Rohan Bennett

Spatial information opportunities for government

Land administration systems (LAS) are now challenged by new technologies and radically different demands for land information for modern governments. Spatial information is good enough to support spatial identification and location enablement applications available in every significant type of software (word processing, spread sheets, professional applications, Web systems, GIS and databases). A place on earth can be defined with precision on the ground and in computers. Digital data can be attached to a location as never before. With appropriate computer facilities and the underpinning interpretative information layers which translate computer language into understandable descriptions of places, governments can potentially identify ‘where’ their policies are happening. A nations ability to reap the benefits of the spatial enablement of information requires the highest level input from its government and private sectors. These challenges are discussed in the context of developing a vision of iLand, a concept of spatially enabled information for modern government. This article sets this vision in the history of land administration, and the growing reliance on a new kind of information about land and its attributes that is relative and aspatial in regulation of activities and taxation.

Review of automatic feature extraction from high-resolution optical sensor data for UAV-based cadastral mapping

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have emerged as a rapid, low-cost and flexible acquisition system that appears feasible for application in cadastral mapping: high-resolution imagery, acquired using UAVs, enables a new approach for defining property boundaries. However, UAV-derived data are arguably not exploited to its full potential: based on UAV data, cadastral boundaries are visually detected and manually digitized. A workflow that automatically extracts boundary features from UAV data could increase the pace of current mapping procedures. This review introduces a workflow considered applicable for automated boundary delineation from UAV data. This is done by reviewing approaches for feature extraction from various application fields and synthesizing these into a hypothetical generalized cadastral workflow. The workflow consists of preprocessing, image segmentation, line extraction, contour generation and postprocessing. The review lists example methods per workflow step—including a description, trialed implementation, and a list of case studies applying individual methods. Furthermore, accuracy assessment methods are outlined. Advantages and drawbacks of each approach are discussed in terms of their applicability on UAV data. This review can serve as a basis for future work on the implementation of most suitable methods in a UAV-based cadastral mapping workflow.

Review of the Current State of UAV Regulations

UAVs—unmanned aerial vehicles—facilitate data acquisition at temporal and spatial scales that still remain unachievable for traditional remote sensing platforms. However, current legal frameworks that regulate UAVs present significant barriers to research and development. To highlight the importance, impact, and diversity of UAV regulations, this paper provides an exploratory investigation of UAV regulations on the global scale. For this, the methodological approach consists of a research synthesis of UAV regulations, including a thorough literature review and a comparative analysis of national regulatory frameworks. Similarities and contrasting elements in the various national UAV regulations are explored including their statuses from the perspectives of past, present, and future trends. Since the early 2000s, countries have gradually established national legal frameworks. Although all UAV regulations have one common goal—minimizing the risks to other airspace users and to both people and property on the ground—the results reveal distinct variations in all the compared variables. Furthermore, besides the clear presence of legal frameworks, market forces such as industry design standards and reliable information about UAVs as public goods are expected to shape future developments.

Utilising data modelling to understand the structure of 3D cadastres

No jurisdiction currently maintains a fully functioning 3D cadastre. Lack of legal support, guidelines, and available technologies for acquiring and visualising 3D cadastral objects provide reasons. Additionally, the scope of 3D cadastres is wide and ambiguous with no firm agreement on the necessity and structure of 3D cadastres. Without a clear scope and vision, implementation of 3D cadastres is difficult. This paper builds from this premise. It is argued that developing a 3D cadastral data model is an effective methodology to identify and understand the scope and nature of 3D cadastres. This paper proposes a 3D cadastral data model (3DCDM). The 3DCDM provides a practical framework to model layered legal objects of survey plans and their physical counterparts using architectural and engineering plans. The data model is based on the requirements of 3D cadastre and it provides a resilient starting point for developing a 3D cadastral database.

A toolbox for mapping and managing new interests over land

Abstract The drive for sustainable development has led governments to create new interests over land. The role of cadastral and registration systems in the mapping and management of these new interests is unclear. Whilst these systems have always played an important role in the administration of land parcels and ownership, the new land interests are increasingly being mapped and managed elsewhere. As a result administrative inefficiencies and transaction complexities are growing. Existing cadastral and registration systems have the capacity to improve the situation; however, a guiding framework for their inclusion is needed. This paper introduces a framework of principles that articulate the roles of cadastres and registration systems in the management of new land interests. Importantly the framework is holistic and reflects other components essential to good land administration. These include the roles of land policy, legislation, flexible tenures, institutions, spatial data infrastructures and capacity building. The principles will systematize the management of land interests across different jurisdictions.

Fit-for-purpose land administration: lessons from urban and rural Ethiopia

Lessons for designing fit-for-purpose land administration and land management activities, where the stated purposes are poverty alleviation, food security, and good governance, are provided. Contemporary developments from urban and rural Ethiopia provide the empirical basis: data is synthesised from fieldwork and other research activities undertaken between 2011 and 2013. With its large population and important geopolitical location, Ethiopia will continue to act as a yardstick for measuring the success of the global development agenda, particularly in Eastern Africa. Observations from training sessions conducted with cadastral and urban planning experts in Addis Ababa reveal challenges and opportunities regarding capacity development for urban land administration, urban land markets, and state land management. From the city of Bahir Dar, an alternative perspective of urban land administration is provided: the presented results shed light on the varying quality of cadastral development, but also the positive and negative impacts of cadastral implementation. Meanwhile, results from Dilla Town reveal the opportunity to link cadastral development to other infrastructure development activities (e.g. road construction and upgrade). The case also reveals the ongoing tension between ensuring adequate compensation payments relating to land acquisition, whilst also delivering a broader community benefit. Outputs from exploratory design work on the potential for land consolidation in the Amhara region are also articulated. The status of cadastral development in rural areas is revealed, along with future challenges for using cadastral data in land consolidation activities. Overall, the synthesised studies expose how fit-for-purpose ideologies are increasingly informing Ethiopian cadastral design, and under what conditions these designs can support poverty alleviation, food security, and good governance.

