Search Results (17)

This study develops a GIS-based, heritage-sensitive urban lighting framework for Niğde, Türkiye, integrating Sentinel-2 MSI Level-2A imagery (10 m), ASTER DEM, and municipal cadastral data. Five spatial criteria—land cover, parks, protected heritage assets, population distribution, and government institutions—were classified through supervised mapping, visibility analysis, and architectural integrity assessment. All layers were standardized and combined using a weighted-overlay approach, supported by sensitivity testing across three weighting scenarios to ensure model robustness. Priority zones are concentrated in the historic core, where cultural landmarks, central parks, and high-density residential areas overlap. Peripheral agricultural and rural zones exhibited minimal lighting needs. Field verification and expert consultation demonstrated 82% correspondence between modeled and observed priority and visibility patterns, while a structured nighttime audit and ecological checklist provided additional empirical grounding for lighting sufficiency, glare risks, and biodiversity considerations. Results emphasize context-specific lighting that strengthens cultural identity, improves pedestrian comfort and nighttime legibility, and reduces unnecessary energy use and light pollution. This approach offers a replicable workflow aligned with CIE 150:2017 and IES RP-8-18 guidance. Future work may incorporate dynamic population mobility, AHP-based weighting, and adaptive smart-lighting systems to scale the methodology across similar medium-sized heritage cities seeking balanced aesthetic, cultural, and ecological nighttime environments. Full article

In South Korea, Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU) collates greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories. However, the settlement category lacks a clear definition of land use and activity data. This study proposed a method for examining the settlement spatial extent and constructing activity data to estimate GHG emissions and absorption as a pilot calculation, as well as to provide data for land use classification. Utilizing cadastral maps (CDMs), settlement spatial extents were determined, with settlements occupying approximately 11% of the total land area in 2019, or 9% excluding overlaps. Activity data for settlements were established through a sampling method and analysis of aerial orthoimages from 2000 and 2019. After removing overlaps with digital forest type maps and smart farm maps, settlement activity data covered approximately 18.47% based on CDMs, or 12.66% excluding overlaps. In 2019, CO₂ emissions and absorptions were estimated at 622.16 ktCO₂yr⁻¹ based on CDMs and 242.16 ktCO₂yr⁻¹, excluding overlaps. To enhance GHG inventory calculation consistency and compliance with TACCC principles, clear spatial extents for settlements must be established. This entails constructing activity data and assessing GHG inventories accordingly. GHG inventory statistics should also inform future nationally determined contributions. Full article

Enriching and updating maps are among the most important tasks of any urban management organization for informed decision making. Urban cadastral map enrichment is a time-consuming and costly process, which needs an expert’s opinion for quality control. This research proposes a smart framework to enrich a cadastral base map using a more up-to-date map automatically by machine learning algorithms. The proposed framework has three main steps, including parcel matching, parcel change detection and base map enrichment. The matching step is performed by checking the center point of each parcel in the other map parcels. Support vector machine and random forest classification algorithms are used to detect the changed parcels in the base map. The proposed models employ the genetic algorithm for feature selection and grey wolf optimization and Harris hawks optimization for hyperparameter optimization to improve accuracy and performance. By assessing the accuracies of the models, the random forest model with feature selection and grey wolf optimization, with an F1-score of 0.9018, was selected for the parcel change detection method. Finally, the detected changed parcels in the base map are deleted and relocated automatically with corresponding parcels in the more up-to-date map by the affine transformation. Full article

In many governments, a digital transformation is gradually taking place in their municipal governance, not without many difficulties due to the lack of resources and qualified professionals. This is where the cadastre, understood as a multifunctional tool, provides a strategic vision of the socio-economic situation of the territory through geospatial data. If environmental conditions are added to this information, a diagnostic tool can be used by citizens under the concept of “Smart Communities” for the application of public policies to ensure that the administration of the territory is more efficient and to strengthen decision making. Full article

