Architectural and Technological Aspects for the Next Generation of
SDI
Rogério L. R. Borba, Julia C. M. Strauch, Jano M. Souza and
David J. Coleman
ABSTRACT: This paper presents some features of the Brazilian National Spatial Data
Infrastructure and architectural and technological aspects for an open SDI Ecosystem
proposed for the next generation of the Brazilian SDI from the user, developer and
administrator viewpoints. The first prototype, named IDE-CO, is being built to produce,
share and research data. So it could be instantiated by any Government institution
(federal, state, and city administration) or any community (ordinary citizens, civil society
organizations, researcher groups and others), in which the data would be in the cloud
allowing anyone to participate.
This geospatial toolset provides such services as: migration, linking, integration,
retrieving, creation, visualization, manipulation, processing, analysis, sharing and
management for spatial information. On the other side, social aspects (management,
assessing, grouping, raking, reputation, following, etc.) are available for institutions,
people and communities. This platform takes into account three principles and it is being
built with open source tools
KEYWORDS: SDI, VGI, Collaboration, Open GIS, Data Integration
Introduction
The Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) offers a set of core elements necessary for its
formation but, in terms of the early third generation of SDIs, there is not yet unanimity
with respect to their characteristics. For instance, some researchers propose that
subnational SDIs are playing the most important role in the third generation and they
are creating more and new opportunities for the private sector (Rajabifard et al, 2006;
Masser, 2009; Sadeghi-Niaraki et al., 2010). At the same time, others suggest that SDIs
of third generation should employ Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) or
crowdsourcing and Web 2.0 initiatives (Shakeri et al., 2013; Hennig and Belgui, 2012).
Indeed, both approaches are relevant for a better SDI and need to consider political,
social and technical and technological aspects. Further, allied with some principles for
openness and participative SDIs, it is possible improve the role of spatial information
for any decision-making domain at local, regional and national level or simply for a
better society. Actually, SDI is a concept constantly evolving and both visions are
merging.
It is important to understand that SDIs are different, but it is common sense that the
objectives for most countries is to create a virtual environment where any spatial