A technical solution for 3D crowdsourced cadastral surveys

The development of 3D property registration systems is indispensable for the spatial determination of property Rights, Restrictions and Responsibilities (RRR), the sustainable operation of property markets and the safeguarding of ownership in the highly urbanized world. Several developments in computer graphics, 3D modelling and rendering techniques have attracted the growing global interest in 3D cadastre. Since 2012, the Land Administration Domain Model (LADM ISO 19152) is adopted as the international standard for 2D and 3D cadastral data modelling. Developed legal procedures and prototype systems for 3D property rights registration provide interesting solutions for data acquisition and visualization but such approaches are time and cost demanding. In parallel, 2D cadastral surveying procedures have progressed significantly in reducing required time and cost, utilizing crowdsourcing methodology and mobile services.This paper presents a technical solution under development, aiming to provide the beginning for a new era in the initial acquisition, registration and representation of 3D crowdsourced cadastral data, appropriate for both the developed and the developing world. The proposed solution consists of two complementary parts, the technical framework and the crowdsourced methodology to be followed. The technical framework consists of two interconnected parts, the server-side and the client-side. The server-side refers to the Database Management System (DBMS) where the collected data are stored. The client-side refers to the data capturing tool, which in this case is the mobile device. For the server-side, a prototype system based on model driven architecture practices and LADM is developed; while for the client-side, an open-source mobile application for the acquisition of 3D crowdsourced cadastral data, 3D modelling and visualization of 3D property units as block models (LoD1) on a mobile’s phone screen in real-time, is developed.This research is focused on investigating technical aspects for capturing and integrating data about legal rights on physical objects. Detailed investigation of legal issues is not within the objectives of this research. Two case-studies for testing the proposed technical solution are made. An assessment of the current stage of development of the technical solution is presented. The main conclusions converge that the proposed technical solution has huge potentials for the fast, economic implementation of 3D cadastral surveys as it can produce an accurate and reliable 3D information model, depending on the accuracy of the available basemaps. The developed application is easy-to-use as users may not have the necessary level of 3D modelling skills in order to contribute to the registration procedure.     

Towards integration of 3D legal and physical objects in cadastral data models

Digital 3D cadastres are often envisaged as the visualisation of 3D property rights (legal objects) and to some extent, their physical counterparts (physical objects) such as buildings and utility networks on, above and under the surface. They facilitate registration and management of 3D properties and reduction of boundary disputes. They also enable a wide variety of applications that in turn identify detailed and integrated 3D legal and physical objects for property management and city space management (3D land use management).Efficient delivery and implementation of these applications require many elements to support a digital 3D cadastre, such as existing 3D property registration laws, appropriate 3D data acquisition methods, 3D spatial database management systems, and functional 3D visualisation platforms. In addition, an appropriate 3D cadastral data model can also play a key role to ensure successful development of the 3D cadastre.A 3D cadastral data model needs to reflect the complexity and interrelations of 3D legal objects and their physical counterparts. Many jurisdictions have defined their own cadastral data models for legal purposes and have neglected the third dimension, integration of physical counterparts and semantic aspects.To address these problems, this paper aims to investigate why existing cadastral data models do not facilitate effective representation and analysis of 3D data, integration of 3D legal objects with their physical counterparts, and semantics. Then, a 3D cadastral data model (3DCDM) is proposed as a solution to improve the current cadastral data models. The data model is developed based on the ISO standards. UML modelling language is used to specify the data model. The results of this research can be used by cadastral data modellers to improve existing or develop new cadastral data models to support the requirements of 3D cadastres.     

