We want to increase alignment between open spatial data in GB and NI. More freely available data should be of benefit to both businesses and citizens for in Northern Ireland. Increased alignment would create opportunities for synergies by combining Northern Irish data with equivalent data for Great Britain. The existing gap between what is available data in Great Britain and what is available in Northern Ireland should be reduced, increasing opportunities for commercial innovation and democratic engagement through data reuse. Open spatial data is a key component of the overall open government data agenda, as it enables the re-use of many other different types of government data - eg, health, transport, education, etc. By freeing spatial data, government can dramatically increase the value of other published datasets. This is illustrated, for example, by the widespread use of maps to represent analyses of published data.
The disparity between geo-data published in Great Britain and what is published in Northern Ireland is a recurring source of frustration for many in the developer community. It also makes comparative analyses more difficult, and acts as an inhibitor to the development of innovative products and solutions within Northern Ireland that can be sold across the UK. By increasing the availability of open spatial data to match other parts of the UK, LPS will by supporting innovation and civic engagement
This content is created by the open source Your Priorities citizen engagement platform designed by the non profit Citizens Foundation