Planning On The Age Of Facebook

GeoJournal (2010) 75:407–420
DOI 10.1007/s10708-010-9388-0

Planning in the age of Facebook: the role of social
networking in planning processes
Jennifer S. Evans-Cowley

Published online: 23 September 2010
Ó Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010

Abstract There has been rapid growth in the use of
online social networking sites, such as Facebook. The
public is increasingly usingthese sites for organizing
around place-based issues. This research examines
the extent to which the public and planners are using
social networking sites to organize the public around
place-based planning issues. Using content analysis
of social networking sites, place-based planning
groups are identified and analyzed. The administrators for the groups were contacted to determine their
goalsand satisfaction with their groups’ work.
Planning departments in the same communities were
then contacted to determine the degree to which the
social networking groups influenced the planning
process. The results of this study found that the public
primarily organizes to oppose development projects.
While on average these groups attract hundreds of
people, planners and group administratorsreport that
there is minimal influence on the planning process.
Keywords Public participation Á Social
networking Á Urban planning Á Facebook Á
Zoning

J. S. Evans-Cowley (&)
Knowlton School of Architecture, Ohio State University,
275 W Woodruff Ave, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
e-mail: Cowley.11@osu.edu

Introduction
The Internet has become as ubiquitous as other
communication devices,such as the telephone, the
short message service (SMS), and in-person interactions. It is a significant part of the way in which
people establish and maintain their social ties,
creating what Castells (2001) describes as the portfolio of sociability. Devisch (2008) argues that
planners need to use new communication tools that
allow for the involvement of a variety of stakeholders
online. Thefocus of this article is on what Arnold
(2003, p. 83) describes as the ‘‘killer application’’ of
the Internet, social interaction.
Online social networking has grown exponentially
over the last few years with the emergence of sites such
as Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, Twitter, and others.
These sites have grown rapidly; for example, Facebook has more than 175 million users and MySpace
has morethan 110 million active users (Inside Facebook 2009; Owyang 2008). This technology is pervasive among certain user groups. For example, a 2005
study found that 90% of undergraduates participated in
an online social network (Stutzman 2006), while those
over 35 are the fastest growing group joining Facebook
(Inside Facebook 2009). In part, the reason that online
social networks have grownincreasingly pervasive
is that they offer opportunities for more than just
business relationships, allowing a sense of intimacy
that enables friendships to flourish (Power et al. 2006).
This sense of intimacy may be an important factor in

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enabling planners to make deeper connections with the
public, thereby encouraging greater interaction.
Understanding how planners can increasethe
quality of interaction with online social networks
has the potential to lead to successful participatory
planning efforts. Online communication has not
diminished the importance of local place (Foth
2006), but instead provides a medium to extend
place-based interactions.
The extension of place-based interactions can
happen in a number of ways. As new technologies
emerge, such asonline social networks, there is an
opportunity for amateur action, for example capturing
video and posting it to a Facebook page (Sandvig
2003). Gaved and Mulholland (2008) argue that as city
planners use the possibilities of technology to enhance
cities, there are individuals and groups within the
community that are also finding new ways to use
information and communication technologies...