3D Cadastres in India: Examining the status and potential for land administration and management in Delhi

Urbanization and the trend towards complex infrastructure development challenges the traditional two-dimensional (2D) cadastral representations used in conventional land administration. Three-dimensional (3D) representations are argued to serve as the future basis upon which to spatially define rights, restrictions and responsibilities (RRRs) in these environments. In Delhi, the capital city of India, where horizontal expansion via new settlements in peri-urban areas, and vertical expansion by densification of city infrastructure, are both prevalent, the need to manage this increasingly complex 3D infrastructure environment presents a great challenge for land administration and management agencies. This paper explores both the current and potential future application of 3D representation in Delhi, with respect to land use planning, development and management. A cross-cutting thematic case study analysis is undertaken: policy drivers, legal frameworks, organizational aspects, and technical standards are considered. For each aspect a separate analytical approach is used. Based on the results, it is concluded that current practices related to 3D representation are somewhat immature and not adequate for capturing the future vertical growth of Delhi. This could lead to legal and physical boundary inconsistencies and irregularities, and dispute cases. However, by learning from international developments and standards-based approaches, agencies have the potential to enhance and support processes in their respective land administration systems. To realize this potential, internal and external policies, institutional settings and, technical and financial arrangements need to be reformed. In the short term it is recommended to focus on raising awareness for the widespread adoption of 3D representations in relevant agencies in Delhi.     

Layer approach to ownership in 3D cadastre in the case of underground tunnels

The paper focuses on approaches to the registration of real property rights in the case of underground or subway tunnels in different EU countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Greece, Poland, Slovenia, and Sweden. The authors conducted analysis on the registration of rights to subway tunnels in the chosen countries, including its effectiveness in ensuring appropriate property rights to construct and exploit tunnels. Special attention was given to limitations related to the lack of legal provisions vertically dividing space, i.e. into layers, and referring to the ownership right to the layers. Benefits which might be achieved by the introduction of a 3D real property subdivision were pointed out. The analysis of the available data concerning the geometry of subway tunnels in particular countries was presented. The authors tried to answer the question whether the accessible data concerning the geometry of subway tunnels allows to generate a 3D geospatial model of a constructed object, and to specify the space which should be determined as a 3D parcel in the 3D real property cadastre, for the purpose of registering property rights for the object (the tunnel).     

Assessing the environmental impact of 3D public law restrictions

The needs of modern societies require, on the one hand, the most efficient exploitation of land by individual stakeholders and, on the other hand, have set up a variety of restrictions and regulations for the public benefit. Such restrictions are steadily growing in number and apply in various areas. Given the technological development in the construction sector, complex proprietary relations emerge in overlapping private and public rights. Cadastres constitute the core of land administration systems, gradually evolving to development tools that provide multi-purpose land related information. Within this context, incorporation of Public Law Restrictions (PLRs) to cadastral systems is considered a step towards the development of integrated land administration systems. Internationally, PLRs are usually registered in separate registries, under different types and formats, depending on the competent body/authority. These PLRs include, among others, restrictions regarding environment and nature protection, water protection, spatial and land use planning zones, cultural heritage, public infrastructure corridors and zones, public easements/servitudes and mining rights. Until today 3D registration and visualisation of such PLRs is mostly discussed at research level, mainly due to the variety of fields related to each PLR, the need of quantifying qualitative components or “translating” physical attributes to legal restrictions and 3D volumes, as well as to the variety of responsible authorities and types of regulations. This paper focuses on identifying PLRs that pertain either explicit or implicit 3D characteristics, emphasising on the PLRs related to the development of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) project. This paper aims to identify the nature of 3D PLRs, based on the legal requirements regarding environmental components’ analysis and mapping defined in Environmental Impact Assessment (ESIA) studies, and to investigate the possibility of compiling 3D environmental models from recorded ESIA data. Economic implications of 3D PLR approach is also considered, at qualitative level, in terms of impact on land value when 3D restrictions are imposed, and regarding the cost-effectiveness of drafting ESIA studies showing 3D PLRs.     

