This thesis reflects upon almost two-decades of my continued use, reflection and development of methods utilising maps as discussion tools allowing different groups views on environmental issues and development options to be more clearly understood. The overall aim of this improved participation and communication has been the identification and implementation of alternative (more democratic and informed from a wider evidence base) development choices. This improved understanding is intended to result in more sustainable outcomes from decision making processes at a variety of appropriate and relevant management scales.
The thesis is comprised of seven published papers exploring the development and application of participatory geographic information system (PGIS) approaches in the context of their utility and effectiveness in improving environmental management decision making processes and outcomes. Within this overall commonality the papers can be differentiated into four themes. Firstly, four papers assess the development of focus group based PGIS approaches to improve shared understanding and public involvement in natural resource management and pollution control in the UK and South African contexts. The second theme explored in two papers describes the evolution of mapping engagement and mixed methods approaches to widen participation to, often, disenfranchised groups or to facilitate the inclusion of local perspectives in contested or sensitive issues both from the UK. The third theme investigated in the penultimate paper is the potential for using PGIS derived data as a framework to nest different spatial and experiential scales of knowledge within a decision making process. The fourth theme from the final paper involves widening PGIS approaches to include elements of other social research methods, in this example vignettes, to stimulate the mapping process and outputs
