Causal modeling to foster e-participation in the policy decision-making life-cycle

© 2014, IGI Global. Digital simulation techniques could contribute increasing citizen participation in urban policy design by transforming their opinions into valuable knowledge by means of evaluating certain decisions in a digital urban scenario that would facilitate the understanding of the impact of different choices not only in the urban scenario under study but also in different, hidden indicators (i.e. dynamics not considered by a citizen due to limited cognitive horizons). Furthermore, the trial and error experimental approach inherent in simulation models could act as an enabler of open deliberations between citizens to foster a mutual learning process of the complex urban dynamics. The aim of this chapter is to illustrate the benefits of causal modeling with respect to other commercialized approaches to develop simulation models that could fulfill the transparency and acceptability requirements to foster e-participation, taking into consideration the demands and skills of the multiple and heterogeneous users of urban policy models.