Crowdsourcing as a model for problem solving: leveraging the collective intelligence of online communities for public good

As an application of deliberative democratic theory in practice, traditional public participation programs in urban planning seek to cultivate citizen input and produce public decisions agreeable to all stakeholders. However, the deliberative democratic ideals of these traditional public participation programs, consisting of town hall meetings, hearings, workshops, and design charrettes, are often stymied by interpersonal dynamics, special interest groups, and an absence of key stakeholder demographics due to logistical issues of meetings or lack of interest and awareness. This dissertation project proposes crowdsourcing as an online public participation alternative that may ameliorate some of the hindrances of traditional public participation methods.