Definitions[]
A spatial data infrastructure (SDI) is
| “ | a framework of spatial data, metadata, users and tools that are interactively connected in order to use spatial data in an efficient and flexible way. | ” |
| “ | technology, policies, standards, human resources, and related activities necessary to acquire, process, distribute, use, maintain, and preserve spatial data.[1] | ” |
| “ | a coordinated series of agreements on technology standards, institutional arrangements, and policies that enable the discovery and use of geospatial information by users and for purposes other than those it was created for.[2] | ” |
Historical background[]
| “ | In the United States, the development of SDIs began in 1994 when President Clinton issued an executive order to create the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) and form the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC). This mandate validated the essential role geographic information plays in modern society. The order drove systems to be better coordinated and less redundant. Less emphasis was placed on products and more attention was given to processes, knowledge infrastructure, capacity building, communication and coordination. In an Internet-based world, value reaches beyond simply sharing data, and extends to judging data quality and to determining data fitness for consumption. With this, came the necessity to document data in a manner similar to documenting a library's book catalog. Database quality and content took on a different meaning as public agencies published their data via Web browser-based applications that allowed average citizens to query and view detailed information about their property.[3] | ” |
References[]
- ↑ Office of Management and Budget, OMB Circular No. A-16.
- ↑ W. Kuhn, Introduction to Spatial Data Infrastructures (March 14, 2005) (presentation) (full-text).
- ↑ The Changing Geospatial Landscape, at 8.
See also[]
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