Millions of formal and informal land rights are still undocumented worldwide and there is a need for scalable techniques to facilitate that documentation. In this context, sketch mapping based on printed high-resolution satellite or aerial imagery is being promoted as a fit-for-purpose land administration method and can be seen as a promising way to collect cadastral and land use information with the community in a rapid and cost-effective manner. The main disadvantage of paper-based mapping is the need for digitization to facilitate the integration with existing land administration information systems and the sustainable use of the data. Currently, this digitization is mostly done manually, which is time-consuming and error-prone. This article presents the SmartLandMaps approach to land rights mapping and digitization to address this gap. The recording involves the use of sketches during participatory mapping activities to delineate parcel boundaries, and the use of mobile phones to collect attribute information about spatial units and land rights holders. The digitization involves the use of photogrammetric techniques to derive a digital representation from the annotated paper maps, and the use of computer vision techniques to automate the extraction of parcel boundaries and stickers from raster maps. The approach was deployed in four scenarios across Africa, revealing its simplicity, versatility, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. It can be regarded as a scalable alternative to traditional paper-based participatory land rights mapping. Full article

Despite the already advanced work on the construction of jurisdictional 3D cadastre models in many parts of the world and the technical feasibility of building very detailed 3D models of cities, relatively few specialists have focused on the aspects of visualizing property rights in three dimensions. Therefore, to complement the analyses carried out so far in this area, this research aims to investigate the perception of the visualization of multidimensional real estate data using different visual variables and by different audiences. The main contribution of the conducted research to the development of 3D cadastre visualizations is to start a discussion on the differences in their perception among real estate professionals and those who have no experience in this area and may have to use multidimensional property data. The research was conducted using a questionnaire-based survey method with the computer-assisted web interview (CAWI) technique. The questionnaire was completed by students of a course related to real estate law (geodetic science) and those who do not have regular contact with it (environmental engineering, medicine, sports, mechanics, and management). As a result of the survey, it emerged that the group studying geodetic science performed better on average than students in other fields of study. Additionally, the conducted survey confirmed the existing knowledge of the perception of the visualization of property rights in three dimensions. According to it, visualizations of property rights in 3D should use color. The use of transparency helps in visualisations made in grayscale but interferes with more complex colorful objects. Full article

Land administration and management systems (LAMSs) have already made progress in the field of 3D Cadastre and the visualization of complex urban properties to support property markets and provide geospatial information for the sustainable management of smart cities. However, in less developed economies, with informally developed urban areas—the so-called self-made cities—the 2D LAMSs are left behind. Usually, they are less effective and mainly incomplete since a large number of informal constructions remain unregistered. This paper presents the latest results of an innovative on-going research aiming to structure, test and propose a low-cost but reliable enough methodology to support the simultaneous and fast implementation of both 2D land parcel and 3D property unit registration of informal, multi-story and unregistered constructions. An Indoor Positioning System (IPS) built upon low-cost Bluetooth technology combined with an innovative machine learning algorithm and connected with a 3D LADM-based cadastral mapping mobile application are the two key components of the technical solution under investigation. The proposed solution is tested for the first floor of a multi-room office building. The main conclusions concern the potential, usability and reliability of the method. Full article

This paper introduces smart marine ecosystem-based planning (SMEP), a marine spatial planning (MSP) strategy for more participatory and responsive marine governance by leveraging “smart” digital services. SMEP denotes an iterative MSP process with planning cycles that incorporate continuous data gathering of spatial–temporal natural phenomena and human activities in coastal and marine areas, with ongoing data mining to locate key patterns and trends, to strive for periodic refinement of the MSP output. SMEP aims to adopt an ecosystem-based approach, taking into account both living and nonliving aspects of the marine environment, and making use of all available spatial data at various resolutions. In pursuit of SMEP implementation, the paper examines the current state of the MSP process in Greece and relates its long-term success with the establishment of a marine spatial data infrastructure (MSDI), employing contemporary nautical cartography standards along with hydrospatial data services. Full article

