geospatial information and the surveying profession · a massive paradigm shift away from manual...

Geospatial information and the surveying profession

RICS Practice Standards, UK

1st edition, information paper

rics.org/land

03Geospatial information and the surveying profession

Acknowledgements

RICS would like to express its sincere thanks to the following for their contributions to this information paper:

Primary AuthorsRob Mahoney FRICS – MahGeoJames Darvill – Ordnance Survey

Steering GroupDuncan Moss MRICS – Ordnance Survey

James Kavanagh MRICS – RICS

ContributorsMary Lou Downie – University of Northumbria

Philip Wilbourn FRICS – Wilbourn Associates

Ed Parsons – Google

Daniel Sims – Blom

All images are © Crown Copyright 2009 unless otherwise stated. A special thanks to Ordnance Survey and James Darvill for sourcing imagery.

Published by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) under the RICS Books imprint

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No responsibility for loss or damage caused to any person acting or refraining from action as a result of the material included in this publication can be accepted by the author or RICS.

ISBN 978 1 84219 565 9

© Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) January 2010. Copyright in all or part of this publication rests with RICS, and save by prior consent of RICS, no part or parts shall be reproduced by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, now known or to be devised.

February 201004

01 Introduction 06 1.1 Why is geospatial data important to RICS members? 07

02 Geographic or geospatial information and data 08 2.1 Relating places, people and events to GI 08

2.2 Bringing GI together: joining the jigsaw 08

2.3 Availability of data 10

2.4 Data costs 12

2.5 Benefits 12

2.6 Accuracy and reliability 12

03 Uses of geospatial data 13 3.1 Central government 13

3.2 Local government (municipalities) 14

3.3 Land registration/cadastre 14

3.4 Property valuation 15

3.5 Utilities 15

3.6 Location-based services 15

3.7 Route planning 16

3.8 Mobile computing 16

3.9 Global emergencies 16

04 Case studies 17 4.1 Economic 17

4.2 Environmental 18

4.3 Property 19

4.4 Social 24

05 Implications for RICS members 28 5.1 Caution 28

5.2 Ongoing developments 28

5.3 Innovation 29

06 The future 30 6.1 The spatially enabled society 30

6.2 Mobile phone technology 30

6.3 Augmented reality 31

07 Appendix: Resources 32 RICS guidance and professional information resources 33 and reference sources (current as at Jan 2010)

Contents

February 2010

01 Introduction

Geographic or geospatial information (GI) has become part of everyday life and is a growing worldwide phenomenon. No longer is GI the preserve of highly skilled professionals; instead many people in society use it on a daily basis, sometimes unknowingly. In-car navigation systems and instant access to satellite imagery through the Internet are just two of the enormous changes that have taken place over the past few years. The proliferation of websites that use maps, images and addresses is a clear indication that GI has become part of the norm for many people. Although many of the examples in this information paper are taken from the UK, the acceleration of GI is a relevant worldwide.

The ubiquitous nature of GI means that it is available to the professional and to society in equal measure. Younger generations tend to be completely at ease with highly complex technological solutions, having a developed sense of bringing different datasets together to reach a desired result (‘mash-ups’, in modern parlance) and are at ease operating within three-dimensional environments, due to the all-embracing culture of gaming.

Property professionals already do many of these things – they analysis multiple property-related datasets and visualise environments and development potential. Property professionals are particularly adept at cost/benefit analysis and the economic/social elements of sustainability. The reality, however, is that they tend to do all of this in an analogue and sometimes paper-based environment. Indeed, complex spreadsheets and an overriding reliance on Microsoft Excel can be the order of the day for many property professionals.

This publication seeks to inform and point RICS members towards a future of technological change, and to give a glimpse of the potential impacts upon surveying in its broadest sense.

GI and web 2.0 technologies are set to further eliminate outmoded work practices, but RICS members are uniquely placed to take advantage of what is, after all, a tool. GI and GI systems will allow RICS members to better understand the geographic, economic and social elements of any given location and its myriad relationships with its environs. The whole field of web-based technologies and the development of GI applications is an extremely dynamic cutting-edge

Geospatial information and the surveying profession 07

area, and although this information paper is not intended to be definitive, it is designed to give RICS members a ‘heads up’ on future power trends related to the property sector.

A number of illustrative case studies have been provided, and while they are not definitive, they are designed to show the impact of GI on a number of key areas of professional practice.

1.1 Why is geospatial data important to RICS members?

The use of GI is set to impact RICS members in every sector of the profession, as the majority of information contains some locational element. With today’s technology, it is difficult to identify a single area that is unaffected. Knowing where and how land and property, and other important factors, interrelate has always been an important requirement of the surveying profession. Improved understanding and utilisation of this relationship lead to better decision making and potentially increased profit and improved quality and range of services. There are few areas of the profession that are unaffected by the changes occurring in the availability, use and analysis of GI. As accessibility and familiarity with GI become commonplace in society, people in general are increasingly aware of how to use GI and access it through the Internet. This change means that clients and consumers now look to professionals to provide more imaginative and advanced applications; therefore professionals need to be able to add value and provide guidance to their clients of a level which is over and above that which the general public can provide for themselves.

The Internet provides access to global geospatial information, including mapping, satellite imagery and aerial photography, and to products such as Google Street View, which provides 360° horizontal and 290° vertical panoramic views from a row of positions along a street. In addition, data of even higher quality, precision and accuracy is available through specialist organisations. The increased availability of global positioning systems (GPS) that require little technical skill and provide good quality and reliable positional data, also contributes to the current revolution in technology.

The challenges for the professional require innovative and new applications to be developed that will ensure that surveyors are fully competent to provide clients with relevant services and high-quality advice. As more data is spatially enabled and computing applications – often web based – become more and more sophisticated, GI enabling tools will provide easy access to complex analysis.

Globally, the provision of mapping by government-funded national mapping organisations is increasingly being enhanced by commercially driven agencies and private-sector companies competing in the global market. The hypothecation of taxes ring-fenced to provide digital mapping services is being replaced. Where once, particularly in the developing world, surveying was a project in its own right, today geomatics and surveying form one part of multidisciplinary projects; a complete paradigm shift (www.rics.org/site/scripts/download_info.aspx?downloadID=2645).

An indication of the increased importance of this whole area to UK society is contained in the document Place Matters: the Location Strategy for the United Kingdom, released by the UK Government in November 2008 (www.defra.gov.uk/location/conceptdesign.htm). The primary aim of the Location Strategy is to support services that deliver across government by maximising the use of GI in UK business and industry.

GI in inter-coastal zones is an increasingly important area to national economies. The UK Government is proposing to establish a Marine Management Organisation (MMO) to coordinate this resource, and GI forms a fundamental data source. The SeaZone website (www.seazone.com) provides good examples of data sources in this area.

February 201008

02 Geographic or geospatial information and data

At a basic level, all events occur at a point in space, often referred to as a location. This, together with details of other features and computer software, provides a powerful business tool that can be used to improve productivity and service delivery to clients.

GI is integrated into everyday life. Virtually every feature will have some kind of geo-reference – from street furniture, to properties, to phone boxes. There are other features both above and below ground that may be time tagged, thereby providing historical, future or real-time information.

The geospatial reference is a set of coordinates that enable the information to be stored against its relative position on the earth’s surface. GI, including latitude and longitude and postcodes, can be referenced as points, lines or polygons and is often referred to as ‘vector’ data. In addition, ‘raster’ data is usually scanned and can be geo-referenced.

