Infrastructure Engineering - Research Publications
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ItemHierarchical spatial reasoning applied to spatial data infrastructures( 2000)Many countries throughout the world believe they can benefit both economically and environmentallyfrom better management of their spatial data assets, enabling them to access and retrieve complete andconsistent datasets in an easy and secure way. This has resulted in the development of the Spatial DataInfrastructure (SDI) concept at various political and/or administrative levels. The SDI concept has beenrepresented by different descriptions of its nature, however, currently these demonstrate an overlysimplisticunderstanding of the concept.The simplicity in existing definitions has been slow to incorporate the concept of an integrated, multilevelledSDI formed from a hierarchy of inter-connected SDIs at corporate, local, state/provincial,national, regional (multi-national) and global (GSDI) levels. Failure to incorporate this multidimensionality,and the dynamic mechanistic and functional roles of the SDI, have rendered manydescriptions of SDI inadequate to describe the complexity and the dynamics of SDI as it develops, andthus ultimately constrain SDI achieving developmental potential in the future.As a result, the objective of this paper is to demonstrate the fitness and applicability of HierarchicalSpatial Reasoning (HSR) as a theoretical framework to demonstrate the multi-dimensional nature ofSDIs. It is argued that by better understanding and demonstrating the nature of an SDI hierarchy, anySDI development can gain support from a wider community of both government and non-governmentdata users and providers. The findings presented in this paper build on the authors' experiences inRegional SDI (multi-national) development and HSR.
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ItemThe dynamic nature of spatial data infrastructures: a method of descriptive classification( 2001)Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) is understood and described differently by stakeholders from different disciplines and different administrative/political levels. However, current SD Idefinitions are individually insufficient to describe the dynamic and multi-dimensional nature of SDI. Despite the international interest and activities toward SDI development, SDI remains very much an innovation even among practitioners. There are still doubts regarding the nature and identities of SDI, particularly in connection with how it evolves over time to meet user needs. Asa starting point a means to describe SDI’s multi-dimensional capacity as an inter- and intra- jurisdictional spatial information framework is required. The aim of this paper is to better understand and describe the nature of SDI and its components. A method to classify the perceived roles of SDI is identified. The method is extrapolated from a technique to describe different perspectives of Geographical Information System (GIS) diffusion, based on identified parallels between GIS and SDIs. The methodology may facilitate description and understanding of the SDI technological and user environment, by promoting insight into the dynamic roles of SDI.
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ItemDirections for the Future of SDI Development( 2002)Understanding the role of Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) is important to acceptance of the concept and its alignment with spatial industry objectives. Much has been done to describe and understand the components and interactions of different aspects of SDIs and their integration into the transactions of the spatial data community. However, what fails to be received through these perceptions, is that the role SDI plays is by necessity greater than the sum of individual components of SDI and stakeholder groups.SDI is fundamentally about facilitation and coordination of the exchange and sharing of spatial data between stakeholders in the spatial data community. To this end, the authors propose that the roles of SDI have been pursued through different approaches: product-based and process-based. Both approaches have value, but contribute to the evolution, uptake and utilisation of the SDI concept in different ways. They provide different frameworks for dealing with SDI mandates for the objectives of spatial data access and sharing. This paper reviews the nature and concept of SDI, including the components, which have helped to build understanding about the importance of an infrastructure to support the interactions of the spatial data community. Several examples of how SDIs have been described are offered to aid understanding of their complexity. The need for descriptions to represent the conflict between the role and deliverables of an SDI and thus contribute to a simpler, but dynamic, understanding of the complexity of the SDI concept, are postulated. The transition between the understanding of SDIs from product-based to process-based approaches is investigated, with a review of the positions taken by current SDI initiatives throughout the world. A model of how these approaches provide a framework to meet the mandates of the relevant jurisdictions is proposed, and factors contributing to the success of such positions in the future are discussed.
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ItemFundamental partnerships driving Spatial Data Infrastructure development within Australia( 2002)Recent models of Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs) are overly simplistic and fail to address the dynamic nature, complexity, inter- and intra-jurisdictional nature and important role of partnerships. There is a need by governments and administrators to better understand the complex nature of SDIs to facilitate implementation of this form of infrastructure in an information society. This paper aims to build upon current SDI research at local, state and regional levels to better understand the complex and multi-dimensional nature at a national level, while building onthe principles of Hierarchical Spatial Reasoning (HSR) theory. To date little work has been undertaken on mapping these partnerships particularly at the national level within a country that is a federation of states. This paper will introduce the notion that better understanding of the partnerships that support SDI will enable administrators of spatial information to implement this type of infrastructure into the future. The paper will also highlight new research being conducted by the Centre for Spatial Data Infrastructures and Land Administration at the University of Melbourne on the Australian SDI (ASDI) and the aims to develop a methodology to map the complex nature of national SDI (NSDI).
