Looking Beyond Spatial Data Infrastructure

Spatial Data Infrastructure is usually seen as a new innovation or a new type of technology. Most of us may tend to neglect it because of ignorance. We do not know what it is for and what can it do.

But what we do not know is that SDI has been existing for about 70 years now. Although it may provide the simplest maps, or just plain ideas and concepts on geography, for decades its products have been used by various sectors.

Beryl Markham, the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean from London to North America, wrote what probably is the best description of what a good map (and a well-designed SDI) can provide. She wrote in her book “West with the Night” (1942):

A map in the hands of a pilot is a testimony of a man’s faith in other men; it is a symbol of confidence and trust. ... A map says to you "Read me, follow me closely, doubt me not." It says "I am the earth in the palm of your hand. Without me you are alone and lost." Were all of the maps in the world destroyed and vanished under the direction of some malevolent hand, each man would be blind again, each city be made a stranger to the next, and each landmark become a meaningless sign post pointing to nothing. ... Here is your map. Unfold it, follow it, then throw it away, if you will. It is only paper. It is only paper and ink, but if you think a little, if you pause a moment, you will see that these two things have seldom joined to make a document so modest and yet so full with histories of hope or sagas of conquest.

These words hold the very nature of and goal of Spatial Data Infrastructures:

Faith and trust in each other – SDI’s foundation is built in faith and trust from different people of various fields and sectors. The provision of data from SDI shows the confidence that people have in technology.

The earth in the palm of your hands – through SDIs, we can look into both the local and global perspective of the mapped data. It answers the basic human questions “Where am I? Where am I heading next?”

Without it, you are alone and lost – most people would not be able to perform tasks accurately if not for the data provided by SDI and without the ability to communicate geographically.

Each would be blind, each city be made a stranger to the next, and each landmark becomes a meaningless sign post pointing to nothing – maps make us knowledgeable of places that we have never been before. Geographic knowledge can create a thread that connects people together.

Unfold it, follow it, then throw it away, if you will – paper maps can be thrown after using them, but today, with the help of SDI, geospatial data can be kept, updated and modified for future use.

SDI has been established in the US government which provides a new initiative regarding mapping and geospatial information. On April, 1994, an executive order entitled “National Spatial Data Infrastructure” (EO 12906) was established by the United States of America. It described SDI as “the technology, policies, criteria, standards and people necessary to acquire process, store, distribute, and improved utilization of geospatial data.” The executive order also states that the Federal Geographic Data Committee, which was formed in the establishment of the EO, should involve the state, local, and tribal government in the development and implementation of pioneer projects, as well as consult the experts of the academe, private sector and professional societies.

From these initiatives, Spatial Data Infrastructure has grown and became an integral part of information networks. From the simplest data sharing, it has sprung into a dynamic and evolving infrastructure that has the capacity to integrate various data, technology and systems. SDI is also seen as a national asset, which can be used in different scales, from the local, national to global levels.

With the help of Spatial Data Infrastructure, the world can be seen as an organic whole and not as disconnected pieces. Through time, the data we have becomes better and more innovative. As people use SDI more, organizations and various sectors will have more option in implementing the best practices and spatial information infrastructures that supports the needs of the society.

Condensed from the original article:

Moeller, John and Grumman Co, Northrop. Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs) - Why Should We Care About Them?. (February 22, 2010). http://www.directionsmag.com/article.php? article_id=3414

Additional Sources:

http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/eo12906.htm

http://www.karenblixen.com/gale.html