The Role of LADM in Configurable Geographic Information Systems

Abstract

Utilizing common language within industries has long been a successful pattern within geographic information systems (GIS) to assist in identification of suitable industry specific workflows. As technology itself advances, the need for highly accessible common industry language is even more pronounced. The Land Administration Domain Model (LADM) provides this common industry language to the land administration community through the form of academic writings and diagrams. Hands on utilization of the LADM has dictated the need for interpretation as a schema. With the advancement of GIS technologies to include not only desktop oriented spatial analysis capabilities, but also mobile field collection, web based dynamic data monitoring, time enabled tracking and the promise of an upcoming three-dimensional cadastre, it is of the most importance that the land administration domain model must lend itself to ready interpretation as an easily understandable schema as well as a common language. Before exploring the importance of the LADM schema to upholding land administration dialogue in an interconnected environment within GIS, it is important to look at the reasoning for the initial interpretation of LADM into schema within spatial software and what the ramifications are for bringing LADM into a spatial oriented architecture. One of the first implementations of LADM as working fit for purpose spatial schema format was published online by Ken Gorton of Esri in 2015 to support a pilot project including field data collection in Colombia following the peace talks which began in 2012. According to Gorton via the metadata provided on GitHub, “The LADM schema for the Colombia Pilot project was implemented […] with the purpose of representing the relevant and essential characteristics of the original schema designed by Dutch Kadaster, adding the spatial capabilities of the geodatabase and supporting the overall workflow of the data collection to be executed during the pilot.” In short, while the LADM as documented serves as an excellent road map for creating a schema, in practice some modifications are necessary to make it accessible to a technologically advancing audience. Geographic information systems are predicated on interconnectivity, and in turn are reliant upon development of a common language or ontology, as discussed above. As hardware technology has advanced and made it possible to carry increasingly powerful portable processors anywhere, accessing data seamlessly any time has become an expectation for many around the globe. Even in places where connectivity is not reliably available, field data collection workflows revolve around sending data wirelessly back to a single source. For swift transferal of data from a mobile source to the original, a common schema is necessary. The ability to successfully transfer data resulted in the advent of dynamic dashboarding and other visualization tools that change on the fly as new data is added, enabling decision makers to see progress, cause and effect without running computations or having to conceptualize from raw data or written reports. Understanding the advancements that are already beginning to change the terrain of geographic information systems is critical to maintaining the LADM as the common language used within land administration – from fit for purpose to government cadastral agencies. The addition of a third (volume) and fourth (time) dimension to spatial understanding will shape the future of human interaction with land administration policy. The Land Administration Domain Model should evolve to support that advancement by becoming ever more intuitive to understand and translate to schema as the industry continues to gain insight into necessary components of the model itself through practical use.