Making Spatial Data Infrastructures Work

Summary

In his 2015 GeoQuest presentation, Ed Parsons, Google's geospatial technologist, discusses the challenges and opportunities of Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs). He highlights the importance of making geospatial data accessible, user-friendly, and compatible with modern web standards. Parsons critiques the traditional SDI approach and advocates for a simpler, more flexible infrastructure that prioritizes accessibility, user needs, and the use of modern technologies like the Semantic Web. He emphasizes the value of supporting ecosystems around SDIs, encouraging developers to build applications that meet specialized user demands and markets.

Takeaways

• 😀 Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs) are valuable, but often fail to fully embrace modern web technology and the broader web community.
• 😀 Traditional SDIs are typically built by mapping and cadastral agencies, and their technology platforms require specialized knowledge, limiting accessibility to a wider audience.
• 😀 Usability and accessibility of data are crucial, with a focus on ensuring that geospatial information can be accessed via web browsers using standard technologies like URLs and URIs.
• 😀 SDIs have made progress in terms of open data policies, but still need to improve data accessibility and licensing to meet modern expectations.
• 😀 The consumer app market operates on loose connections between developers and end-users, a concept that SDI developers need to consider for better data sharing and application development.
• 😀 Security in SDIs is critical, with strong encryption methods ensuring the protection of data, but questions about data sharing policies remain, especially regarding reuse and remixing of shared data.
• 😀 The consumer market's focus on user needs is essential, and SDIs can learn from the frequent updates and feedback loops in mobile apps to improve their offerings.
• 😀 There is a need for balance in SDI infrastructure: too much complexity in the infrastructure can hinder development, and simpler, more focused data-sharing approaches are more effective.
• 😀 Web GIS has solved key publishing challenges for SDIs, providing a useful application on top of a basic SDI that ensures consistent, accessible data.
• 😀 To improve SDI effectiveness, agencies must prioritize being good web citizens by using simple web tools and exploring technologies like the Semantic Web and Linked Data to make data easier to integrate and share.

Q & A

What is the core principle behind Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs) according to Ed Parsons?

The core principle behind SDIs is to share geospatial information as broadly as possible with a wide community, making it accessible to various users beyond traditional professional markets.

Why does Ed Parsons believe traditional SDIs have limitations?

Parsons argues that traditional SDIs, developed by mapping and cadastral agencies, focus on specialized platforms that are not web-friendly, making their data often invisible to the broader web community.

What does Ed Parsons mean by 'being good web citizens' in the context of SDIs?

Being a good web citizen means ensuring that geospatial data is published in a way that is accessible via standard web technologies, such as browsers and URIs, and making it open and available for reuse.

How do SDIs currently approach data accessibility, and what improvement does Parsons suggest?

SDIs have made progress in accessibility by following open data policies, but Parsons suggests that more focus is needed on making data truly accessible by non-specialists and ensuring it can be reused and integrated with other data sources.

What role do licensing and open data policies play in the success of SDIs?

Licensing and open data policies are crucial in making geospatial data not only available but also reusable and remixable by others, which broadens its utility and fosters innovation.

How does Parsons compare SDIs with modern app development practices?

Parsons compares SDIs to modern apps by emphasizing that apps today are user-centric and constantly evolve based on user feedback. SDIs, however, often focus on complex data models without considering user needs or the user experience.

What does Ed Parsons suggest SDIs can learn from the consumer app market?

SDIs can learn from the consumer app market by focusing more on the actual needs of users, measuring how well those needs are met, and continuously iterating to improve accessibility and functionality.

What is the concept of 'Semantic Web' and how does it relate to SDIs?

The Semantic Web is an emerging field focused on making data more understandable and interoperable by using structured, semantic standards. Parsons suggests SDIs adopt these standards to make geospatial data easier to work with for developers.

How does Parsons define the relationship between SDIs and Web GIS?

Parsons views Web GIS as an application that sits on top of an SDI. The SDI provides basic, accessible data, and Web GIS applications use that data to create more complex services and functionalities for specific user needs.

Why does Ed Parsons believe infrastructure alone is not enough for SDIs to succeed?

Parsons believes that building infrastructure alone is not enough; SDIs need to create and support an ecosystem around the infrastructure to ensure developers and users can build meaningful applications and services on top of it.