2.1 Relating places, people and events to GI

The basis of most GI systems is a map, satellite or aerial photo image that provides the main reference system for display and analysis. The interrelationship of the referenced information can be easily visualised by thinking of a series of overlaying pieces of information (Figure 1) that cover the same geographic area. Any combination of this information can be activated and interrelated at any time. A data set does not have to be visible to be used, for example, street addresses may not be seen but used to locate a particular area(s).

The number of overlaying fields of data can exceed 200 in some organisations. The technology provides a massive paradigm shift away from manual mapping reference systems, which where limited to how much information could be shown on a map and still be used and interpreted by a skilled user. GI technology provides the ability to access, interrogate and analyse an almost limitless number of data sets. Computer networks and high bandwidth communications make it possible to use many of these applications through mobile devices as well as through ordinary PCs.

The results of using GI are not always map based; in fact many outputs are text based, though they use the referenced data sets as an integral part of the underlying application.

2.2 Bringing GI together: joining the jigsaw

In some countries GI is being brought together under a national spatial data infrastructure (NSDI). NSDIs are designed to reduce duplication, improve quality and reduce costs related to the use of GI, by increasing accessibility to the public and private sectors.

NSDIs are a combination of strategies, policies, standards, data and technologies designed to maximise the benefits of using GI. Interoperability is the key to the implementation of NSDIs, as they are complex and cut across traditional departmental boundaries. Although many experts still subscribe to the theory that large economic benefits can be realised from the introduction of NSDIs, political and institutional barriers often inhibit rapid progress. In some countries there has been little

Figure 1: How we see GI

Geospatial information and the surveying profession 09

or no attempt to coordinate spatial data at the national level. Many would argue that NSDIs are ahead of their time and will one day provide the benefits that come through successful data sharing and utilisation. The initial passion and enthusiasm for the creation of NSDIs has generally been replaced by a more business-like and pragmatic approach to making common data sets available to all users. The basic concept of NSDI is shown in Figure 2.

Different approaches to co-ordination are being used across the world, and the UK Government’s Location Strategy is a good example of this pragmatic approach. In 2008, Switzerland became the first country in the world to introduce a geo-information law intended to increase the availability of high-quality GI for the administration, the economy and the private sector. This law will be managed through a decentralised approach and harmonised federal standards for the capture, modelling and exchange of spatial data.

Mash-ups

A mash-up is a term used to describe a collection of existing Internet-based services, functionality and applications, combined through a single web page or interface. Within the context of GI a mash-up is typically where mapping applications and other web pages and services from disparate sources are brought together into a single environment. GI mash-ups often provide users with a unique service or experience by combining a variety of mapping data and functions.

Examples of platforms for GI-related mash-ups include Google Earth, Microsoft Virtual Earth and the recently released Ordnance Survey OS OpenSpace. These platforms provide the web-mapping data and basic functionality, such as panning and zooming, as well as the ability to combine with or create other data sets. Simple examples include web pages which embed an interactive map from one of these services to show the location of a hotel or restaurant, so the user does not have to navigate to a separate web page to view the map.

Each of these platforms has developed its own user community in which applications and services created can be shared with others through online forums. Initially, enthusiasts with more of a focus on social activities, for example, sharing walking and cycling routes, built mash-ups. However, as the user community has grown and the technology has developed, more applications are business focused, aimed at solving a particular problem for the business and professional user by integrating information from different government departments, agencies and the private sector.

The gallery section of the Ordnance Survey OS OpenSpace site (http://openspace.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/openspace/gallery.html) has some examples of both social and business applications for GI mash-ups using Ordnance Survey geographic information, and the following link shows a YouTube demonstration of a mash-up created by Boeing using IBM’s ‘Mashup Centre’ to solve a disaster recovery problem faced by the US Government: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xB0psBjpjI

Figure 2: Basic NSDI conceptual diagram

Interoperability is a term used to describe the ability to use diverse data sets through a computer, within an organisation or organisations, enabling closer working and analysis. The development of mash-ups and cartograms.

10 February 2010

Cartograms

Computer software enables data to be presented against a map in ways that only a few years ago would have been very difficult. An example of how information can be analysed and published in an informative and non-traditional form is the cartogram.

World Mapper provides a series of cartograms (www.worldmapper.org). This website is an example of equal area cartograms, also known as density equalizing maps. The cartogram resizes each territory, illustrating the relationship of isolated variables.

2.3 Availability of data

The availability of GI-referenced information is so extensive that it is impossible to provide a definitive list. The following table provides some indication of the type of data sets that are available in the UK and the potential provider, though this will vary across the globe. Neogeography can provide a source of local information, though this can create issues about accuracy and reliability.

There are a number of issues that should be considered before GI is used for a particular application. These include provenance, reliability, accuracy, copyright and currency.

Neogeography literally means ‘new geography’, and is commonly applied to geographical techniques and tools used for personal and community activities or for utilisation by a non-expert group of users.



Property ownership boundaries

Geo-referenced Statistics

Flooding data

Environmental data

Geological data

Enumeration districts

3-D topographic data

Lidar

Neogeography

Address data

National or state land registration or cadastral agencies, local municipalities

National statistics agencies

National environment or water management agency

National environment agency

National geological survey agency, private companies

National mapping organisation, central or local government agencies

National mapping organisation, private survey companies

Private survey companies

Primarily communities/self-help groups

National mapping organisation, local and central government agencies

Typical data providerType of geospatial information

Small-scale national mapping

Large-scale national mapping

Hydrographic data

Meteorological data

Aerial images

Satellite images

Virtual street views

Postcode mapping

Utility data

Waterways

National mapping organisation, Google, Multimap, open street map

National mapping organisation, local authority/municipality, cadastral agency, utility companies

National hydrographic agency

National meteorological agency, national oceanic and atmospheric administration – NOAA

National mapping organisation, private aerial survey companies

NASA, SPOT

Tele Atlas, Google Street View

National postal bodies

Utility companies

National waterways agencies, local authorities/municipalities

12 February 2010

2.4 Data costs

The cost of data provided by the private sector can vary, as do the licensing conditions for its use. The cost of public base mapping varies around the world, depending upon the philosophical or political approach adopted. Generally there are two approaches: either the data is free to the users, although a small handling fee may be charged, or a price is charged that may be at commercial rates or subsidised.

The costs of other data sets are normally at commercial rates and may be subject to volume discounts and ongoing maintenance agreements. Although some projects require snapshot data for a particular element, the majority of GI is required for ongoing use and needs to be refreshed on a regular basis to ensure that it is current. This is an overhead that adds additional costs and resources. The ongoing benefits are that the data is current and fit for purpose, providing added value to the application and usability.

The conditions of use for particular data sets tend to impact costs, and illegal use may well infringe copyright and leave the user open to litigation.

2.5 Benefits

The economics associated with investment in GI and the development of business applications is a large subject and beyond the scope of this information paper.

The use of GI enables data to be extracted and combined in new ways, and displayed, or not, as desired by the user. This revolution should be seen in the same context as the mobile phone. Two decades ago, only the wealthy used the technology, but today few people, particularly from a business standpoint, could function without one. In the same manner GI is now pervasive and is used to deliver new and innovative applications and services that generate improved services, profit and long-term productivity.

Put simply, the benefits of using geospatial data can be summarised as:

• providinganabilitytocompareandanalyse the interrelationship of information;

• providinganopportunitytoseeinformation in its true spatial relationship;

• maximisingtheuseofinformationby avoiding duplication;

• providingacompetitiveadvantage;and

• supportinge-agendasandjoined-up government initiatives.

Individual business cases will inevitably need to be justified on their own merits before investment is approved by any organisation.

