Approaches to validating a mutual participatory web-planning interface in rural Extremadura (Spain)

In this work, a mutual participatory web-planning interface was developed to support rural tourism building integrations into a landscape that combines multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA); an application of the proposed interface for the Hervás region (northern Extremadura region) in Spain is further presented. Through the web interface with the given methods, stakeholders can reflect upon their individual experiences to achieve desirable planning outcomes through asynchronous, distributed collaboration with the public. Based on the qualitative and quantitative content and survey data set, this study examined the identification of spatial models that could implement different perceptions and promote the sharing of knowledge about integrating buildings into a rural landscape, the certification of the possible impact on tourism and the refining of the interface's usability. To strengthen data interpretation, these hypotheses were analysed by four different clusters of people with the aid of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and principal component analysis (PCA) tests: weak ties, socially linked, roots and resources, and dedicated to the place, based on social and emotional terms. In general, most participants gave a positive response to the questions and an interesting fact amongst the findings was the difference between roots and resources (positive to building integrations) and dedicated to the place (negative to building integrations). Thus, the analysed results demonstrated that the web interface could achieve a consensus on recommendations for the spatial planning with the implementation of decision alternatives and understanding of the other interest groups' preferences.