三维地籍形态分析与数据表达

研究目的：建立三维地籍模型,描述三维地籍产权体并兼容二维地籍宗地,实现不同维度土地权属的统一管理和登记。研究方法：结合中国城市发展的实例和地籍管理需求,分析三维地籍基本形态,比较各类三维空间数据模型。研究结果：提出适应三维地籍管理功能需求的三维地籍空间数据模型及其相应的数据自动组织方法和思路。研究结论：三维地籍通过地理空间坐标这个“基因”来管理不动产,为土地和房产的统一登记提供了统一的技术框架,是对现行不动产管理技术的升级和超越。     

Towards 3D-enabled urban land administration: Strategic lessons from the BIM initiative in Singapore

Over the last 15 years, there has been great interest and commensurate momentum in the land administration industry on realising the notion of ‘3D cadastres’. This leverages 3D digital technologies for producing, managing, registering and communicating information about complex, volumetrically defined land and property rights, restrictions and responsibilities (RRRs) that are commonly found in cities and urban areas around the world. There has been significant technical progress but implementation remains uncertain. This paper draws on research conducted on the implementation of 3D Building Information Models (BIM) for regulatory processes in the land development industry in Singapore to illustrate the range of strategies used to induce change in an instance of 3D digital innovation. The adoption of institutional theory as an analytical framework provides insight into the cultural and behavioural underpinnings of these strategies and what makes them particularly effective in producing a positive response to change. Given the similarity in the institutional characteristics of the land development and land administration industries, the case study findings are used to develop a framework of strategic principles that could conceivably be used to support ongoing international efforts to realise 3D cadastres.     

A geometric and semantic evaluation of 3D data sourcing methods for land and property information

Urbanisation, the development of high-rise apartments and the advent of complex building structures creates unique challenges that cannot be met by 2D land and property information. These include inter-related titles and complex plans relating to (i) the land parcel and (ii) the building, both internal (indoor plans) and external attributes (roof and façade). Incorporating the third dimension into the land development cycle can potentially address such challenges by providing data that describes both the land parcel and building in 3D. This move towards 3D data administration requires the development of new 3D data processes, including 3D data sourcing, which forms the focus of this research. Following an examination of current 2D methods in land and property information registration, a framework of the requirements for sourcing 3D land and property information is suggested and potential methods are discussed. Focussing on the geometric and semantic components an evaluation of the methods is developed and applied. The results highlight methods based on photogrammetry, laser scanning, mobile mapping, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Building Information Modelling (BIM) to source integrated 3D information for both the internal and external attributes of a building and corresponding land parcel.     

Developing a new framework based on solid models for 3D cadastres

3D cadastres aim to record, manage, and visualise spatial dimensions of volumetric legal objects in a 3D digital information environment. Definition of the geometry and topology of volumetric representations of legal objects is predicated on solid modelling approaches which are widely used in 3D modelling applications. Some solid modelling approaches are more user friendly for constructing legal objects while others enable the creation of 3D legal objects with a higher level of spatial complexity. This study aims to assess the capabilities of solid models in managing the geometry and topology of 3D legal objects with various spatial complexities. The assessment was conducted based on identification of the fundamental principles for defining geometry and topology in 3D cadastres. Various 3D legal objects with different geometric shapes were examined according to the topological principles for ensuring both internal and external validity of 3D legal objects. The identified geometric and topological principles were used to propose a new framework based on solid modelling for 3D cadastres. Our suggested framework would provide the basis for modifying land subdivision policies to adopt solid models in upgrading current cadastral systems into 3D digital environments.     

Spatial dependency and technical efficiency: an application of a Bayesian stochastic frontier model to irrigated and rainfed rice farmers in Bohol,Philippines

We investigated the role of spatial dependency in the technical efficiency estimates of rice farmers using panel data from the Central Visayan island of Bohol in the Philippines. Household‐level data were collected from irrigated and rainfed agro‐ecosystems. In each ecosystem, the geographical information on residential and farm‐plot neighborhood structures was recorded to compare household‐level spatial dependency among four types of neighborhoods. A Bayesian stochastic frontier approach that integrates spatial dependency was used to address the effects of neighborhood structures on farmers’ performance. Incorporating the spatial dimension into the neighborhood structures allowed for identification of the relationships between spatial dependency and technical efficiency through comparison with nonspatial models. The neighborhood structure at the residence and plot levels were defined with a spatial weight matrix where cut‐off distances ranged from 100 to 1,000 m. We found that spatial dependency exists at the residential and plot levels and is stronger for irrigated farms than rainfed farms. We also found that technical inefficiency levels decrease as spatial effects are more taken into account. Because the spatial effects increase with a shorter network distance, the decreasing technical inefficiency implies that the unobserved inefficiencies can be explained better by considering small networks of relatively close farmers over large networks of distant farmers.     