2.6 Accuracy and reliability

The question of data accuracy and reliability is critical when using GI. The data sustainability concept of ‘capture once, use many times’ (see Geomatics World Journal, Dec 2008, Jan 2009 issues www.rics.org/land), where GI can be captured and used with confidence by other projects, applies when the users know the provenance of the data. Some upfront activity to define schemas, formats and specification standards may be required. This often involves the updating of the survey specification to ensure that the data gathered by the surveyor is carried out in accordance with the interoperability and storage requirements. For example, the gathering of additional attributes at the initial survey stage may provide large life-cycle cost savings downstream for the organisation. This means that GI must be fit for purpose and used for the appropriate applications. Metadata, or information about information, should be used to ensure that anyone using the data can do so with confidence. The granularity of the data capture specification must take into consideration the coordinate system and accuracy requirements. This will ensure that a balance is struck between the cost of capturing more data than the initial requirements, and having sufficient data to maximise its downstream use.



The extent to which information in most organisations has a geospatial component, and the business benefits associated with the introduction of applications that use this relationship, are now being widely realised.

Identifying, combining and analysing geospatial information creates a powerful tool and it is now becoming difficult (perhaps impossible) for the first time to definitively identify every application. The technology that drives many of these applications can be traced back to military requirements and applications. The military is still a major driver for the advancement of the technology – much of which is now in the public domain.

This section examines a small number of applications in different areas to provide some indication of the extent to which GI is now being used. Many applications are for internal use within organisations. However, more and more web-based applications are coming on stream that can be used by organisations and by the general public.

3.1 Central government

While it should be borne in mind that the division between central, regional and local government varies from country to country, the GI application areas for central government generally include:

• planningandtransportinfrastructureanalysis and dissemination;

• environmentalinformationcollection,analysis and dissemination;

• flooding;

• soilandgeology;

• mining;

• emergencyplanning(includingmonitoring of the spread of disease);

• crimeanalysis(includinginter-agencyliaison);

• crowdsurveillance(includingsportingevents and demonstrations);

• censusandnationaldemographicanalysis;

• hydrographicandmarineanalysis;

• meteorologicalapplications;

• agricultural/foodproductionassessment;

• reportingtoEuropeanUnion (including INSPIRE – see case study);

• publicenquirypresentation;

• allocationofappropriatehealthprovision;and

• co-ordinationofregionalplanningand budget assessment.

03 Uses of geospatial data

14 February 2010


3.2 Local government (municipalities)

The GI application areas for local government include:

• planninganddevelopmentanalysis and dissemination;

• landandpropertyownershiprecordcreation and maintenance;

• highways;

• streetlightoutages(includingpublicreports of incidents);

• schemedesign;

• emergencyservices;

• locationconfirmation;

• responseteamcoordination;

• incidentlocationandanalysis;

• CCTVintegration;

• vehicletracking;

• corporatesocialresponsibilityapplications;

• routeoptimisation;

• refusecollection,routeplanningandanalysis;

• parksandgardensgroundmaintenance,contractmonitoring, analysis and optimisation;

• landfillgradingandreconstruction;

• publicenquirypresentationofsubmissions and evidence;

• schoolcatchmentsandallocationareas – planning and dissemination;

• environmentalservices,planning,andrecordmaintenance analysis for:

- water;

- chemical;

- pesticides;

- air quality;

- bathing water quality;

- noise nuisance monitoring;

- interdepartmental co-ordination of service provision;

- social services client provision and comparison to service and resources location; and

- emergency planning and recovery.

3.3 Land registration/cadastre

GI applications for land registration/cadastre include:

• mapandgeospatialdatamaintenance;

• landownershiprecordsmaintenance,includingparcel information;

• directaccessonlineservices;

• web-basedservices;

• electronicconveyancing;

• linktotexturaldatabasescoveringdatasets that include:

- owner(s);

- conditions;

- charges;

- price paid;

- property details (size);

- taxation value;

- lease data;

- historical records;

- INSPIRE directives;

- general information analysis and dissemination; and

- retention and analysis of historical GI.


3.4 Property valuation

This practice area will be seriously impacted by GI in the short to medium term. In addition to automated valuation models (see AVM case study), the use of oblique imagery, together with aerial and satellite imagery, will enable both residential and commercial valuations to be made more transparent and consistent.

Trend analysis based on GI enables analysis to be presentedinvisualform.Insomeareaslow-flyingdrones with onboard cameras can record or relay information to the users. This is a technique that can avoid difficult and costly access.

3.5 Utilities

The utility sector was one of the first groups to investigate the possible business benefits associated with the investment and implementation of geographic information systems (GIS). Legislation and the demand for more open and transparent charges by regulators have contributed to increased investment in GI.

Applications include:

• mapmaintenance(cartography);

• recordupdate;

• linkstoassetmanagementsystems;

• gettingrecordsintothefield;

• easement/wayleaverecordingandmaintenance;

• proximitymonitoring/encroachmentoneasements;

• fieldupdate;

• fieldrecording;

• faultreporting;

• widerdistributionofrecords;

• web-basedaccesstodata;

• networkplanningfacilities;

• networkanalysis(loaddata);

• exchangeofdatawithotherutilities;

• front-linetelephoneenquiries;

• customerenquiries;

• trendanalysis;

• socio-demographicanalysis;

• managementinformationsystems(MIS);

• recordintegration;

• organisationalplanning;and

• emergencycontingencyplanning.

3.6 Location-based services

GI is used to support a range of applications for location-based services. These are increasing at an exponential rate due to a combination of factors, including the availability of data and improved analysis techniques, together with the take-up of mobile phones and associated technologies (see case studies). Postcode and street address is a common means of access to these types of services, often relying upon distance algorithms to deliver results; for example, the number of restaurants or other services within a particular distance from a given address, or the number of properties to buy or rent in a defined area. In these types of enquiries the results will not necessarily include a map, but may simply be in the form of a list of addresses.

16 February 2010

3.7 Route planning

Postcodes were originally developed to aid postal service deliveries. Time has shown them to be of inestimable value as a prime locator. Postcodes are used in the majority of route navigation systems and satellite navigation systems. However, a degree of caution should be exercised, as they are sometimes used for applications for which they were not designed.

Real-time vehicle tracking systems provide support to ‘just-in-time’ delivery applications and, when linked to real-time traffic reporting systems, enable congestion to be avoided or minimised on road networks. Real-time tracking systems also help to improve the corporate and social responsibility to staff who are mobile and in remote locations.

3.8 Mobile computing

The incorporation of global positioning systems in hand-held devices has opened up new and exciting possibilities, from tourist services to pedestrian navigation systems.

When connected to the Web the combined potential of these devices creates a new paradigm in the way people access and use GI services (see social case studies).

3.9 Global emergencies

GI has proved to be of considerable use in global emergencies. One example of this is the work undertaken by MapAction (www.mapaction.org), an organisation that delivers information that in turn helps to saves lives.

Disasters require co-ordinated relief efforts that hinge on rapid transfer of information. MapAction provides vital situation information in the form of maps, created and distributed in the field. By conveying a ‘common operational picture’, their maps make a significant difference in delivering humanitarian aid to the right place to relieve suffering.

MapAction is the only non-governmental organisation (NGO) with a substantial track record in mapping for disaster emergencies. They have bases in the UK, Germany and the Caribbean region, from where they can deploy a fully trained and equipped mapping team anywhere in the world within hours of a disaster occurring.

They have harnessed the power and portability of modern technology – particularly GIS and satellite location systems such as GPS. They collect situation data, combine this with satellite images, and produce maps in the field, alongside the rescue and relief agencies.

