The project aims at delivering a full co-produced participatory methodology for neighbourhood planning and management using geodesign hub, a spatially explicit, digital decision support tool. Digital planning is now a central policy framework for the Royal Town Planning Institute: “A digital planning system must make it easier for diverse voices to participate in the creation of long-term visions for place.” (RTPI, 2019). The project will use the case of Moss Side to engage with local community groups and citizens, along with institutional stakeholders (such as MCC and UoM within the MSP) to create a replicable protocol that fosters citizen participation based on local knowledge, local data and an integrated approach that uses digital tools. It will promote transparency, accessibility and accountability of urban governance processes.

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Main research questions [RQ] are: [RQ1] how to effectively incorporate local community knowledge and practices on participatory have on the design and use of transferable digital planning tools? [RQ2] what are the drivers that generate trust between community stakeholders and planning experts in planning- and decision-support processes?

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Geodesign Hub is one of the most powerful, easy-to-use, integrated map-based decision support systems currently in the market and has a track record of tens of participatory projects around the world with many focusing on neighbourhood issues and local development, such as working with coastal communities in Ireland, Native American communities in Arizona, USA or local development in favelas in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

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The DSS-MS proposal will build on networks and local knowledge generated by parallel UoM projects in partnership with MCC, on the theme of participative/collaborative governance and planning, especially the Localwise project.

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The DSS-MS project will respond to the interest of the MSP regarding their strategy for Moss Side, delivering a tangible contribution to the ongoing discussions on neighbourhood development in Moss Side, generating effective impact of decision support tools in local urban governance.

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The project is funded by the University of Manchester ​Office for Open Research Accelerator Fund​.