Developing Geographic Information Infrastructures

Book excerpt: Within information societies, information availability is a key issue affecting society's well being. A geographic information infrastructure (GII) is the underlying foundation of such a society with regards to geographic information. Access to government information policies are important for the availability and successful use of the information and the success of the GII itself. Yet there have been only a few investigations into access policy oriented towards GII developments. This book adds this perspective. Through the creation of a GII maturity matrix describing the development in GIIs, it presents new insights in the role access policies may play in the development of GIIs. The book provides policy makers with strategy guidelines for GII development, as well as information about which access policy would best promote the use of geographic information. This should result in a GII that is able to perform its appropriate infrastructure function in an information society.