MapAction’s deployment duration tends to be short – typically three weeks or less. This provides necessary ‘first response’ information management during the search-and-rescue and early relief stages of an emergency. A handover/continuity plan is always formulated: in cases where a humanitarian information centre (HIC) is deployed, this provides an ideal transition.

Cloud technologies – essentially enable users to access systems using a web browser, regardless of their location or what device they are using, e.g. PC, mobile. As infrastructure is off-site (typically provided by a third party) and accessed via the Internet, the users can connect from anywhere. This effectively reduces costs, increases agility, reliability and security, aids multitasking and sharing (data sustainability) and allows virtually anyone to access and develop applications.



For ease of use, the case studies for this information paper have been divided across a number of sectors (economic, environmental, property and social) relevant to RICS members.

4.1 Economic

INSPIRE (Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community)

Spatial information in Europe is often fragmented, with gaps in availability, a lack of interoperability between countries and ‘scales’ of datasets, and much duplication. The INSPIRE Directive is an attempt to make new and existing datasets more accessible and interoperable; to specify online services; and to reduce barriers to sharing and reuse of information. Target users include policymakers, planners and managers at European, national and local level, as well as the private sector and individual citizens. It is initially aimed at environmental information, and Defra is responsible for transposition and implementation in the UK. Probable services include online portals enabling visualisation, overlay and analysis of information from different sources. These should lead to improved handling of, for example, the spreadofhumanandanimaldiseases,flooding,andairborne pollution.

INSPIRE (2007/2/EC) aims to create a European Spatial Data Infrastructure (ESDI) but is based upon Member States’ own infrastructures. It does not mandate the collection of any new data. INSPIRE was negotiated – very openly – from 2004 until Parliament and the Council agreed on the text in November 2006. It came into force in May 2007 with transposition in May 2009. The Defra consultation is now in progress with statutory instruments which were approved in autumn 2009.

Detailed implementing rules will cover metadata, data specifications, network services, data and service sharing, and monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the Directive. These rules are being openly developed – a process to which RICS is a party – by multinational teams of experts. The rules for metadata were published in December 2008, with others scheduled for adoption up to 2012. Public authorities in Member States will then have to comply, starting with metadata in 2010, and with full compliance for all rules by 2019. (http://inspire.jrc.ec.europa.eu/index.cfm)

Transport Direct – a new national transport information portal

Transport Direct (www.transportdirect.info) is the world’s first publicly available fully integrated national transport information portal. It provides users with all the information they need to plan journeys throughout Great Britain using public transport and/or private vehicles. The service is delivered via a number of channels, including the World Wide Web, mobile telephone and iDTV. Transport Direct is a publicly available service built for and funded by government, which is free at the point of use and attracts some 11 million ‘hits’ per year. It is a unique service which offers:

• multimodaltravelinformationontheInternet,coveringroad journeys as well as all public transport modes at a single point of contact;

• seamlesslinkstootherwebsitestofacilitatebookingof journeys by public transport on the Internet;

• Internet-basedmaps,whichallowtravellerstoexamine private vehicle and public transport options both for visiting a specific venue and for general travel around an area of interest; and

• real-timeinformation(thatis,actualratherthanrecorded or timetabled) on rail services, local bus services and road traffic; length, time, cost and CO2 emissions relating to each journey.

The Transport Direct engine and public website was built by system integrator Atos Origin using geographical information technology from ESRI (UK) and interfaces with 13 external systems and over 50 data providers. A critical data provider is national mapping agency Ordnance Survey, which provides transport network data, addressing data, points of interest data and contextual mapping data. This data is used to dynamically calculate and display optimum routes between precise locations, right down to door-to-door journeys between individual properties. The system also takes into account real-time traffic information in the case of road journeys, and incorporates data feeds from local authorities, rail, coach and air travel regulators for use in queries relating to public transport.

James Darvill, Ordnance Survey.

04 Case studies

18 February 2010

04 Case studies

4.2 Environmental

Pictometry

Since its inception and development in the late 1990s, Pictometry has now become a powerful resource for GIS professionals across a range of industries, including insurance, utilities, real estate, construction and engineering. It has added new dimensions to standard vertical aerial photography by augmenting the plan view with four side views, known as oblique images, typically captured at a 45° angle to the ground. Pictometry processes the images to allow for detailed measurements, analysis and planning from the desktop, reducing the need for on-site presence.

The ability to view images from above and from four oblique angles is an important progression for aerial photography and one that represents a significant requirementformoreflexibilityinthewaythatimagesare used in the GIS world. Pictometry imagery is accompanied by electronic field study software that is a comprehensive toolkit, allowing users to measure the distance, height and area of objects in the image, and helps to enhance the scope and quality of any desk-based study using Pictometry.

The system is designed in such a way that it is compatible with most existing GIS packages, which allows for seamless integration. Users have the ability to access a vast library of vertical and oblique images, each displayed in full colour and to high resolutions, and the choice of angles provides the user with a more three-dimensional picture.

The applications of Pictometry are far-reaching, and where traditional aerial photography will not display adequatedetail,theflexibilitythatPictometry can provide is limitless.

Daniel Sims, Blom Aerofilms Ltd; www.blompictometry.com/Flooding – a combined approach

Atlantis Initiative

The Atlantis Initiative is a cross-organisational initiative established by a consortium of government organisations within the United Kingdom, including the British Geological Survey, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Environment Agency, Meteorological Office, Ordnance Survey and UK Hydrographic Office.

The Atlantis Initiative uses the principles of the Digital National Framework (www.dnf.org), an industry standard for integrating and sharing business and geographic information from multiple sources across the United Kingdom. It aims to make the data held by each of the participating organisations consistent and compatible, by harmonising things such as co-ordinate systems, formats and units, so that to the user the data is interoperable and ‘joined up’.

The primary purpose is to enhance the national capability tounderstandandmanagefloodhazardsandotherwater-related environmental matters. Additionally, it is intended that the initiative will facilitate major efficiencies and service improvements for the public- and private- sector users of the information. To enable this, the initiative aims to develop, maintain, and promote the use of definitive, consistent and seamless national environmental spatial datasets as part of the national geographical data infrastructure.

Early outputs from the Atlantis Initiative include a detailed river network developed by the Environment Agency, and a variable accuracy hydrologically consistent digital terrain model, which comprises the core datasets. These are high-resolution, maintained and fully consistent with each other.

Complementary datasets include geology, river basin andfloodflowinformation,climatologicalinformation,and coastal and hydrographic information.

Duncan Moss, Ordnance Survey.


4.3 Property

Automated valuation models

Automated valuation models (AVMs) use one or more algorithms to value a property and also provide a measure of confidence in the output’s accuracy.

They use transaction and property information linked to a spatial identifier – in the UK, a Royal Mail postcode address file. UK data comes from Land Registry transaction records, past valuation reports, property details from sale listings, Ordnance Survey, government and socio-economic data.

Global use has been increasing: they are well established in Canada, the USA and Sweden for residential loan valuations, being cheap and fast relative to valuer appraisals (Downie and Robson, 2007). Their main UK application is for remortgage valuations, subject to risk thresholds, including low loan-to-value ratios and high AVM confidence scores (CML, 2007). Prior to the credit crunch, some lenders trialled them for purchases. Industry opinion is split as to whether this will re-emerge in future.

There are four UK residential AVM providers and the Valuation Office Agency and Northern Ireland Land and Property Services have also developed computer-aided mass appraisal systems for taxation (Ambers, 2008; Bronte, 2008).