When surveying national reference points using a global positioning system (GPS), appropriate work regulations pertaining to the surveying time must be observed. However, such data can be modified easily, so identifying non-compliance with work regulations and forgeries is challenging. If such incidents occur in cadastral surveys, it may result in financial damages to stakeholders, such as citizens and the state. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the reliability by ensuring the integrity of the GPS positioning data and allowing anyone to track them. In this study, a prototype system was developed to record GPS data and the corrections generated during survey processes using the Ethereum blockchain network. Blockchain is a distributed ledger system that prevents the manipulation of uploaded data without the need for a centralized institution by allowing anyone to check the data. Unlike in the past, the proposed system improves the data integrity and reliability for the entire survey process through blockchain, thereby ensuring transparency of the checks using smart contract addresses. Full article

Recently, remotely sensed data obtained via laser technology has gained great importance due to its wide use in several fields, especially in 3D urban modeling. In fact, 3D city models in urban environments are efficiently employed in many fields, such as military operations, emergency management, building and height mapping, cadastral data upgrading, monitoring of changes as well as virtual reality. These applications are essentially composed of models of structures, urban elements, ground surface and vegetation. This paper presents a workflow for modeling the structure of buildings by using laser-scanned data (LiDAR) and multi-spectral images in order to develop a 3D web service for a smart city concept. Optical vertical photography is generally utilized to extract building class, while LiDAR data is used as a source of information to create the structure of the 3D building. The building reconstruction process presented in this study can be divided into four main stages: building LiDAR points extraction, piecewise horizontal roof clustering, boundaries extraction and 3D geometric modeling. Finally, an architecture for a 3D smart service based on the CityGML interchange format is proposed. Full article

The emergence of “blockchain” technology as an alternative data management technique has spawned a myriad of conceptual and logical design work across multiple industries and sectors. It is also argued to enable operationalisation of the earlier “smart contract” concept. The domain of land administration has actively investigated these opportunities, albeit also largely at the conceptual level, and usually with a whole-of-sector or “big bang” industry transformation perspective. Less reporting of applied case applications is evident, particularly those undertaken in collaboration with practicing land sector actors. That said, pilots and test cases continue to act as a basis for understanding the relative merits, drawbacks, and implementation challenges of the smart contract concept in land administration. In this vein, this paper extends upon and further refines the existing discourse on smart contracts within the land sector, by giving an updated, if not more nuanced, view of example applications, opportunities, and barriers. In contrast to the earlier works, a hybrid solution that mixes smart contract use with existing technology infrastructure—enabling preservation of the role of a land registry agency as the ultimate arbiter of valid claims—is proposed. This is hypothesised to minimise disruptions, whilst maximising the benefits. Examination of proof-of-concept work on smart contract and blockchain applications in Sweden, Australia (State of New South Wales), and Canada (Province of British Columbia) is undertaken. Comparative analysis is undertaken using several frameworks including: (i) business requirements adherence, (ii) technology readiness and maturity assessment, and (iii) strategic grid analysis. Results show that the hybrid approach enables adherence to land dealing business requirements and that the proofs-of-concept are a necessary step in the development trajectory. Furthering the uptake will likely depend on again taking a whole-of-sector perspective, and attending to remaining issues around business models, stakeholder acceptance, partnerships and trust building, and legal issues linked to data decentralisation and security. Full article

