Most data references some kind of location whether it be a place name, address, postcode or some kind of coordinate. It is clear that location provides an important data integration hub on the linked data web. This talk discussed the challenges around constructing linked data for geographic and spatial information with particular emphasis given to the work done at Ordnance Survey. Examples of other geo-spatial linked data in the wild were given along with examples of applications built using them. Some discussion occurred on some of the services being built to get the most from geo-spatial linked data and the challenges we will face in the future.

1. Location and Linked Data
Dr John Goodwin
Research Scientist
Ordnance Survey

5. The Problems with Place
Hampshire – A confusing place
Today:
• Hampshire = The (Administrative) County of Hampshire or
The (Vernacular) County(ies) of Hampshire.
• Wikipedia is confused!
Historically:
• Southamptonshire, Hamptonshire, County of Southampton
• with or without the Isle of Wight and Bournemouth

6. Opening UK Public Sector Information: Ordnance
Survey and Linked Data
• At the forefront of the geospatial linked data
web in Great Britain.
• Provide a well trusted source of location
data for the linked data web.

7. Ordnance Survey and Linked Data

8. Ordnance Survey Linked Data
http://data.ordn..co.uk/id/postcode/SO168BY
district
http://data.ordn...co.uk/id/7000000000037256
name
containedBy
The City of Southampton
http://data.ordn...co.uk/id/7000000000041421
name
South East England

9. “Oasis Academy Lord's Hill”
name
http://education.data.gov.uk/id/school/1234
type postcode
edu:School
http://data.ord..co.uk/id/postcode/SO168BY
district
http://data.ordn...co.uk/id/7000000000037256
name
containedBy The City of Southampton
http://data.ordn...co.uk/id/7000000000041421

10. Linked Data & Location In Action

12. Linked Data In Action: Mashups and Meshups

13. Linked data Meshup
Artists that were played on
specific BBC radio
programmes that come from a
specified place
Traditional Mashup
Fast food vendors in the US

15. owl:sameAs
osgb:700000000000018 db:Birmingham

17. owl:sameAs
osgb:700000000000018 db:Birmingham
db:homeTown
db:Broadcast

19. owl:sameAs
osgb:700000000000018 db:Birmingham
db:homeTown
owl:sameAs
bbcmusic:aa..#artist db:Broadcast

21. owl:sameAs
osgb:700000000000018 db:Birmingham
db:homeTown
owl:sameAs
bbcmusic:aa..#artist db:Broadcast
foaf:maker
bbcprog:aap0..#track bbcprog:aap0..#segment
po:track
po:time
bbcprog:boo..#...

24. Key Message: Mashup versus Meshup
• URIs:
Unambiguously identify a ‘thing’ – avoid name clashes
Can be looked up to find data on said ‘thing’
Through the web they provide a mechanism for linking to other
datasets via http
• Linked Data Format (RDF):
A common, simple data model to be used on the web
To the web of data what HTML is to the web of documents

25. Future Work

29. Linked Data API
• Developed by Jeni Tennison (TSO), Dave Reynolds
(Epimorphics) and Leigh Dodds (Talis)
• Not everyone wants to learn SPARQL
• Allows RESTful access to services built on top of linked
data resources, e.g.
http://os.services.tso.co.uk/geo/api/50k-gazetteer/city/Southampton

30. Data Enrichment

31. Spatial Predicates
At small – mid scale a lot can be done using qualitative spatial data, e.g.:
• equals
• touches
• disjoint
• contains
• containedBy
• partiallyOverlaps

32. Scaling Things Up
• integers
• dates
• strings • points
• etc… • lines
• polygons
• etc…

33. Future Work: Ordnance Survey

34. A More Vernacular Geography?
• “The General Populous are darned fools:
• They use geographical terms they can’t define.
• They mix up their attribute datasets.
• They can rarely put anything precisely on a map.”
Andy Evans (University of Leeds)

35. Examples
• The Highlands
Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 © 2006 Blisco
• The Lake District
• Spaghetti Junction
• The City Centre, Downtown
• Southside (Glasgow)
• Southside (Edinburgh)
• Most Localities (e.g. Merchant City)
• The Stag Gates
• Foys Corner
© Copyright sylvia duckworth, Geograph

36. Linking though place
Is historical
Hampshire representation of
(keeper of the concept) Evolves to
Is historical
representation of
Is a
representation of
Is a
Is historical
representation of
representation of
Hampshire
Evolves to
(Vernacular)
Evolves to
Hampshire
(Administrative)

37. So why do we care?
• Need from emergency services and the like
• Web search needs to be improved

38. Conclusions
• Location is a key information hub on the linked data web
• Linked Data will open up new opportunities

39. Some URLs
• http://opendata.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/
• http://data.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/
• http://openspace.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/
• http://opentoids.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/