Valuation processing systems used by major lenders automatically select cases for AVMs, using inbuilt decision rules. Ongoing research funded by RICS Education Trust and RICS Residential Professional Group shows that some RICS valuers add value to AVMs, using their expertise to check or modify them. In future, valuers will probably do more desktop valuations using AVM databases, linked with new visual data such as Google Street View and oblique photogrammetry, to replace drive-by inspections. Commercial property AVMs are not yet available in the UK.

Mary Lou Downie, University of Northumbria

Figure 3: The organisations involved within the Atlantis Initiative and examples of the type of data they maintain.

© Crown Copyright 2009

Figure 4: The integration and interoperability of Ordnance Survey topographic data, Environment Agency detailed river network and flood data and

British Geological Survey bedrock and soil deposit data. © Crown Copyright 2009

20 February 2010

Past coal mining, public safety and property development

The Coal Authority, established by the Coal Industry Act 1994, is the owner of most of the coal mines and coal in Britain. It has records of over 170,000 coal mine entries, and it is considered there could be a similar number that are unrecorded. Shallow mining, or areas where coal is present near the surface, which can give rise to stability, gas and spontaneous combustion problems, cover a very much greater geographic extent than the mine shafts. It is estimated that as many as two million properties may lie in areas with the potential to be affected by these problems. This figure closely resemblesthenumberofpropertiesatriskfromflooding.

The current planning system does not fully address the risks to safety or property stability, potentially leading to unnecessary risks to the public’s safety and the perpetuation of subsidence damage and attendant liabilities, to the detriment of the public purse. Only a small proportion of the planning consents in coalfield areas lead to a request for permissions.

The Authority reactively receives reports of 500 such problems each year, including more than 15 shaft collapses, and whilst this number may seem modest, these problems can give rise to risk of serious injury or even death. Currently the Authority operates a 24/7 service for hazardous incidents associated with former coal mining, and employs qualified staff with support from the Mines Rescue Service Limited and other specialist contractors to deal with them. The HSE has published its own guidance on this matter, which can be referenced at www.coal.gov.uk/

Downstream, a process of ‘potential areas at risk’ will need to be defined on plans for use by developers and planners alike. Access to the plans of areas potentially affected would be provided electronically via the Internet.

A pilot study with a limited number of local authorities will run until mid-2009/10. After this point the regime, if successful, would be rolled out to the other 198 local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales. It is difficult to say how long this will take, but the timescale is likely to take years, rather than months.

This case study is based upon an article by Stephen Pennell MioD, Director of Mining Information and Services at the Coal Authority, published in RICS Land Journal, September 2008 (www.rics.org/site/scripts/download_info.aspx?fileID=525&categoryID=318).

Realities of gathering information into a product property exchange – GreenASAP

Over the last 16 years of practice, Wilbourn Associates, a firm of chartered environmental surveyors, had captured significant amounts of data, but interrogating this was impossible. As the surveying profession faced the economic downturn, new ways of working and presenting solutions had to be found. This applied to both the front end and the back office. If the business stayed static, it would have declined as clients looked for smarter solutions. As a result, Wilbourn Associates embarked upon a new business venture to deliver these solutions, known as GreenASAP Ltd, but the engine to this process was the development of a GIS platform and associated bespoke software development. This necessitated the licensing of mapping and other data with third-party suppliers.

Using expert advice, a statement of requirements was prepared to detail what was wanted before tenders were invited. This provided the backbone for the legal agreements upon the tender being awarded to the company that represented best value (not necessarily cheapest price). This also resulted in a root and branch overhaul of the way in which this practice worked, in particular how data was acquired for projects and applied. This would save significant costs in the long term. The data-capture exercise made it geospatially compatible with the GIS application.

In the short term, the project was delivered within the budget and on time, a testament to the detail contained in the original statement of requirements.

The website launched at Easter 2009 (www.greenasap.co.uk/) and the new product, known as the Greenlight Report, entered the marketplace.

Philip Wilbourn, Wilbourn Associates

04 Case studies


CityGRID

3-D digital environments (or ‘digital cities’) have been used for several of the largest cities in Europe for more than 10 years. They are far more than a 3-D visualisation tool. CityGRID uses a 3-D line-structure to store building information, as opposed to using faces. This provides the ability to maintain a city-scale model using database-type procedures.

To maximise the utilisation of the digital city, robust interoperability routines are critical. For example, reliable GIS compatibility relies on the model being logically structured: each building requires unique referencing. This reference requires persistency in order to be able to maintain the linkage with the attribute data and different scales of modelling, commonly referred to as level of detail (LoD). A building within a digital city will need to be represented at different LoDs for different applications. Working with a structured data set, it is possible to use the same base data, thereby reducing redundancy and the potential for inconsistency inherent in maintaining multiple versions of a data set. Using this approach gives CityGRID the ability to generate and export fully textured, photo-realistic 3-D models easily as required.

The 3D models use lines generated from photometric data, in addition to using an array of new and existing data-capture methods. These include 2-D plans, archive data, topographic surveys, photographs, terrestrial and airborne laser scan data (Lidar) and aerial photography. By applying structured 3-D modelling principles to subways and other subterranean objects this data can be incorporated into the digital city. The advantages of being able to analyse data both above and below ground is clear (and a current hot topic in the UK, with the UK Government’s Traffic Management Act (TMA)). CityGRID is being used by the city of Vienna to embed the municipal supply line into their cadastre using ArcGIS/ArcScene.

Experience has shown that 3-D simulation is an increasingly valuable tool for effective communication of complex planning issues. A draft master plan, especially for a non-technical audience, can be an intimidatingdocumentandactuallygenerateconflictthrough misunderstanding of aims. A 3-D model, with its intuitive representation of the environment (we all see the world about us in 3-D!) improves the quality of debate and option appraisal and accelerates the process.

The city of Vienna, as a World Heritage Site, invests significantly in the urban environment. The CityGRID model is used for a wide range of purposes. A significant example was for the proposed development of the Komet Grunde tower, which at one stage threatened the UNESCO status of the city. During the analysis the 3D design was varied in height and at each step a view-shed map was created to examine the potential impact on protected views. A maximum constriction height for the tower was agreed on the model output (Land Journal, March 2009 issue (www.rics.org/site/scripts/download_info aspx?downloadID=399)).

CityGRID (www.metgeoinfo.com/citygrid/citygrid-manager

Stephen Rixon, Met Geo Info.

22 February 2010

Insurance industry applications

Whetheritisflood,terroristactivityoranyothereventthat leads to loss or damage to property, life or profit, insurers are increasingly aware that geospatial information can assist in understanding and mitigating these risks.

A number of recent high-profile events (such as the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre in 2001, the explosion at the Buncefield Oil Depot in the UK in2005andtheUKsummerfloodsin2007),along with new legislation which will increase the need for underwriting transparency, have highlighted the fact that more sophisticated means are required to analyse and assess risk.

In order to better understand their risk, ensure the transparency required by legislation and ultimately reduce their combined operating ratio (a measure of profitability used by insurance companies), insurers are utilising geospatial data and geospatial analysis to assign an accurate geographic location to each of their policies

(geocoding); accurately assess the risk pertaining to eachexposure,suchasflood,fireorsubsidence(through peril or catastrophe modelling); and accurately calculate the combined risk of all exposures within the local area or region (accumulation) for the purpose of assessing if adequate reinsurance is in place.

Traditionally, the insurance sector has used coarse geographic referencing to identify the location of exposures, such as CRESTA zone or postcode data (within the UK). However, many insurers have come to realise that this coarse geographic reference no longer meets their needs in the highly regulated and competitive insurance market. By using a more accurate geographic reference to locate each exposure, and more detailed GI to assess and accumulate risk for each exposure, an insurance underwriter can better differentiate the risk by location, target locations of lower risk, price more accurately and ultimately write more business.

