In this paper, we discuss the affordances of open-source Geoweb 2.0 platforms
to support the participatory design of urban projects in real-world
practices.We first introduce the two open-source platforms used in our study
for testing purposes. Then, based on evidence from five different field studies
we identify five affordances of these platforms: conversations on alternative
urban projects, citizen consultation, design empowerment, design studio
learning and design research. We elaborate on these in detail and identify a
key set of success factors for the facilitation of better practices in the
future