Neo-cadastres: innovative solution for land users without state based land rights, or just reflections of institutional isomorphism?

Abstract In many countries, authority for maintaining records of land ownership lies with national or state institutes, called ‘cadastres’ or ‘land registries’. The emergence of volunteered geographic information (VGI) and crowdsourcing potentially challenges this state based authority, enabling the construction of ‘neo’-cadastres (using the analogy of ‘neo’geography). Individual citizens can themselves map and record land tenure rights. This paper explores if and how VGI and crowdsourcing may redefine the state based cadastres and land registries, and the roles of land users who claim land rights outside of the state based institutions. Using theories of institutions and isomorphism we hypothesise that a parallel exists between emerging open systems and situations where no state-based cadastre exists: participants in both situations will position themselves to protect their interests. Three cases from Ghana, Canada, and Indonesia demonstrate how land users indicate their land tenure right boundaries based on personal views (the neo-cadastre), rather than on rules stipulated by a national authority (the traditional cadastre). In each case land users root their behaviour partly in local dependency relations and social advocacy networks. These locally embedded rules may not necessarily coincide with hierarchical institutional relations. Even in participatory adjudication activities conducted under the authority of national cadastres, land users are not completely free in providing their land boundaries. Instead, they adhere to certain locally embedded microsocial conventions. We conclude that VGI and crowdsourced based neo-cadastres will likely redefine, from passive to active, the roles of land users in cadastres. This creates an opportunity for citizens, but also a potential risk. Where implicit rules of the neo-cadastre do not co-evolve with traditional cadastral institutions, conflicts of land information and access to land may emerge. Neo-cadastres will be an artefact of this dissatisfaction, and may reflect new directions for cadastral institutions. Neo-cadastres will not be a direct trigger for wider cadastral change, but a piece of evidence that change and resistance are occurring.

The point cadastre requirement revisited

Abstract Certain countries need to establish a faster, cheaper and more fit-for-purpose cadastre than those offered by conventional strategies. This paper reintroduces the strategy of the point cadastre: a cadastral system where geographic points are used to represent land parcels. When point features are combined with satellite imagery, freely available topographic maps (e.g. OpenStreetMap) and managed using cloud based geographic information services, a simple cadastral solution becomes apparent. This paper concentrates only on defining drivers and requirements for point cadastres. Three discrete studies were used to generate the requirements: expert group meetings, a pressure cooker meeting and an online questionnaire. The requirements are classified under preparation, functional, quality and architectural categories. Preparation requirements illustrate the need for contextual awareness before commencing any point cadastral project. Functional requirements are found to be similar to the requirements of parcel based cadastres; however, the necessity for parcel boundary identification is removed. Quality requirements promote the need for ‘ease of use’ and ‘low cost’: ‘accuracy’ is found to rank lowest out of six quality requirements. Architectural requirements provide various options for collecting, storing, maintaining and visualising the cadastral point information. Together, the requirements provide a basic blueprint for cadastral practitioners considering point cadastre solutions. Further work is required on development of indicators for assessing achievement of the requirements in practice.

The dynamics of city growth and the impact on urban land policies in developing countries

The scale and dynamics of urban growth and what needs to be done to adequately deal with it should be understood by urban policymakers at any level of jurisdiction (national, state, metropolitan and local). This article provides a platform to discuss an integrated approach for analysing the phenomena of population growth and spatial spread. This is with a view to reflect on the policy implications (in the past, at present and what might likely be in the future) for urban development. It focuses on the combination of population and spatial growth of settlements and the potential to affect land delivery for housing production in some selected cities in Nigeria. The study utilises temporal data sets from published materials and past studies in addition to the recently processed imageries. It identifies intensification and urban sprawl as outputs of the interactions between the variables of urban growth, density control, urban physical characteristics and national land policy.

Contour Detection for UAV-Based Cadastral Mapping

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) provide a flexible and low-cost solution for the acquisition of high-resolution data. The potential of high-resolution UAV imagery to create and update cadastral maps is being increasingly investigated. Existing procedures generally involve substantial fieldwork and many manual processes. Arguably, multiple parts of UAV-based cadastral mapping workflows could be automated. Specifically, as many cadastral boundaries coincide with visible boundaries, they could be extracted automatically using image analysis methods. This study investigates the transferability of gPb contour detection, a state-of-the-art computer vision method, to remotely sensed UAV images and UAV-based cadastral mapping. Results show that the approach is transferable to UAV data and automated cadastral mapping: object contours are comprehensively detected at completeness and correctness rates of up to 80%. The detection quality is optimal when the entire scene is covered with one orthoimage, due to the global optimization of gPb contour detection. However, a balance between high completeness and correctness is hard to achieve, so a combination with area-based segmentation and further object knowledge is proposed. The localization quality exhibits the usual dependency on ground resolution. The approach has the potential to accelerate the process of general boundary delineation during the creation and updating of cadastral maps.