Spatial Data InfrastructureBest Practices

With

Sebastian Benthall + Galen Evans

OpenGeo World Bank

Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI)

“…the sources, systems, network linkages, standards, and institutional issues involved in delivering spatially-related

data from many different sources to the widest possible group of potential users at affordable costs.”

– Groot & McLaughlin 2000

Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI)

The theory of SDIdeveloped before

we learned what waspossible with the Internet

...what an ideal SDI would be like

Imagine...

...an SDI that makesuploading, sharing, and working

with dataas easy as blogging

Imagine...

Publishing data

Anthony has some spatial data and wants to display it as part of a blog post.

Publishing data

Anthony uploads it to a public SDI, styles it, provides a background, and then a map widget

on his blog.

Publishing data

Meanwhile, the data, style, and map remain available on the public SDI

for others to use.

Metadata and reputation

The World Organization tells Cameron, their consultant, to put data she has gathered on

their SDI.

Metadata and reputation

Other users notice mistakes in the metadata. They notify Cameron and give it a low rating.

Metadata and reputation

Cameron fixes the mistakes, and the other users rate the data more highly. Her reputation on

the SDI improves.

Federated search

A regional Health agency and a regional Transit agency have separate SDI systems.

Federated search

Phillip, a GIS analyst doing research, seeks out correlations between health and bicycle routes

Federated search

Phillip searches for data in a single federated index and downloads the data as a batch.

How do you make an SDIthat's as compelling

as modern, widely-used web services?

Make an SDI using the best practices of these web services and projects

General Principles

Build Bottom Up Align Incentives Be Open Non expert use

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“Bottom-up SDI”

Start with data.Let users work with it.

Generate metadata as needed.

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“Bottom-up SDI”

Reduce barriers to participation as much as possible.

Align Incentives

Align incentivesfor contribution and use

so that itdevelops naturally

Be Open

• Give users a reason to participate in the system

• Reward collaboration with recognition and harvest the results

• Make as much information transparent for others to use as possible.

Non-expert User

You shouldn't have to be a GIS expertto use your SDI

There's so much more

These principles just scratch the surface of the qualities the next generation of SDI should

have.

But can it be?

These are nice dreams. But will they ever be a reality?

is a new software projectto build this SDI

It's open source. Of course.

Founders

Founders are interested in GeoNode primarily for disaster risk management

Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) and World Bank

UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR)

That's the vision and the context.

What have we actually built?

Whichbest practices?

How does GeoNode implement them?

Give a reason to participate

A major problem with SDIis that too few people have

an incentive to use it

Problems with Portals No benefit to registering Few real users No recognition or reward for the effort Uses stick, not carrot

GISGIS

SDI

GISGIS

SDI

Embed SDIin the real work ofGIS practitioners,

it will have more impact.

Provides styling and cartography tools Users can use the tools on data they upload GeoNode provides a reason to participate

Map composer makes Maps Maps are an important content type They bind together ecosystem of geospatial

content

Maps, Data and Users forman ecosystem to be browsed

Users Have Identity

People like to fill user profiles to establish identity on the web

Profiles then become useful data

Metadata pain

Good metadata for geospatial data is important but hard to produce.

GeoNode has user profiles and features them prominently

Those profiles have ISO metadata fields within them

Metadata Made Easy

Metadata Published

Metadata is publishedwith open standard

CSWusing GeoNetwork

Open standards and API's

Data published by GeoServer in OGC Services: WMS, WFS, WCS

Metadata published by GeoNetwork in CSW

KML for Google

We use open standards for data access.

GeoNode also has open APIs

HTTP HTTP

HTTP

GeoNode's components interact through clean API's

Others can build apps around GeoNode Or swap out components (Drupal...?)

Make Content Portable

Let Users Control Content

Content owners control access with easy user interface

Data security extends to OGC services

All these features are included inthe current 1.0-beta release.

DEMO

They only scratch the surface.

GeoNode has a much more ambitious roadmap.

Use the Social Network

The Social for Search

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Record statistics on usage Let users comment on and rate content Use that information to improve search

results

The Social for Quality

Ratings affect user reputation Will encourage quality content on SDI

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Groups Matter

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Organizations will have a presence

Allows organizationalendorsement of data

These features,based on the best practices of the web,

will likely be developed within a year

Big Plans

There are also features specific toSpatial Data Infrastructure

on our roadmap

Even Bigger Plans

Editing

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Federation

FrequentlyAsked

Questions

What's it made of?

HTTP HTTP

HTTP

Today, Sept 914:00, right after lunch

Room 4

“GeoNode Architecture”David Winslow

What about INSPIRE?

GeoServer needs WMS 1.3 and WFS 2.0 for GeoNode to meet INSPIRE standards

OpenGeo is looking for partners to fund this development

Open Data Skepticism

Isn't GeoNode an open data platform?

Doesn't open data raise concerns aboutdata quality and data security?

Open Data Optimism

Yes, GeoNode is designed to promote open data.

Open Data Optimism

Features likeUser reputation

Organizational endorsementFlexible security

address data quality concerns

Open Data Optimism

GeoNode supports

the continuum

of openness with a common platformfor institutional GIS and neogeography

What about Features X,Y, Z?

OpenGeo: We welcome your investment

in new GeoNode features!Inquire at the OpenGeo Booth.

(Also, patches are very welcome)

GeoNode Action

August 6th - GeoNode 1.0-beta release

September 27th ?? - GeoNode 1.0 released

Developer Community

• Contributing Organizations: OpenGeo, World Bank, Civic Works

• We hope others will join the developer community

Developer Community

• Join Us!• Email geonode@librelist.com to join the

mailing list• IRC: #geonode

OpenGeo: We're Hiring!

OpenGeo is hiring to fillGeoNode

software developerand consultant positions

OpenGeo: We're Selling!

OpenGeo is offering aFOSS4G Specialon GeoNode 1.0

Support, Deployment, and Services

Inquire at our booth.

Any questions?