[8] She thought that a tool was needed to provide a platform for government, decision makers and developers of public policy “to demonstrate honesty…and authenticity in their desire to respond to the will of the people”.

[11] By connecting users' digital identity to their physical location, PlaceSpeak keeps them notified of new and relevant public consultations in their communities, creating opportunities for dialogue between citizens and local government.

[13][14] Geo-verified users can respond to surveys, polls, discussion forums and participatory maps, providing insight into how residents in a specific area feel about a particular issue.

[15] PlaceSpeak is a cloud-based public participation platform that generates geo-spatial feedback data, closely related to a form of Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI).

[21][22] Neighbourhoods pools together geo-verified users who live in the same area, providing key features like a community noticeboard and an events calendar once logged in.