Agribusiness,Peasant Agriculture and Labour Markets: Ecuador in Comparative Perspective

The consolidation of capitalist agriculture in countries such as Ecuador has led to a recent revaluation of territories (central highlands) where cheap labour has facilitated agribusiness development linked to the world market. This process generates growth in the numbers of rural wage workers and the creation of a labour market that, in relation to others in several Latin American countries, has certain particularities: permanent jobs, gender balance, an absence of intermediaries and low levels of precariousness. Small‐scale peasant producers are marginalized in this context and play functional roles within the current dynamics of agribusiness firms. The organizational weakness of rural wage earners and the pursuit of clientelist relationships by firms do not allow rural workers and local communities to devise economic and social strategies that might improve their position in this ‘field of forces’ in the territory.     

土地立体利用与三维地籍

人口和产业在城市的集聚导致城市人地矛盾日趋紧张,为了集约和节约用地,土地利用的立体化趋势越来越明显.这使得人们对土地的理解也从二维变为三维,土地三维权利和建筑物区分所有制度也逐步确立.不同的产权单元在空间上叠加,抽象的产权束在空间上的表现形态为复杂的产权簇或产权层.但传统的地籍是以地表权利为核心的,不能满足实际需求,有必要建立三维地籍.从各国的实践经验看,三维地籍的主要问题是现行法律对三维产权规定的缺位以及一些技术问题.随着我国不动产空间权利设定的进程,三维地籍的建设要从法律和技术两方面人手,逐步过渡到完全的三维形式,以满足国家(政府)层面和普通层面的需求.     

A structured framework for 3D cadastral data validation − a case study for Victoria,Australia

There are a wide variety of cadastral objects, ranging from simple 2D entities such as a land parcel, to complex 3D objects such as multistory/multi-owned buildings. The complex infrastructures development happening above and below the ground complicates the processes required for defining rights, restrictions and responsibilities in 3D (3D RRRs). Even in the current, predominantly, 3D analogue cadastral system which relies on 2D drawings and representations, defining 3D RRRs is still a complicated task. With the widespread use of 3D geospatial information technologies, it is increasingly becoming easy to realise and interpret a 3D digital cadastre system. As part of the process of transition from the 2D representation of cadastre towards a 3D digital cadastre, not only will 2D representations be replaced with 3D models, but the examination workflow and its principles also need to be able to manage 3D models. Developing principles and validation rules is a critical requirement to guarantee that the diverse cadastral data is trustable and contains enough detail to define the spatial and legal extents of ownership. This paper proposes a structured framework to define validation rules for 3D cadastral models. The paper’s methodology utilises a case study approach where a plan examination process in Victoria, Australia has been analysed to investigate the principles of examining cadastral plans, and further expanded on for validating 3D digital plans. The paper concludes with a discussion on the implications of the proposed 3D validation rules and proposes future research within the topic of 3D cadastral data validation.     

Development and application of a planning support tool in the municipal wastewater sector: The case study of Italy

Financing investment needs during the next 20 years for Integrated Water Service facilities which includes aqueducts, sewers, drinking water as well as wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), is a significant challenge for government institutions all over the world. There is an urgent need for new approaches to help decisions makers in order to evaluate the quality and efficiency of these infrastructures and consequently planning investments in the best possible way. Taking into account only the municipal wastewater sector in Italy, the aim of this study was to develop and apply a planning support tool to numerous WWTPs based on secondary biological processes, able to: (i) assess the plants efficiency identifying also their environmental and technological critical issues; (ii) propose technical solutions through the definition of appropriate Action Plans; (iii) simulate WWTPs improvements quantifying the results of the proposed upgrade and; (iv) extend the results of the WWTPs efficiency evaluation on a regional scale comparing the performance of each District by means of specific indices (technological equipment, legal requirement compliance, treatment capacity). Our main hypothesis was that the evaluation of quality as well as the efficiency of the wastewater treatment facilities is the basis for the estimation of investments. We applied this methodology to large Italian municipal WWTPs with a treatment capacity greater than a 50,000 population equivalent (PE) even though it is possible to consider smaller facilities (excluding small wastewater treatment systems generally with a PE less than 2000 inhabitants). Our results demonstrate that the tool can be implemented using official data such as those provided by the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) although some verification is required. Finally, the paper addresses the policy implications due to the methodology application highlighting the importance of having well-defined planning support tools especially for those areas needing further social cohesion policies. The developed case study shows the suitability of our proposal for governmental institutions and water utility companies in Italy, however it could also be extended to other countries.     

