Abstract
This paper examines the effectiveness of an electronic conference system with WebGIS in view of citizen participation. Several officials in the Ichikawa City office and citizens have exchanged opinions on roads for 15 days in experimental virtual meeting rooms which were created for every places of their interests on a map using an electronic conference system with WebGIS. Because it is difficult for the chairman to ask citizens' opinions every time by the Internet, it is convenient to keep opinions given by the citizens on a map by the system automatically. The citizens tend to express their opinions for areas related to their daily life in contrast with the city officials, the chairman and a councilman. As a result of a questionnaire, citizens appreciate the system with WebGIS to understand other participants' opinions intelligibly.
