Regional geoportals of selected European countries – a comparative study

Dariusz Dukaczewski
Institute of Geodesy and Cartography, Warsaw
Poland

Agata Ciołkosz-Styk
Institute of Geodesy and Cartography, Warsaw
Poland

Maciej Sochacki
Institute of Geodesy and Cartography, Warsaw
Poland

Abstract

The growing need for spatial information, technical progress, as well as legal requirements of the INSPIRE Directive has resulted in a considerable intensification of the development of regional geoportals in European Union and the countries of the European Economic Area. This implies the need for monitoring the state of art of regional geoportals, taking into consideration the opportunities and limitations of their development and relations with INSPIRE. According to the survey of May 2012, in EU and EEA countries 143 geoportals of first – level public administration units existed. The spatial data were also distributed (in limited extent) by 151 public administration portals at this level.
The research carried on 130 regional geoportals (working in May 2012) included analysis of the thematic scope of spatial data accessible with these geoportals, their functionalities, as well as employed methods of cartographic presentation (and its semiotic correctness). The application of Bertin’s method of data order allowed to propose a typology of thematic scope of spatial data accessible with geoportals. The authors also proposed a typology of geoportals, employing the criterion of thematic scope and functionalities.
The results of the research carried out were used to update and to extend the GEMS – Geoportals in Europe Metadata Service, maintained by the Institute of Geodesy and Cartography.

Keywords:

regional geoportals; INSPIRE

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