must also enable citizens to help define problems, review findings, and discuss options. Designing information that meets these facilitative needs is a challenge for transportation professionals, yet limited research or guidance is available on facilitative information design. The topic is growing in importance with greater reliance on virtual participation methods. This paper describes a study of current information design practices based on sample materials from 32 corridor projects throughout the U.S. Performance criteria were devised to gauge the degree to which the sample materials showed evidence of efforts to provide understanding of project issues and choices, encourage collaborative fact-finding, and promote dialogue. Indicators were constructed for each criterion and applied to the materials using content analysis procedures. An analysis of the results yielded several recommendations to improve current practices, including priorities for improved professional guidance.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ADA60 Public Involvement in Transportation.

01550057

15-5767

English

15p

2015

Transportation Research Board 94th Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Figures; References; Tables

Communication; Design; Information dissemination; Project management; Public participation; State of the practice; Visualization

Content analysis

Administration and Management; Planning and Forecasting; Transportation (General); I10: Economics and Administration; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2015 Paper #15-5767

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Dec 30 2014 1:56PM