发达国家棕地再开发经验及启示

研究目的:研究分析欧美国家棕地治理的成功做法,为中国棕地治理提供经验借鉴。研究方法:文献研究法和比较研究法。研究结果:发达国家因工业化起步较早、科技发达,凭其完善的法律框架、多层次的治理结构与大量的资金保障体系在棕地再开发中走在了世界前列。研究结论:中国应积极借鉴发达国家棕地再开发经验,推动棕地再开发工作顺利展开,实现区域与城市可持续发展。     

Cadastral data as a source for 3D indoor modelling

Despite the rapid development of indoor spatial data acquisition technology, there are currently no solutions that enable large-scale indoor spatial data acquisition due to several limiting factors that characterize the indoor space. This fact, together with the rapidly growing need for indoor models, is the main motivation for our research. The focus is on the study of the appropriateness of existing cadastral data for 3D indoor modelling. Within the study, a framework for 3D indoor modelling has been developed, comprising a chain of processes, starting from initial cadastral data and ending with the OGC IndoorGML compliant document. The process chain is divided into three parts, which are described individually and supported by UML activity diagrams. The Slovenian Building Cadastre data represents the basis for the framework design and data assessment. The IndoorGML standard is used for final outputs, as it provides a standardized data model for the representation and exchange of indoor spatial information designed for indoor navigation and location-based services. The data storage options using a spatially enabled database are presented for storing 2D and 3D geometries. The stored data enables fully automatic IndoorGML document generation on request, while also taking advantage of all spatial database functionalities. The proposed approach is software independent and can be implemented with various spatially enabled software packages. In addition to 3D indoor data modelling, the framework represents a comprehensive method for assessing the usability of input data for the purpose of 3D indoor modelling. The assessment is done for the case of the Slovenian Building Cadastre. The assessment of the cadastral data suitability for 3D indoor modelling can be used for decisions regarding future steps towards a multi-purpose 3D real property cadastre. The presented concept can be applied in many countries worldwide that have a similar condominium registration system.     

Consumers’ Appreciation of Regional Certification Labels: A Pan‐European Study

Successful regional products, such as Florida oranges, Idaho potatoes and Parma ham, often have to compete against products passing themselves off as the authentic product using the exact same name. This unfair competition misleads consumers, discourages small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) from marketing products based on their region of origin, and may end up hurting rural economies. To protect consumers, and support SMEs and rural economies, many countries around the world have introduced regulations enabling SMEs to legally protect the names of their regional products. The success of these regulations largely depends on consumers’ appreciation of regional certification labels that inform consumers that the name of the regional product is protected and that it denotes the authentic product. To gain an understanding about consumers’ appreciation of regional certification labels, this paper investigates consumers’ image of these labels and proposes a model that relates this image to consumers’ willingness to buy and pay for protected regional products. The model is tested based on Regulation No. 2081/92 that was introduced by the EEC allowing European SMEs to protect their regional products and market their products with a protected‐designation‐of‐origin (PDO) label. Structural equation modelling results suggest that consumers’ image of regional certification labels consists of a quality warranty dimension and an economic support dimension, which positively relate to consumers’ willingness to buy and pay for the protected regional product. Protecting regional products and marketing them with regional certification labels may be beneficial for SMEs producing and marketing regional products. Policy and managerial implications are discussed.