Do Digital Tools Empower Citizens in Urban Planning? Evaluating Digital Tools Through the Lens of Human-Computer Interaction

This paper explores how digital participation tools empower citizens in urban planningthrough the lens of human-computer interaction. We analyse a wide range of digitalparticipation tools, from tools designed for research projects to commercial and open-sourcetools. Our results show that the tools operate primarily within the concept of power-over,through the psychological component of feeling, aiming at permanent empowerment, and aredeveloped with an expert mindset. These findings not only inform the selection of digital toolsbut also direct future studies in the field of human-computer interaction and participatoryplanning