Research Project
LandSense: A Citizen Observatory and Innovation Marketplace for Land Use and Land Cover Monitoring
The overall aim of the LandSense project is to build an innovative citizen observatory in the field of LandUse LandCover(LULC), which collects data both actively (through citizens) and passively (from authoritative, open access, and other citizen-based initiatives) and integrates them into an open platform that provides valuable quality-assured in-situ data for SMEs, larger businesses, government agencies, NGOs and researchers. There is currently no single marketplace that brings together the demand for such in-situ data (i.e. ground-based data collection coupled with interpretation of remotely-sensed data) for LULC monitoring, and could potentially attract a vast community of users across numerous disciplines and sectors. LandSense will also provide multiple pathways for citizen empowerment that go beyond simple data collection by providing a range of engagement tools that will allow the voices of citizens to be heard.
The taks of GIScience Heidelberg will mostly deal with realizing the following objectives
- To implement the LandSense Citizen Observatory and its services in demonstration cases such as cost reduction and data conflation in monitoring land change
- To acquire and consolidate feedback from citizens and user-groups for the demonstration cases
- To evaluate (lessons learned and guidelines) on the uptake and engagement of citizens and determine upscaling potential of the demonstration cases
- To assess the quality control/assurance methods available for the demonstration cases,
- To source and process authoritative data for each demonstration case for validation purposes including authoritative ground reference data against which citizen-contributed data can be compared
- To source and process additional, complementary crowdsourced data streams from citizens (e.g. Flickr, OpenStreetMap) using openly available data mining methods, which could benefit each demonstration case
- To adapt and advance the COBWEB quality assurance service and quality workflows to fit the requirements of the demonstration cases
- To apply and iteratively refine the LandSense quality control and assurance service in order to validate citizen contributed data arising from the three demonstration cases
- To establish operational workflows for integrating data contributed by citizens into authoritative systems
- To establish protocols and benchmarking standards for quality assurance of citizen-contributed data in the area of LULC monitoring
Funding
EU Horizon 2020 Citizen Observatory Call
- Project Duration 2016-2020
OSMlanduse.org Our WebService providing LULC information derived from OpenStreetMap. (global)
OSMatrix Our WebService providing quality realted Metadata maps for OpenStreetMap (Europe only)
News
Excited to announce the CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS! Are you passionate about mapping with communities? Join us at the “Mapping with communities: Contemporary approaches and challenges” workshop at AGILE 2024 conference on June 04. Share your experiences, methodologies, and digital innovations in engaging communities with geospatial data. Submit your extended abstract by May 20 to mappingwithcomm@glasgow.ac.uk.
Our next Mapathon is just around the corner, and this time, we’re joining forces with OpenStreetMap Ghana to improve coverage and to help disaster risk assessment.Join us and be a part of the GeoNight 2024 to celebrate geography together in all its forms and facets! Everyone is welcome and no previous knowledge is needed!Do bring your laptop and preferably […]
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The HeiGIT gGmbH (Heidelberg Institute for Geoinformation Technology) team has just released a version 2.0 of the Sketch Map Tool, a low-tech solution for participatory sketch mapping through offline data collection, digitization and georeferencing of local spatial knowledge. Thanks to continuous support from the German Red Cross and financial support by the German Federal Foreign Office, the HeiGIT tool has undergone significant enhancements. These updates introduce new features aimed […]
We’re proud to share our recent conference experience with you! Our HeiGIT Product Owners for Big Data and Smart Mobility, Benjamin Herfort and Julian Psotta, had the privilege of attending the FOSSGIS 2024 conference, where they contributed valuable insights and expertise. The results of an exciting six years of joint work and shared projects between HeiGIT and the Federal Agency for Cartography […]
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In 2022, we embarked on an insightful expedition to Aklavik, Canada, in collaboration with our partners, the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research and the German Aerospace Center (DLR). This joint effort within the UndercoverEinAgenten project aimed to study the extent and velocity of permafrost thawing, a crucial aspect of […]
The Robert and Christine Danziger Scholarship application window is open until August 31st, 2024, offering a unique opportunity for doctoral candidates from Africa, particularly Ghana or West and Central Africa. The scholarship designed for those pursuing a doctorate at Heidelberg University in the fields of geography (with a focus on geoinformatics) or political science and […]
Are you interested in applying your experience and knowledge to support science-related, non-profit organizations for the betterment of society and the environment? If so, we have a compelling and fitting position for you! HeiGIT gGmbH is a research-oriented, non-profit company that has set itself the goal of improving the transfer of knowledge and technology from […]
The use of open-source geospatial data, exemplified by services like openrouteservice (ORS), proves to be beneficial for both academic research and use case studies. Witnessing our technologies applied in unanticipated ways showcases their potential to meet the evolving needs of various sectors while contributing positively to both society and the environment. One exemplary application is […]
Project Partner
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis*; Austria
Birdlife International; UK
Sinergise; Slovenia
University of Nottingham; UK
InoSens doo; Serbia
GeoVille Information Systems GmbH; Austria
Environment Agency Austria; Austria
Institut National de l’Information Géographique et Forestière; France
European Citizen Science Association; Germany
StZ Felis; Germany
University of Heidelberg, GIScience Research Group; Germany
Wageningen University; The Netherlands
VU University Amsterdam; The Netherlands
Joint Research Centre; Italy
Secure Dimensions Germany
Friends of the Earth/Global 2000; Austria
City of Heidelberg; Germany
KriticalMass Ltd.; UK