Figure 5: The location of each individual address (yellow dot) in relation to its corresponding postcode centroid location (red dot) determined from Ordnance Survey addressing data. Notice the Environment Agency flood model overlay on the left of the image, highlighting addresses that are within the flood area when the corresponding postcode is not, and vice versa. © Crown Copyright 2009

04 Case studies


After an insurance underwriter has accurately located an exposure and assessed it against potential perils, and before accepting it as a viable risk, they will also assess its proximity to other exposures that the organisation already insures, to calculate the accumulated risk within an area or region. This is to ensure no single significant event (catastrophe) results in significant losses to the organisation, which would exceed the reinsurance limit. If the evidence shows this to be a risk, the underwriter can then make a commercial decision to either seek more reinsurance or decline the new business. Accumulation can be calculated in various ways, from a sum of the total insured value within a fixed region, i.e. a CRESTA boundary, to calculating the total insured value within a user-defined distance of the potential new exposure, i.e. buffering.

With the development of more intelligent, larger-scale topographic mapping data, such as the OS MasterMap Topography Layer developed by Ordnance Survey, insurers are investigating more precise ways of assessing risk and calculating accumulation. This detailed, structured data allows insurers to work with individual features, such as buildings and other structures, rather than simple points, such as postcode centroids, and run peril models against them. This data also allows for the development of more accurate accumulation techniques, using accepted insurance standards for risks, such as the distance fire can leap between buildings.

James Darvill, Ordnance Survey

Figure 6: The intelligence and structure of Ordnance Survey’s OS MasterMap Topography Layer being used for improved accumulation modelling to identify all buildings and their use within a 10 metre buffer of an insured building. © Crown Copyright 2009

Central School of Reflexology

Transport Friendly Society

Kevin Dash, Architect ConsultancyBrewer Riddiford, Design Services

Majestic Wine Warehouse

The Randall Institute

H Kipps Deli

24 01 December 2009

4.4 Social

Google Earth

Google Earth is a dynamic, virtual globe map. It maps the earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite imagery and aerial photography. It is available under different licences: Google Earth, a free version with limited functionality, and Google Earth Pro, intended for commercial use. Google Earth allows use of satellite imagery, maps, terrain, 3-D buildings, from galaxies (Google Sky) in outer space to the canyons of the ocean. Terrestrial navigation is by address or coordinates. The degree of resolution available is based partially on the popularity of the points of interest. Most land (except for some islands) is covered by 15-metre resolution imagery, though in other areas the highest resolution can be 15cm.

Since its release to the public in June 2005, the impact of Google Earth has been enormous. It is reported to have caused more than a tenfold increase in media coverage on virtual globes between 2005 and 2006, triggering extensive public interest in geospatial technologies and applications.

The website www.londonprofiler.org provides an illustration of how Google Earth can be combined with a number of data sets.

Google Street View is a feature of Google Maps and Google Earth that provides, for many streets in the world, 360° horizontal and 290° vertical panoramic views from a row of positions along the street (one in every 10 or 20 metres, or so), from a height of about two metres. The coverage is expanding to include more and more cities around the world. Google Street View displays photostakenfromafleetofvehicles(orinsomecasesbikes, where access is restricted). On each of these vehicles there are nine directional cameras providing the 360° views, GPS units for positioning, laser range finders for the measuring of buildings and Wi-Fi aerials for whereabouts on 3G and Wi-Fi hot spots.

Profiling neighbourhoods: neighbourhood, crime and antisocial behaviour – Audit Commission Report

According to a 2009 Audit Commission Report, ‘A low crime rate is the largest single factor that determines where people want to live.’ The fear of crime, which includes antisocial behaviour, is more damaging to people’s quality of life than actual incidents of serious crime.

The manner in which information is aggregated is often at such a high level that it is difficult to show the real crime patterns in a particular neighbourhood.

By using analytical techniques combined with geo-demographic information, a means of understanding pubic concern, a neighbourhood level can be provided. ACORN (A Classification Of Residential Neighbourhoods) and MOSAIC are two examples of the range of widely used classification systems that cover the UK.

By using geo-demographic information, local agencies can create neighbourhood profiles. These profiles can model the risk of being the victim of, or witnessing, crime and antisocial behaviour. This can then be compared with average risks by using information from the British Crime Survey. It is possible to make a prediction of risk for every neighbourhood in the UK.

Further information about these methods is contained in the web tool Compiling Neighbourhood Profiles – a guide for local agencies.

These techniques require investment in technology and capacity-building in the skills required to manage and manipulate large volumes of data. One example of this type of analysis can be seen from Bradford’s Eccleshill ward (Figure 7, in report), where a strong relationship seems to be evident between predicted concerns about teenagers hanging around being a big problem’ (red circles) and observed pupil exclusions (small black boxes).

www.audit-commission.gov.uk/nationalstudies/communitysafety/neighbourhoodcrime/Pages/Default.aspx#downloads

04 Case studies


04 Case studies

26 February 2010

Fraud – use of GI in the fight against fraud

According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), fraud now costs the UK economy £14–20 billion per annum. Increasingly, GI is being used as a tool to help identify and mitigate fraudulent activity.

Traditionally, fraud analysts have used database mining techniques to identify suspicious patterns, known as fraud indicators, within databases. The use of GI can aid in the identification of certain fraud indicators and allow analysts to spatially mine databases to identify patterns that are not easily detectable using more conventional techniques. By taking a spatial approach, analysts can now identify and verify specific locations, addresses and businesses; carry out hot-spot analysis and identify areas of high volumes of suspicious activity, calculate distances involved in a single activity; (e.g. between claimants, witnesses and third parties), and perform route and network analysis.

In 2003 the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) used Ordnance Survey data to successfully reduce a large number of whiplash claims from a busy bus that had been involved in a staged accident with a car. Through plotting the home address of the claimants and the route of the bus involved in the accident, and other bus routes, the MIB was able to uncover information that gave cause for suspicion, in that a large number of the claimants appeared to have been travelling on the bus in a direction that bore no relation to their home address or stated destination. This information, allied with other evidence gathered, helped the MIB to established that the claimants had prior knowledge that the ‘accident’ was going to occur and that individuals had boarded that particular bus in order to participate in a mass whiplash scam. When presented with this evidence, 42 of the 43 claims were withdrawn or successfully rejected.

Chris Chambers, Ordnance Survey

04 Case studies


Figure 7: The home addresses of the passengers from the number 14 bus who had made a claim in red. The MIB identified that a large number of these claimants actually lived in an area that appeared to be better served by the number 19 bus. When questioned on this and other evidence, almost all of the claimants withdrew their claim. © Crown Copyright 2009

Local government and public access to planning decisions

PublicAccess is an online application which enables users to interrogate and comment on local authority planning information within Great Britain. The information that is available through PublicAccess comes direct from the individual local authority databases and contains planning, building and property information. Users can search and view properties and property history details, as well as review and comment on current planning applications.

Information may be retrieved through PublicAccess in a number of ways: an application search, an enforcement search, an appeal search, or by property search, as well as directly selecting properties from a map. The mapping application, which forms an integral part of the local authority internal business systems, can also be made available over the Web and enables users to see the extent of a planning application on a map, or identify other key information visually, with the help of user-friendly panning and zoom tools.

Once a planning application, enforcement or appeal has been identified, the user can interrogate the map

using the information tool to retrieve all relevant details pertaining to it, such as reference numbers, relevant addresses, the actual proposal and the status of the application. If the application is yet to be approved, the site provides a link for users to comment directly on the planning application.

