Implementation Of Spatial Data Infrastructure Research Articles

Towards an Integrated Model of Interoperability for Spatial Data Infrastructures

AbstractAlthough there is a vast literature available on interoperability models, and their respective interoperability levels, limited research has been carried out on the development of interoperability models for the implementation of Spatial Data Infrastructures. This article demonstrates the important role of metadata elements in the formalisation of interoperability models for the implementation of Spatial Data Infrastructures. It describes an approach for designing an integrated interoperability model based on the definition of a common template that integrates seven interoperability levels. They are: technical, syntactic, semantic, pragmatic, dynamic, conceptual and organisational levels. A non‐hierarchical structure is proposed to ensure the relationship among these interoperability levels.

Considerations from the development of a local spatial data infrastructure

The development of spatial data infrastructures (SDIs) is often the victim of an excessive focus on data and standards. In this paper we use the hermeneutics of Gadamer and Habermas to understand the problem of how SDIs can succeed. We use Gadamer's concept of phronesis to show how being an application-driven project is a key to success, and draw on Habermas's ideas to show the importance of emancipatory knowledge in the implementation of SDIs. A case study on a geographic information system (GIS) project in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, is presented. The project has been evolving for 15 years; it started with a focus on data and standards and generated a strong and active spatial data infrastructure for the city. The reasons for success were many; here we highlight the application-driven nature of the project, along with the combination of multiple disciplines and multiple levels of expertise in its design and implementation team. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Role of Institutional Mechanisms in Spatial Data Infrastructure Development that Supports Decision-making

Improved economic, social and environmental decision-making are principal objectives for investing in the development of Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) at all political and administrative levels. Indeed, Resolution 7 of the recent 5th Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) conference in Cartagena, Colombia (GSDI, 2001) argued that the purpose of the GSDI is to improve the availability, accessibility, and applicability of spatial information for decisionmaking. While accepting the development of institutional mechanisms to support decisionmaking by promoting the availability and accessibility of spatial information as part of SDI institutional frameworks, many institutional mechanisms fall short of addressing the application of spatial data to decison-making. From an institutional perspective, the motivation for SDI implementation is the impracticality of a single organisation producing and maintaining the wide variety of data and models needed to inform many decisions, resulting in a need for sharin...