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ItemAsia-Pacific region and SDI activities( 2003-11)Asia and Pacific region is the largest region in the world with a vast geographic area of land and water, some 60 per cent of the world's population and includes 55 countries as defined by the United Nations. The countries span a wide part of the globe from Iran and Armenia in the west to French Polynesia in the east, from the Russian Federation and Japan in the north to New Zealand in the south. This region is one of the first regions in the world that has started to develop Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) for its regional level and has a complex social and political environment, typified by competing and often conflicting priorities and motivations. Every case in this region is unique because of its national context, language and characteristics (such as size, population, political systems, social and economic priorities, and varied infrastructures and skills), the national traditional and cultural attitudes, and the people who participate, develop and use SDIs. In this region, spatial data and Information is traditionally collected and disseminated by a range of mandated national organisations according to a wide variety of national standards. A major difficulty in relation to these types of data and information is a lack of coordination. This article aims to draw a picture of the status of SDI development at different political and administrative levels in this region. The main focus would be on institutional arrangements, technological, social and economic dimensions which affect the SDI growth nationally and regionally in this region. To achieve this aim, the article starts by reviewing regional cooperation in this region and providing a brief description of the past and current status of spatial data and information in this region. Then it discusses the need for SDI development followed by a discussion of its concept. Based on that, the article then reviews the Asia-Pacific SDI activities, mainly at national and regional levels including the structure and activities of its coordinating committee.
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ItemEvaluation of land administration systems( 2004)Currently there are no internationally accepted methodologies to evaluate and compare the performance of land administration systems. This is partly because land administration systems are in constant reform, and probably more importantly, they represent societies’ different perceptions of land. This paper describes the development of a framework to measure and compare the performance of land administration systems. The research is of particular relevance since it develops a management model which links the operational aspects of land administration with land policy.
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ItemDeveloping the concept of a marine cadastre: an Australian case study( 2004-05)In the terrestrial environment, it is the cadastre and initiatives such as the creation of Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI) that are facilitating greater decision making in areas of sustainable development. The ability of such tools and initiatives to facilitate effective decision-making and spatial data access mechanisms within the marine environment has given rise to research into a marine cadastre. Such a cadastre aims to define, visualise and realise legally defined maritime boundaries and the rights, restrictions and responsibilities attached to them.
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ItemFacilitating disaster management using SDI( 2004)The role of spatial data and related technologies in disaster management has been well-known worldwide. One of the challenges concerned with such a role is access to and usage of reliable, accurate and up-to-date spatial data for disaster management. This is a very important aspect to disaster response as timely, up-to-date and accurate spatial data describing the current situation is paramount to successfully responding to an emergency. This includes information about available resources, access to roads and damaged areas, required resources, and required disaster response operations that should be available and accessible for use in a short period of time. Sharing this information between involved parties in disaster management is a challenge to facilitate coordinated disaster response operations. This paper aims to address the role of Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI) as a framework for facilitating disaster management. It is argued that the design and implementation of an SDI model as a framework and consideration of SDI development factors and issues can assist disaster management agencies to improve the quality of their decision-making and increase efficiency and effectiveness in all levels of disaster management activities. The paper is based on an ongoing research project on the development of an SDI conceptual model for disaster management in Iran. This includes the development of a prototype web-based system which can facilitate sharing, access and use of data in disaster management and particularly disaster response.
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ItemA worldwide comparison of cadastral systems: cadastral template( 2004-05)While many country reports and descriptions have been compiled in the area of land administration over the last ten years, there has not much attention been given to the basic cadastral issues and the role of cadastres in national spatial data infrastructures. PCGIAP-Working Group 3 "Cadastre" together with FIG-Commission 7 "Cadastre and Land Management" has developed a joint cadastral template that has so far been filled out by 32 countries. This project is one of the first to collect descriptions of national cadastral systems on such a broad basis and to have them publicly accessible on the Internet.The PCGIAP-Working Group 3 "Cadastre" has two aims for the period 2002-2004. One is to facilitate a workshop for the development of an appropriate generic "cadastral template" for country profile analyses describing the status of national cadastres and land administration systems. The second aim is to facilitate discussion on marine cadastres. This article, however, will focus on the cadastral template.The workshop for the cadastral template has been held in July 2003 prior to the 16th UNRCC-AP and the 9th PCGIAP meeting in Okinawa, Japan and has been organized with the support of the Centre for Spatial Data Infrastructures and Land Administration from the Department of Geomatics of the University of Melbourne in Australia. The design of the cadastral template itself has been established in close collaboration with Commission 7 "Cadastre and Land Management" of the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG), which has extensive experience in comparative cadastral studies.
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ItemAre SDIs serving the needs of local planning? case study of Victoria, Australia and Illinois, USA(Elsevier Ltd., 2004)National spatial data infrastructures (SDI) have been built throughout the 1990s in bothAustralia and the USA, conceptualized and initialized by the Australia New Zealand LandInformation Council (ANZLIC) and the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC),respectively. Numerous SDI-related activities at the national, state, and local levels in bothcountries share similar core objectives to stimulate coordinated collection, dissemination, anduse of spatial data by public and private entities. This coordination is to result in digitaldatabases that would be easily accessible and seamless across administrative and organizationalboundaries and that would contribute social, environmental, and economic benefits tothe involved communities. Improved information resources, at the local level in particular, areexpected to aid decision-making process and to enhance cooperation between government andnon-government sectors. This paper raises a question about the effectiveness of existing SDIdevelopments and about outcomes of the related interactions between the local, state, andnational levels. Case studies of local governments in Victoria, Australia and Illinois, USA areused to evaluate the utility of existing SDIs to local planning activities and to make suggestionsfor increasing their effectiveness.