Challenging Traditional Models, Roles and Responsibilities in

Evolving Spatial Data Infrastructures

Dr. David J. Coleman, PresidentGlobal Spatial Data Infrastructure Association

http://www.gsdi.org

Joint International Conference onGeospatial Theory, Processing Modeling and

ApplicationsToronto, 6 October 2014

Key Subjects of Presentation

Roots and Canada’s role in public-sector SDI Development

SDI Initiatives at the Global Level

Indoor SDI – The Future is Now…

Lessons learned and challenges for the future

SDI: Looking Back 30 Years

Spatial Data Infrastructurefrom http://www.gsdi.org

Critical mass of processes, policies,

standards, enabling technologies,

mechanisms and key datasets

required to make geospatial data readily

available to the growing community of end-

users.

Evolution of the “Driving Visions” of SDI

1960s and 1970s: Vision of creating jurisdiction-wide large, centralized LIS and GIS “Data Banks” based on a common spatial referencing framework

1980’s: Shift from large central databases to decentralized networks of systems

SDI in the early 1990s: Recognizing and addressing technological, operational and institutional aspects of geospatial data collection, management, discovery and dissemination in a coordinated manner.

SDI’s today: Supporting location-based services in the mass market and spatially enabled workflows in government & industry.

1st-Generation Spatial Data Infrastructure Programs

Concept developed in late 1970’s and refined through 1980s and early 1990s

Evolved from earlier systematic surveying & mapping programs

Emphasis on data discovery & distribution

Began in earnest in the US circa 1992

Followed quickly by Canada, Australia, the EEC, the UK and many others

SDI: Early Principles

Data collected once and used many times

Seamless databases across boundaries

Recognition of both Basic Framework Data and Value Added Data

Equitable sharing of SDI Costs, Services & Responsibilities

(in some countries) Creation of value-added products & services in support of industry development

From CGII Vision Report, Geoplan Consultants, Nov. 1996

Non-Government “SDI”

Commercial suppliers of online geospatial data and services (e.g., Google, DigitalGlobe, Bing, Nokia/Navteq, Esri and many others)

Open source suppliers like OpenStreetMap

NGOs providing crowdsourced detail and updates in response to (e.g.,) Disaster Response and Citizen Science

A Changing Marketplace Today…

Corporate consolidation and reorientation of government programs

Commoditization and “mass customization” of location-based services

Challenges to traditional geomatics approaches and suppliers around the world

Evolving expectations of users re: capability, performance, transparency, simplicity and reliability

“Big Data” demands changing our views of how we manage, process, analyze and visualize data.

SDIs – The New Generation

New Waves of geospatial data creation – both active and passive

Increased operational use of geospatial data: sensor networks and geospatially-enabled workflows

Increased strategic use of geospatial data by large public & private organizations to detect patterns and predict behaviour

Widespread and growing expectations of high accuracy, currency of information and rapid response times

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles(from Pomfret /UNGGIM, 2014)

• Tremendous potential for geospatial community, but…

• Number of legal concerns- In-air collisions- Personal injuries- Privacy

• Number of countries re-examining laws & policies

• Impact could be much broader implications than simply UAVs.

Image courtesy of LandScope Engineering

Volunteered Geographic Information

http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1433169/2/GRDRR%20report%20final%20for%20web.pdf

Global SDI Initiatives

International Standards: The glue holding SDIs together

Global Initiative headquartered in China

Influenced by 1986 Vision of a “Digital Earth” proposed by VP Al Gore and modified since.

International Executive Committee

Eight major “Digital Earth” international symposia held since 1999

The GSDI Association

Advancing a Spatially-Enabled World

Our Vision:  A world where everyone can readily discover, access and apply geographic information to improve their daily lives.

The GSDI Association

Advancing a Spatially-Enabled World

Our Vision:  A world where everyone can readily discover, access and apply geographic information to improve their daily lives.

Wiki Version.PDF versions now

available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Polish

and Albanian

GSDI Small Grants Program

GSDI Small Grants Program to support training & software (http://www.gsdi.org/sic1)

Cooperating with URISA GIS Corps to provide services to some countries

Cooperating with International Center for Land Policy Studies and Training Seminar on GIS &Land Management (Chinese Taipei)

Great causes looking for more assistance!

GSDI Conferences: Sharing Lessons Learned

Indoor SDI and LBS

Image courtesy S. Anthony, Extremetech (2012)

Indoor Mapping

Indoor Positioning

Technology Option

Example Supplier

Wi-Fi Triangulation Ekahau, WiFiSlam

Radio Beacons Blinksight, Insited

LED Lights Bytelight

Magnetism Maps IndoorAtlas, Indoo.rs

Sensor Tracking Aisle411, Everyfit, Pointinside

(Source: Technology Review)

Google Cartographer Backpack System for Indoor Mapping:

Creating floor plans of multi-storey buildings “in just a few hours” (Google, 2014)

Indoor Content linked to Value Added Services

The Indoor LBS Market Framework updated from Lacroix (2013)

SDI Lessons Learned and Key Accomplishments

Evolving SDIs

Traditional Public Sector SDI (1990s)

“Mass Customized” and Indoor SDI

(Today)

“Private Sector” SDI (2000s)

Similar Evolution Patterns as Traditional SDI, BUT•Accelerating Technology Development•Built atop in-place standards•Increasingly sophisticated user community already possessing the necessary technology for other reasons•Based on market-based values & principles•Much less emphasis on governance & consensus•Reliance on Users to provide data “infills” and updates.

“Authoritative” SDI Programs 1995-2014: Looking Back…

Public infrastructure indeed laid the framework for private sector initiatives, but…

Mapping Emphasis and Library/Bookstore Metaphor limited the vision

Emphasis on widespread, mass-market use of government mapping files has not taken hold.

Mixed successes in government-government and government-industry partnerships

Except in a few examples, did not predict the ultimate influence of integrated, real-time location-based services

SDI Programs 1995-2014: Key Accomplishments

Allowed public comparison

of different approaches to on-

line discovery & downloads

Provided basis of defensible forecasting of customer

demand for government data

Supported Important Standards and Interoperability Efforts

Raised levels of user

expectations

Changed the workflows, efficiency and turnaround of government tasks & services

Provided private companies with

more consistent & comprehensive

information on which to base their own services.

Important Sharing of Lessons Learned

SDI: Revisiting Early Principles

Data: “Collect once, Use many times” – Still necessary in an age of cheap and transparent location determination?

Governance: Need for new models needed to enable more rapid response to evolving user demands.

Financing: Consumers demand “free data”, but willing to pay for services in several different ways…

Public and Private SDIs: Where are they separate? Where are they necessary? Where do they overlap?

SDI: Examples of New Research Directions

Accommodating and extending the use of “unconventional” data collection platforms

Integrating output from indoor sensors with customer service, security, business intelligence and point of sale systems to support operational and strategic services

Foreground and Background (or conscious and unconscious) use of SDIs

Nature and resolution of governance & institutional Issues in private SDIs (especially indoor SDIs)

For further informationFor further information

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