The socioeconomic impact of the spatial data infrastructure of Lombardy

This paper presents the findings of a study undertaken by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission in collaboration with the regional authority of Lombardy, in Northern Italy, on the socio-economic impact of the spatial data infrastructure (SDI) of that region. The study took place in 2009 and focused primarily on assessing the benefits of the SDI to the organisations outside public administration, i.e. developers and consultants involved in planning, design, and impact assessment. The paper reports the results of two surveys undertaken in 2009. The first addressed consultants involved in the preparation of Environmental Impact Assessments and Strategic Environmental Assessment, and found significant economic and policy benefits resulting from the use of the regional SDI. The second survey focused on professionals involved in planning and design (architects, engineers, planners) and found a much more varied landscape characterised by lack of awareness and skills in taking advantage of the new infrastructure of analytical tools. The results of this study provide a very realistic assessment of both achievements and challenges in the development and use of SDIs, which will be of value to both academics and practitioners.JRC.H.6-Digital Earth and Reference Dat