Semantic Spatial Representation and Collaborative Mapping in Urban and Regional Planning: The OnToMap Community Project

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the theme of the spatial representation of cities and the territory and the collaborative construction of territorial knowledge. The described research concerns the “OnToMap. Mappe di Comunità 3.0” project, focused on the definition of a methodology that implements a semantic representation of territory. That type of representation supports the description of big and open data and of its properties in a unified language. OnToMap enables the sharing of information on the web by providing an integrated perspective on territorial data, as demonstrated in an experimentation with Ph.D. students of the Politecnico di Torino. OnToMap is also part of the H2020 funded project WeGovNow, based on the integration of GIS tools, VGI practices and Web 3.0 applications: an example of citizens’ involvement in the urban redevelopment process of Parco Dora in Turin, which aims was make more inclusive (in terms of empowerment) and efficient urban planning policies. Semantic Spatial Representation and Collaborative Mapping in Urban and Regional Planning: The OnToMap Community Project