The PublicAccess application is intended to provide efficiency gains and cost savings for local authorities by using technology to provide controlled public access to internal databases without huge amounts of development and IT infrastructure change. This frees up staff from handling routine enquiries, as members of the general public and consultees can find the information they require online, which speeds up processes, cuts down on administration, and reduces the need to print large numbers of hard copies. The online information is available 24/7 from anywhere with Internet access, providing all relevant information in a single place.

An example of the PublicAccess application can be seen at www.publicaccess.manchester.gov.uk/publicaccess/tdc/tdc_home.aspx

James Darvill, Ordnance Survey

28 February 2010

The fact that GI has become an everyday tool that many people use, either knowingly or unknowingly, can easily lead to the false assumption that little or no skill is required to use GI to advise clients or develop applications.

As a surveyor, you probably already are using GI, perhaps unknowingly, and in the future there will almost certainly be no area of practice where it does not have an application. Surveyors should ensure that they have the appropriate competence when using GI technology and advising clients.

The business value of GI is not only in improved efficiency but also in value-added initiatives, and it is this area that is open to entrepreneurial innovation. RICS members have detailed knowledge of specific areas of business and this should mean that they are well placed to develop and exploit innovative uses of GI (see 4.3 GreenASAP case study). Geo-technologies and applications are growing in complexity, data capacity and uses on an almost daily basis.

5.1 Caution

The surveyor should be aware of the limitations to the use of GI. There is a danger of data being used where it is not fit for purpose, or being used for a purpose other than that for which it was captured or created.

One area for caution is the inferences that can or might be made by combining one or more data sets. Variations in data accuracy can easily have unforeseen implications and produce results that can be misunderstood or misinterpreted, leading to potential litigation. Copyright and the permitted use of personal data vary around the world, and extreme caution must be applied in these areas. If in doubt, seek advice.

RICS practice statements and guidance notes have not been issued with regard to GIS or GI. This is a rapidly developing area and users are advised to make themselves familiar with standards that may apply at a national and local level in respect of surveying, data capture and the use of GI.

5.2 Ongoing developments

There are thousands of papers that point the way to developments in GI use, and it is impossible to explore every potential development in this information paper. A small selection of developments that may impact the surveying profession will show the general direction in this area. Many agree that remote sensing will become, if it is not already, the primary source for new data for many users. Another data source that is generating much interest is DEM, where sources such as Lidar are able to provide low-cost and reliable data.

There are developments in terms of capturing data from low-cost drones, where vertical and oblique images are taken at low altitude and may be used for a variety of applications, which include restrictions to roofs or high buildings.

International Standards Organisation (ISO): The ISO operates a specific committee –TC211– which deals with all internationally applicable standards related to GI. These standards deal with everything from data transfer to imagery to output. Interoperability and standardisation are at the core of the TC211 vision (www.isotc211.org/).

3-dimensional city modelling – accurate city models are now becoming available on a wide variety of platforms and make use of a wide variety of interoperable geo-data sources to help create a measurable and data-rich 3-D environment.

Lidar (light detection and ranging) is high- accuracy, high-resolution elevation data derived from airborne and ground-based sources. A laser is used to measure the distance between the aircraft and ground and between the aircraft/ vehicle and the vegetation canopy or building tops/facades.

05 Implications for RICS Members

29

Tracking applications, both real-time and historical, will support a range of applications, from security, crowd control and individual staff safety, through to local community uses. The advent of AVMs (see AVM case study) is an indication of how GI can be used to provide essential evaluation tools and redefine an area of professional practice. Across the world there are many examples of access to Wi-Fi being freely available to everyone. As the bandwidth increases, mobile computing will have fewer and fewer limitations, and more opportunity for the development of further applications. Many retail outlets are looking for lease/licence consideration or ICT applications in leases; a development that could change the way society interacts through mobile applications.

5.3 Innovation

In spite of recent exponential growth in GI developments and the convergence of associated technologies, the potential of GI remains massively underexploited. Recent (2010) UK policy initiatives strategic concept of ‘making public data public’ have led to the release of public datasets through web portals such as www.data.gov.uk. It is no coincidence that the majority of developed applications are spatially based.

In a marketplace that many would estimate will be worth billions of pounds over the next few years, the opportunity exists for innovation in the use and development of business and community applications for GI.

Globally, RICS members have the base skill and opportunity to explore and make entrepreneurial investments into new and innovative applications of GI. From mash-ups to the exploitation of high-quality data, the use of GI is a readily available opportunity which RICS members are well placed to take advantage of.

30 February 2010

6.1 The spatially enabled society

Many attempts have been made to predict the future and many of these predictions have proved to be far from accurate. The spatially enabled society is nearer than many might believe; indeed the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) has established a task force on Spatially Enabled Societies (SES).

The concept is based on a society with a virtual eGovernment in which the citizens no longer have to visit officials in their offices. Imagine a future in which citizens have all the information they require instantly available in their homes or even mobile devices: information about their pensions, student loans, medical history, taxes and children’s schools. All this will be possible without the need to submit the same information to multiple agencies. It’s a world in which businesses do not have to submit paperwork to the government; everything will be submitted electronically.

Norway’s Government is aiming to achieve such a society and is at the cutting edge of this area of development. Minister of Government Administration and Reform, Heidi Grande Røys, is quoted as saying: ‘We are a leader internationally when it comes to Internet access, on-line public services, the spread of mobile technology, the use of ICT in businesses and industry, good public registers and effective payment solutions.’ The Norwegian public service web portal ‘Mypage’ was awarded the European eGovernment Award for 2007, the European award for outstanding e-administration solutions.

The situation could arise where every citizen has a web page based on the location of where they live. They will have maps of their immediate location and beyond, and these will contain details and links to local information and access to all services on-line. Accessing the Norwegian gateway – www.norway.no/ – will provideaflavourofwhatiscurrentlyavailable.(Unlessyou are a Norwegian citizen, you will only be able to explore the portal at the highest level.)

When this approach is linked to the next generation of mobile GI there will be the potential to be connected to all your personal information and deal with geospatial issues online at the same time. This opens up a future where we will know where we are and how that location relates to services and facilities. Security for such a spatially enabled society will be of the highest priority. This is all much more feasible than is commonly thought.

6.2 Mobile phone technology

Around the globe the next generations of mobile GI will provide society with readily available location information to enable a new generation of real-time applications and services to be developed and marketed. Knowing where you, other people or services are and how they are related has always been an important aspect of society. The technology is there to support this need more than ever before, and surveyors are at the forefront of these developments.

Interest in integrated GPS, digital compasses and tilt- sensor applications within mobile phones is seeing a surge in the arrival of high-profile devices like Google’s G1 phone, Nokia’s Navigator and the hugely popular iPhone. These devices first locate themselves using GPS, then, by using other sensors, determine their orientation; and by cross-reference to a map database, they can identify the feature(s) at which they are pointed.

This technology is opening up a world of opportunity for the mass consumption of geospatial information. In effect the mobile phone becomes a portal for location-based services and information. For example, by pointing the device at a bus stop, tourist landmark, or perhaps a house with a ‘for sale’ sign, the user could receive timetables and travel times, tourist information or details and photographs of the house.

The Point to Discover project (http://p2d.ftw.at/downloads/geoconnexion.pdf) is a joint research project of the Telecommunications Research Centre in Vienna and Austrian mobile phone operator Mobilkom Austria and Siemens. It explores how these new mobile devices could change the way people navigate, explore and interact with their environment.