In 2020, digital transformation was a major theme to commemorate Indonesia’s main agrarian law’s anniversary. This theme is a reminder of the need to fully implement digital services to improve the quality of land registration products that are cheap, easy to operate, perform quickly, and are trusted by the community. However, no research has comprehensively assessed the readiness of the digital transformation of land services in Indonesia. This paper aims to evaluate the readiness of a land office to achieve digital transformation visions. Here, we apply the Digital Governance Assessment Framework (DGRA), adapted to the land service sector, as the basis for conducting this evaluation. The nine core indicators of the DGRA toolkit are used as a basis for assessment. Desk studies were conducted to identify formal legislation and to find the technical specifications. Direct observations and in-depth interviews were conducted with stakeholders to find user needs and evaluate the implementation of current regulations on the land service business process. Quality assessment was carried out on land registration data at the Land Office of Yogyakarta City as a sample. The quality assessment results indicate a problem with completeness, conformity, consistency, accuracy, duplication, and integrity. In conclusion, the readiness level still needs improvement, especially in the indicator related to Cyber Security, Privacy, and Resilience (1.0). Even though the Leadership and Governance, User-Centered Design, and Public Administration Reforms and Change Management sections shows a reasonably high score (≥2.0), other core sections, namely Technology Infrastructure (1.7), Legislation and Regulation (1.4), Data Infrastructure, Strategies, and Governance (1.8) are mediocre, and therefore they need improvement. Full article

The origins of digital money and blockchain technology goes back to the 1980s, but in the last decade, the blockchain technology gained large popularity in the financial sector with the appearance of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. However, recently, many other fields of application have been recognized, particularly with the development of smart contracts. Among them is the possible application of blockchain technology in the domain of land administration, mostly as a tool for transparency in the developing countries and means to fight corruption. However, developed countries also find interest in launching pilot projects to test their applicability in land administration domain for reasons such as to increase the speed and reduce costs of the real property transactions through a more secure environment. In this paper, we analyse how transactions are handled in Serbian land administration and how this process may be supported by modern ledger technologies such as blockchain. In order to analyse how blockchain could be implemented to support transactions in land information systems (LIS), it is necessary to understand cadastral processes and transactions in LIS, as well as legislative and organizational aspects of LIS. Transactions in cadastre comprise many actors and utilize both alphanumeric (descriptive or legal) data and geospatial data about property boundaries on the cadastral map. Based on the determined requirements for the blockchain-based LIS, we propose a system architecture for its implementation. Such a system keeps track of transactions in LIS in an immutable and tamper-proof manner to increase the security of the system and consequently increase the speed of transactions, efficiency, and data integrity without a significant impact on the existing laws and regulations. The system is anticipated as a permissioned public blockchain implemented on top of the Ethereum network. Full article

Rooftop photovoltaic solar systems can be an essential tool to support the energy transition of Europe. The assessment of solar power generation potential in urban areas, necessary for smart grid planning, requires the processing of data of different types, such as building cadastral information, a detailed description of available roof areas, and solar irradiation data. We introduce an algorithm for the fast calculation of the building’s shadows and a procedure for the integration of solar irradiation in time. We therefore develop a methodology that allows a fast evaluation with minimal computational resources, and we apply it to an urban scenario of a medium-sized European city obtaining an estimate of the complete census PV power generation potential, with a spatial resolution of 1 m. We validate the results by comparison with a reference procedure, obtaining minimal deviation with a much lower demand for computational resources. Full article

Various jurisdictions are currently in the process of reforming their cadastral systems to achieve a smart and multidimensional system that provides a range of land administration services to the wider community. The state of Victoria in Australia has been actively modernizing its cadastral system since the 1990s by developing a digital cadastre database, an online digital cadastral plan lodgment portal named SPEAR, and smart cadastre services for validating and visualizing digital data in the ePlan (LandXML) format. However, due to challenges in the implementation of the smart cadastre lifecycle in Victoria, the uptake of ePlan is currently low across the surveying industry. This study aims to explore the feasibility of implementing a smart platform for managing ePlan lodgments in Victoria, which provides all required services within an integrated digital environment. To achieve this aim, the business and technical requirements for realizing a single smart cadastral platform are first explored. A proof of concept (PoC) is then developed to showcase a suitable approach for developing this platform. The evaluation of the PoC confirmed that integration of smart cadastre services into a single environment could significantly streamline the digital cadastral data management processes in Victoria. Full article