E-Governance in Urban Planning: Use and management of websites in Puget Sound planning offices

Abstract

E-governance encompasses the use of information and communication technologies in government institutions to promote e-government, e-participation. The framework of e-governance in American planning offices is not well known and there are limitations in understanding the institutional practices of e-government. The Puget Sound region of WA represents a diverse commuter-heavy region that may require additional methods of engagement other than traditional in-person forms of engagement. Therefore, this thesis looks at the following research questions: How do planners in Puget Sound region cities use websites to influence decision-making? Additionally, how do these planners manage these websites within their city? To answer this, a website evaluation tool was developed and used to evaluate three Puget Sound cities’ long-range planning websites on e-government ideals. Semi-structured virtual interviews were also conducted with planners from these cities to get their perspectives on the use and management of planning websites. It was found that the planners mostly use their city websites for informational purposes and rely on external sites hosted by private companies to have website-based engagement. The planners agreed that websites have a place in planning processes, however, there is little to no policy framework that guides this.