A Web-based Framework for Urban Data Sharing and Dynamic Integration

In urban planning and management, data sharing and integration are always problematic because urban datasets are heterogeneous and scattered in different domains and organisations. This paper introduces the research work being carried within the Virtual Environment Planning (VEPS) project. Based on a loosely-coupled mediator system and Open Geospatial Consortium’s Web Services (OWS) architecture, a Web-based information service framework is designed to support the sharing and integration of geo-spatial information, building information and other related information. In this framework, a Building Feature Service (BFS) is defined to implement the retrieval of building information model on the Web according to the OWS principles. The BFS can act as a Web-based building information server for urban planning and construction stakeholders. As proof of concept, an initial prototype is developed to demonstrate the data sharing and integration based on this web-based information service framework. Introduction In urban planning, there is an increasing need to seamlessly utilise and integrate various urban datasets, described as ‘urban data fusion’. The INSPIRE draft directive defines a need for “a coherent combination of spatial data sets or services that represents added value, without requiring specific efforts on the part of a human operator or a machine” (INSPIRE 2004). Significant integration of relevant urban datasets like spatial data from the CAD and GIS domains will help both professionals and the public in their understanding of existing urban environments (Nedovic-Budica 2004; Oosterom 2005; Döllner 2006). Professionals like urban planners, designers, managers and developers need the integrated information in many working tasks like urban planning, urban design, preservation of historical buildings, disaster management etc. Citizens can also benefit from the visualization and simulation based upon integrated information. However, data sharing and integration have always been problematic in urban planning due to data heterogeneity and its cross-domain and cross-organisation nature. First, the datasets relevant to planning are heterogeneous. Data heterogeneity exists on syntactic, schematic and semantic levels (Bishr 1998a; Visser 2001). Each data source may model the world in its own way and be incompatible with the others. Secondly, these datasets are from different domains and stored in a variety of systems and formats. For example, the spatial data from the CAD and GIS domains are represented by different modelling methods and coordinate systems. Furthermore, these datasets relevant to planning are managed by different organizations and