Spatial data: from cartography to geodatabase

Abstract

The final goal of this paper was to fix a brief summary on the status of geographic information in Italy due to the technological steps and national regulations. The acquisition, processing and sharing of spatial data has experienced a significant acceleration thanks to the development of computer technology and the acknowledgment of the need for standardization and homogenization of information held by public authorities and individuals. The spatial data represents the essential knowledge in the management and development of a territory both in terms of planning for safety and environmental prevention. In Italy there is an enormous heritage of spatial information which is historically affected by a problem of consistency and uniformity, in order to make it often contradictory in its use by the public decision-maker and private parties. The recent history of geographic information is characterized by a significant effort aimed at optimizing this decisive technical and cultural heritage allowing the use of it to all citizens in a logic of sharing and re-use and may finally represent a common good available to all.

Keywords:

• cartography
• geodatabase
• geotopographical database
• geodesy
• INSPIRE
• ETRS89
• Roma40

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ugo Falchi

Ugo FALCHI. He is tenured Assistant Professor at the Department of Sciences and Technologies, University of Naples “Parthenope” for Scientific and Disciplinary Group ICAR/06 – Topography and Cartography. Graduated with full marks in Civil Engineering at University of Cagliari, he obtained his Research Fellowship at University of Cagliari with a research titled: “The automatic cartographic generalization in GIS enviroment”. He has participated to research projects financed by MIUR, UE, taking care himself of Geographical database, Cartography, GIS and Photogrammetry. He is a PhD Doctoral College Professor and Tutor in Geomatica, Navigation and Geodesy. He is author or co-author of more than 20 papers published in scientific journals or proceedings of National or International Conferences.