The Commercialisation of Public Data - How Does Participatory Data-mining Look on a Global Scale?

The commercialisation of local spatial knowledge is an emerging problem across communities all around the world. Users creating spatial and attributive data through the use of commercial tools such as Google Map Maker, are extending corporate databases, but aren’t able to use the very same data freely when they need to. Open-source and participatory mapping projects such as OpenStreetMap are designed to support community empowerment and to ensure that high quality data are available to everyone regardless of their origin, social status and position within the power structure. The article points out the danger of commercialisation of public data using the example of community development projects. It also shows the advantages of participatory data-mining, using as an example the OpenStreetMap project in the Kibera slum, Nairobi Kenya and shows the possibilities of such an initiative in Koffiekraal, NW province of South Africa.Keywords:Participatory GIS, PGIS, OpenStreetMap, Google Map Maker, local spatial knowledge (LSK), Koffiekraal, Kiber