LRD & GIS youth space
Raf Verbruggen (De Ambrassade)
Robin Kossi (Mediaraven)

GIS project youth space
• Creation of a GIS-database of youth space for Flanders + services
GIS project youth space
• De Ambrassade: co-ordination of the project
• Mediaraven: technical operation of the project
• VVJ & VVSG: collaboration with the local governments
• Flemish youth work organisations: Chirojeugd Vlaanderen, Scouts en
Gidsen Vlaanderen, KSA, KLJ, Formaat, FOS Open Scouting, Vlaamse
Dienst Speelpleinwerk, Uit De Marge, JNM, KAJ, Platform Allochtone
Jeugdwerkingen, Jonge Helden – Crefi vzw, Hujo, IJD, Jeugd Rode
Kruis, VNJ
Partners

GIS project youth space
• The location of youth work infrastructures, playgrounds,… can be
taken into account in:
• Spatial planning processes (RUP’s,…)
• Traffic infrastructure projects (cycle paths,…)
• Location of play-areas in forests by ANB
• Mapping the land use of youth work and other youth functions over
time (to inform youth policy)
Project goals
• Mapping, analysing and improving the
“speelweefsel” (play network) in Flanders
• Management of youth (work) infrastructures by local
governments and youth work organisations
• Exemption of real estate taxes (onroerende
voorheffing) for youth work
• Online youth work map
• …

GIS project youth space
• Youth work infrastructures (“jeugdlokalen”,
“jeugdhuizen”,…)
• Play areas: playgrounds, play forests, skate
parks,…
• Play network routes
Not included in the database: youth space already
mapped in other GIS-databases
• Schools
• Youth accommodations and youth hostels
• Public transport networks
• Sports infrastructures
• …
Content of the GIS-database youth space

GIS project youth space
• Conceptual model, UML-model and
construction of the database: 2014-
mid 2015
• Development of a digital survey tool
for data-collection from local youth
work organisations: second half 2015
• Data-collection for youth work
infrastructure data via local youth
work organisations: ongoing (since end
2015):
• Beginning of February: 20%
response
• Youth work in Brussels: data-
collection will start in 2016
• Based on open standards and open
source software: GeoServer, PostGIS,
Drupal, OpenLayers, Backbone.js,…
Where are we now?

GIS project youth space
• Data collection for play areas and play
network routes via local governments: 2016
• Making the data widely available: 2016
• Public subset as open data: view,
download, webservices (via Geopunt?)
• Online youth space map
• Partners (youth work organisations and
(local) governments) will also have
access to non-public data via a personal
log-in
• Keeping the database up to date
Future plans

GIS project youth space
• The LRD is the reference map for the youth work infrastructures in the GIS database
youth space:
• Building polygons in the LRD that are youth work infrastructures are copied as
polygons into the GIS database youth space
• The corresponding parcel polygons are also copied into the GIS database youth
space
• Attribute data are added to
these polygons
• Services used:
• LRD WFS (test)
• CRAB API’s
• Orthophoto’s
LRD & GIS youth space

GIS project youth space
• We do not have to measure and to draw the polygons by ourselves
• Better geometrical accuracy
• Our database is compatible with other databases based on the LRD,
and can be linked with them
• Parcel data in the LRD make the exemption of real estate taxes
much easier
LRD & GIS youth space: advantages

GIS project youth space
• Buildings in the LRD are sometimes building
blocks rather than individual buildings: in such
cases youth work infrastructures are only a
part of such a building block
• Several newly built youth work infrastructures
are not yet in the LRD
• Building polygons in the LRD are not always
contained in a single parcel polygon
• The LRD only covers the territory of Flanders,
while our database covers Flanders and
Brussels: this means a lot of additional work
LRD & GIS youth space: difficulties
Other difficulties
• Limited financial means for our project
• Data collection is based on voluntary
commitment of local youth work organisations
and local governments

raf.verbruggen@ambrassade.be
robin.kossi@mediaraven.be
Contact & further information