Mapmaking For The Masses

In an academic journal article, noted geographer Michael Goodchild argues that user-generated content can profoundly impact Geographic Information Systems.

2 minute read

January 2, 2008, 10:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"...'Volunteered geographic information' has the potential to be a significant source of geographers' understanding of the surface of the Earth. Its most interesting, lasting and compelling value to geographers lies in what it can tell them about local activities in various geographic locations that go unnoticed by the world's media," Goodchild says.

From the conclusion of his paper:

"The world of VGI [volunteered geographic information] is chaotic, with little in the way of formal structures. Information is constantly being created and cross-referenced, and flows in all directions, since producers and consumers are no longer distinguishable. Timescales are enormously compressed, and a site such as Wikimapia can go from zero to millions of entries in a matter of months.

What is perhaps most surprising about the world of VGI is the fact that tens of thousands of citizens are willing to spend large amounts of time contributing, without any hope of financial reward, and often without any assurance that anyone will ever make use of their contributions. The same kind of motivation drives the world of blogs, and is one of the most interesting of the many new kinds of social behavior that have emerged with the rise of the Internet.

Like any large-scale activity, VGI is having its own effects on geospatial standards. KML, the language of the Google Earth API, is now the subject of an agreement with the Open Geospatial Consortium, which hopes to adopt it as a standard for communication with virtual globes."

Monday, December 31, 2007 in Science Daily

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight