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Although by many perceived as important, spatial data quality has hardly ever been taken centre stage unless something went wrong due to bad quality. However, we think this is going to change soon. We are more and more relying on data driven processes and due to the increased availability of data, there is a choice in what data to use. How to make that choice? We think spatial data quality has potential as a selection criterion. In this paper we focus on how a workflow tool can help the consumer as well as the producer to get a better understanding about which product characteristics are important. For this purpose, we have developed a framework in which we define different roles (consumer, producer and intermediary) and differentiate between product specifications and quality specifications. A number of requirements is stated that can be translated into quality elements. We used case studies to validate our framework. This framework is designed following the fitness for use principle. Also part of this framework is software that in some cases can help ascertain the quality of datasets.

To date, use of the full potential of geo-information is not often applied in the daily practice of policy makers. The main questions explored by this research are: Why is geo-information not widely used in policy and how can this be improved? A conceptual framework was developed to evaluate the use of geo-information. For five cases, the use of geo-information was evaluated by means of this framework. The results of the evaluation, as well as the usefulness of the framework, are discussed. Recommendations on spatial thinking and practice, availability and quality of a spatial data infrastructure and implementation of new geo-applications in policy-making are also made.

The application of standards in the software development process supports interoperability between systems. Maintenance of standards must be guaranteed on the organisational and technical level. The use of semantic technologies can contribute to the standard maintenance process by providing a harmonizing bridge between standards of different knowledge domains and languages and by providing a single point of administration for standard domain concepts. This paper describes a case study of the creation of a semantic layer between software standards for water management systems in The Netherlands.

Interactive spatial planning requires the development of planning support systems (PSSs) that are specifically tailored to support the exchange of ideas and visions during the planning process. This article presents SimLandScape, a client-server-based PSS designed to combine sketching and geographic information system (GIS) functionality. The PSS is implemented on an interactive digital surface, the MapTable, which makes it easy to use and retains the sketching experience. Using the MapTable, participants work together to explore the environment, exchange ideas about the direction of future development and sketch the first designs of a spatial plan. The close integration of the PSS with GIS allows spatial models to be plugged into the system. These can be used to calculate indicators that offer insights into how well a sketch plan meets predetermined criteria. SimLandScape was developed according to a socio-technical development strategy, which ensured close collaboration between software developers, spatial planners and designers. It was tested and evaluated in three case studies, which demonstrated its applicability, especially during the initial phases of an interactive spatial planning process. URBAN DESIGN International (2011) 16, 7-18. doi: 10.1057/udi.2010.17; published online 15 September 2010

This research presents the Digital Dowsing Rod (DIWI1) a framework of a Location Based Service (LBS) to explore the cultural heritage of a region. The DIWI consists of a service oriented architecture (SOA), a web-client, a content management system and a mobile client based on smart phones and windows mobile technology. The chosen set-up allows for an easy management of the content and allows for a relative easy extension of the system by additional data-sources.

This chapter describes an empirical study to develop a dynamic usability framework for spatial domain applications. The framework consists of five interrelated abstraction levels, which are hypothesis, typology, variables, elements, and measures. Each abstraction level has provided the theoretical basis for the design and implementation of a usability test to investigate the effects of map interactive displays on user satisfaction across two types of commercial web mapping applications. Data collected were analysed to test the hypothesis whether web mapping applications exhibiting a higher degree of usability can be associated with greater measured user satisfaction. The findings are especially useful for designers of web mapping applications and can aid in the maintenance phases of web mapping interfaces.