Dr. David J. Coleman discusses the evolution and future of spatial data infrastructures (SDIs), highlighting shifts from centralized systems to decentralized networks and the impact of new technologies like indoor SDIs and unmanned aerial vehicles. The document examines global initiatives, challenges facing traditional geospatial data approaches, and the need for updated governance and financing models in response to user demands. It emphasizes the critical role of international standards and collaborative efforts in advancing a spatially-enabled world.

1. Challenging Traditional Models,
Roles and Responsibilities in
Evolving Spatial Data
Infrastructures
Dr. David J. Coleman, President
Global Spatial Data Infrastructure Association
http://www.gsdi.org
Joint International Conference on
Geospatial Theory, Processing Modeling and
Applications

2. 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

3. SDI: Looking Back 30
Years

4. Spatial Data Infrastructure
from 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.

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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.

10. 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

11. 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

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

14. Global SDI Initiatives

15. International Standards:
The glue holding SDIs
together

18. 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

19. 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.

20. Wiki Version.
PDF versions now
available in
English, Spanish,
Chinese, Polish
and Albanian

21. 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!

22. GSDI Conferences:
Sharing Lessons Learned

23. Indoor SDI and LBS
Image courtesy S. Anthony, Extremetech (2012)

24. Indoor Mapping

25. 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)

26. Google
Cartographer
Backpack System
for Indoor
Mapping:
Creating floor plans of
multi-storey buildings
“in just a few hours”
(Google, 2014)

27. Indoor Content linked to
Value Added Services

28. The Indoor LBS Market
Framework updated from Lacroix
(2013)

29. SDI Lessons Learned and
Key Accomplishments

30. Evolving SDIs
“Mass Customized”
and Indoor SDI
(Today)
“Private Sector” SDI
(2000s)
Traditional Public Sector SDI (1990s)
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.

31. “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

32. SDI Programs 1995-2014:
Key Accomplishments
Provided basis of defensible
forecasting of customer
demand for government data
S uppo rt e d I mpor t a nt
S t a nd a rd s a nd
Provided I nt e r private o pe ra b companies ilit y E ffor t s
with
more consistent & comprehensive
Important Sharing of
Lessons Learned
information on which to base their
Raised levels of user
Allowed own services.
public comparison
of different approaches to on-line
discovery & downloads
expectations
Changed the workflows,
efficiency and turnaround of
government tasks & services

33. 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

34. 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)

35. For further information
http://www.gsdi.org