SDI Convergence - Global Spatial Data Infrastructure Association

Furthermore, we pointed out that the enabling technology, based on Semantic Web
technologies including RDF tuples and SPARQL queries allows us to create a truly
flexible and dynamic solution. It enables the user to approach any piece of information
either starting from the map side or from the text side, and even more important, it allows
for intelligent support, i.e. automated reasoning. In this paper we showed how this
can be used for constrains satisfaction and conflict resolution, but more complex reasoning
about regulations related to spatial objects is also possible using the same underlying
technology. For a more detailed description of this technology we refer to
Hoekstra et al. (2009).
Further research
Further research should concentrate on other European areas of legal and semantic
implications for policy making and balancing interests. Within the spatial domain a future
research area could be on balancing environmental with economic and recreational
interests in the context of INSPIRE.
The massive volumes of data required to provide simple services is another area for
further research One of the prototypes, for example, already contained 3.5 gigabytes of
content that was collected from 10 municipalities, five large infrastructural sources and
the chamber of commerce. This data was used to ‘fill’ the prototype and was additional
to the already vast amount of content obtained from the province. The issue of content
volume becomes more important if we model legal knowledge-based systems at European
scale (because of the jurisdictions of national laws).
We will further develop and test new versions of Legal Atlas in 2009. In a new version
we will further improve the capacity to handle conflicting interests, to visualise and interact
with policy intentions and use automated ‘seeking area’.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors thank Mary Haselager, Kees Kersten and Jolanka Perk of Geopolis Flevoland
and the Public-i team for their contribution to the research presented in this article.
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