06 The future


6.3 Augmented reality

Augmented reality is a combination of a real scene viewed by a user and a virtual scene generated by a device that augments the scene with additional information to enhance the user experience. As the research and development of augmented reality continues, more and more potential applications look to utilise geospatial information in some form or another, usually incorporating GPS and orientation sensors to

determine the position and orientation of the user and to ensure that relevant location-based additional information is supplied.

The potential use of augmented reality in a fast paced urban environment such as Oxford street, central London can be seen in the image below. The user’s view of the real world is enhanced by the device highlighting businesses and places of interest, such as shops and libraries, or the direction of other venues.

Figure 8 shows shows potential use of augmented reality witin an urban setting, Oxford Street, Central London

© Crown Copyright 2009

32 February 2010

The list of websites below, whilst not exhaustive, is intended to provide a guide to further information sources. The Web is a dynamic information source, and whilst every care has been taken to check them, the reader may find that some have been changed or are now unavailable. All URLs were last accessed in December 2009.

CASA (UCL Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis) www.casa.ucl.ac.uk

GB GPS Net www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/gps/

Google Earth www.googleearth.com

Map Action www.mapaction.org

Norway Public sector www.norway.no

Notice to Mariners www.nmwebsearch.com

Open Street Map www.openstreetmap.org

Ordnance Survey (GB) www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk

Ordnance Survey (NI) www.lpsni.gov.uk

GeoVation http://www.geovation.org.uk

OS Openspace http://openspace.ordnancesurvey.co.uk

Pictometry www.blompictometry.com

Real Estate Solutions www.zillow.com

UCL London Profiler www.londonprofiler.org

UK Admiralty Online Digital Catalogue http://catalogue.ukho.gov.uk

UK Coal Authority www.coal.gov.uk

UK Hydrographic Office www.ukho.gov.uk

UK Location Strategy www.communities.gov.uk/documents/ communities/pdf/locationstrategy.pdf

United States map Data www.geodata.gov

World Mapper www.worldmapper.org/

Appendix 1: Resources


RICS guidance and professional information resources and reference sources (current as at December 2009)

All RICS official guidance can be downloaded free of charge from www.rics.org/standards

RICS members can also find the documents below and much more at www.rics.org/land and www.rics.org/mappp

Guidance notes

Guidelines on the use of GNSS in surveying and mapping (2nd edition), RICS guidance note, RICS Books, 2010.

Boundaries: procedures for boundary identification, demarcation and dispute resolution in England and Wales (1st edition), RICS guidance note, RICS books, 2009

Information papers

Land Markets and the Modern Economy (2nd edition), RICS information paper, RICS Books, Coventry, 2004

The following information papers are now superseded by this current publication, but may still be of historical interest to practioners. Geographical Analysis in Property Valuation, RICS information paper, RICS Books, Coventry, 1999

Property Information Today and Tomorrow, RICS information paper, RICS Books, Coventry, 1998

Using Geographical Information for Site Selection, RICS information paper, RICS Books, Coventry, 1999

RICS Research

All of the titles below can be sourced at www.rics.org/research

Adoption of GIS in the Accra Lands Commission Secretariat, 2003

Building Location into the Mass Valuation and Prediction of Prices for Residential Property in the UK within a GIS,1999

Creating an Urban Land Use Database, 2003

Developing a Geographic Information System (GIS) Based Mass Appraisal System, 2003

Forecasting Geographical Variations in Retail Rents, 1999

Making GIS Work in Developing Countries: Views from African Practitioners, 2008

Real Estate and the New Economy, 2008

Transport Accessibility and Land Value: A Case Study of Tyne and Wear, 2007

Utilisation of GIS in Labour Construction Market Planning Process, 2004

The potential of Synthetic Aperture Radar for assessing carbon storage in savanna woodlands, 2008

Rapid Mapping Techniques in coastal environments: monitoring the coastline, 2008

Exploring the needs and applicability of a 3D urban land register information system, 2009

Client specification

Surveys of land, building and utility services at scales of 1:500 and larger (2nd edition), RICS Books, Coventry, 1997

Vertical Aerial Photography and Derived Digital Imagery (5th edition), RICS Books, Coventry, 2010

34 February 2010

Client guides

Map projection scale factor – avoid the potential dangers of scale factor. This client guide seeks to explain in lay professional language geo-related concepts such as localised grid systems, scale error/distortion and the effects of linking into national mapping co-ordinate systems.

Scale – avoid tripping up over step changes in scale. This guide deals with the often misunderstood concept of scale and its relationship to spatial accuracy, survey specifications (including a quick topographic survey specification) and client needs.

Reassuringly accurate – controlling accuracy for better results. This guide deals with the critical issue of calibration and its relationship to accuracy, precision and project outcome. This guide offers essential advice for all survey clients and is an excellent ‘aid-memoire’ for all surveyors.

Virtually level − transition from the familiar benchmark to heighting using GPS. This guide explains how GNSS heighting techniques have, in recent years, superseded traditional benchmark control and underlines some of the issues that may be encountered. This guide is produced in partnership with Ordnance Survey GB.

Virtually Right? – Networked GPS – cost-effective networked GPS corrective services. This guide explains some of the issues and advantages of emerging national Real Time Kinematic (RTK) networks and the realities of surveying using commercial RTK services.

Terrestrial laser scanning – multifaceted surveying technology reaching maturity. This guide has been fully updated from the 2003 original and explains some of the survey issues behind laser scanning and what a client can really expect from this now ubiquitous survey data capture technology.

Applications of aerial photography and digital imagery – using ‘off the shelf’ and commissioned products. This new guide gives a concise and easy-to-read outline of what a client and surveyor can expect from current imagery products in a very fast moving technical environment.

Marine, offshore and coastal – an RICS perspective. This guide outlines just what RICS does in the marine/hydrographic surveying environment and how RICS qualifications can benefit you and your business.

Developing a Vertical Reference Surface for hydrography − vertical reference surfaces and how they can benefit marine data. This guide is produced in conjunction with FIG Comm 4 and focuses on the developing area of vertical reference surfaces such as VORF.

Additional further reading

Ambers, J. (2008) ‘CAMA and AVMs in the Public Sector’, paper delivered at the RICS Automated Valuation Conference, London, 4 November 2008.

Bronte, A (2008) ‘CAMA and AVM: a Case Study in Northern Ireland’, paper delivered at the RICS Automated Valuation Conference, London, 4 November 2008.

Downie, M.L. and Robson, G. (2007) Automated Valuation Models: an International Perspective, Council of Mortgage Lenders, London.

Appendix 1: Resources

rics.org/land

RICS HQ

Parliament Square London SW1P 3AD United Kingdom

Worldwide media enquiries:

E [email protected]

Contact Centre:

E [email protected] T +44 (0)870 333 1600 F +44 (0)20 7334 3811

Asia Room 1804 Hopewell Centre 183 Queen’s Road East Wanchai Hong Kong

T +852 2537 7117 F +852 2537 2756 [email protected]

Americas 60 East 42nd Street Suite 2918 New York, NY 10165 USA

T +1 212 847 7400 F +1 212 847 7401 [email protected]

Oceania Suite 2, Level 16 1 Castlereagh Street Sydney NSW 2000 Australia


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T +32 2 733 10 19 F +32 2 742 97 48 [email protected]

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India 48 & 49 Centrum Plaza Sector Road Sector 53, Gurgaon – 122002 India


United Kingdom Parliament Square London SW1P 3AD United Kingdom

T +44 (0)870 333 1600 F +44 (0)207 334 3811 [email protected]

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