data driven ontology practices: the real world objects of ordnance survey ireland

AoIR 2017

Panel 17 Dorpat-Ewers, Tartu 9-10:30AM

Data Driven Ontology PracticesThe Real world objects of Ordnance Survey

Ireland

Dr. Tracey P. LauriaultAssistant Professor of Critical Media and Big Data

School of Journalism and CommunicationCarleton University, Ottawa, ON, CanadaTracey.Lauriault@Carleton.ca

ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-1847-2738

Table of Contents

• Introduction

• Case Study & Data Collection

• Methods• Assemblage

• Making up Spaces

• Genealogy

• Preliminary Observations

• Acknowledgement

Social-shaping qualities of data

(Rob Kitchin, 2012)

Programmable City

Translation:

City into code & data

Transduction:

Code & data reshape city

Understanding the

city(Knowledge)

How are digital data materially &

discursively supported &

processed about cities & their

citizens?

How does software drive public

policy development &

implementation?

Managing

the city(Governance)

How are discourses & practices of

city governance translated into code?

How is software used to regulate &

govern city life?

Working

in the city(Production)

How is the geography & political

economy of software production

organised?

How does software alter the form

& nature of work?

Living

in the city

(Social Politics)

How is software discursively

produced & legitimated by vested

interests?

How does software transform the

spatiality & spatial behaviour of

individuals?

Creating the

smart city Dublin Dashboard

Rob Kitchin, National University of Ireland, Maynooth

OSi Technological Transformation

Socio-Technological Transformation

The objective is the provision of a single vision of the geographic

‘truth’ of the state, one that is standardized to align with OSi’s

mission “to create, maintain and provide the State’s definitive

mapping and geospatial information services to support citizens,

business and government”, and its vision to be “the national

provider of trusted, maintained geospatial data and platforms

to ensure the State’s location data is easy to find, share and

use” (OSi 2016).

Polygon

Ireland

Reference

Polygon

Polygon

Polygon

Polygon

Polygon

Data Models are deceptively simple looking

Ireland becomes a real-

world, feature-based

information, national-

scale spatial data

platform which consisted

of the sum of its

materially defined parts

defined by rules with

topologically accurate,

uniquely identified

objects with spatial

coordinates, attributes

and spatial relations.

A intersects B

A

BB A

A

B

A is within B A touches B

A crosses B

A is Z+1 over BA = B+C+D+E

A

B

C

DE

A

B

Topology

In the database objects are described in code as having geometry,

coordinates and attributes. In the OSi model, objects can be

contained within objects.

Ontologizing the City - From Old School National Cartographic Based Classification toward a Rules Based Real-World Object Oriented National Database

Object of Study• Data assemblage of OSi PRIME2• Examine how ‘real’ things are

understood in the new object oriented data model

• Assess if these change how space is modelled and then acted upon

Time frame • Jan. 2015-2018

Data Management and Ethics• ERC• Maynooth University• SSHRC Tri-Council

Case Study Outputs• Case study report • Data assemblage• Tracing the production of space • Genealogy from class to object• Academic publications

Funding• Programmable City Project

• P.I. Prof. Rob Kitchin• NIRSA, Maynooth University

• European Research Council Advanced Investigator Award

• ERC-2012-AdG-323636-SOFTCITY

Data Collection

Attend OSi & 1Spatial Road shows and public speaking events

• One day coordinated field trip & group interviews at OSi Sligo(survey data capture unit)• Examine the Prime & Prime2 flow lines• Real-time survey and data update of a building

• 1.5 months as an embedded researcher, OSi in Phoenix Park• One-on-one interviews with key actors (Transcribed audio recordings) • Group interview

• Document Collection

• Collection of objects across time for Dublin

Heuston station across time

Cassini, 6”, 1st ed. Circa? Cassini 6”, 1943-44Cassini 25”, 1st ed, Circa?

Cassini25”, 1936

Heuston Station, Prime2 MapGenie Heuston Station, Prime2 SOE

Ireland

Reference

Polygon

Polygon

Polygon

Polygon

Polygon

Polygon

1. Way

2. Water

3. Vegetation

4. Artificial

5. Exposed

PolygonSuperimposed

Networked

Sites

Locals

Polygon

Polygon

Polygon

Objects Skin of the Earth Objects

Reference Object

Seamless, topologically consistent blanket of polygons that cover the entire surface of Ireland w/no holes or gaps

Evolution

• Institutionally• Colonial surveyor

• Military Mapping Organization

• Civil Service National Mapping Organization (NMO)

• State Body NMO

• Will become a NMO w/in Tailte Éireann

• Technologically• Data collection

• Techniques

• Scale

• Geometry

• Skill

• Technologies

• Dissemination

• Scope• Colonial mapping

• National mapping

• Post Colonial mapping

• OSi/OSNI/OSGB

• EU / Inspire / NSDI

• Global

Socio-technological transformation

Etymology

Relationality

Genealogy of a model

Genealogy of a Model

Genealogy of a model

Genealogy of a data model

Models are also actors

• Models shape • how the world is viewed

• the world of work

• tools & techniques

• the structure of an organization

• how organizations interconnect with others

• Models augment space

• Models are socially constructed

by people

Skin of the Earth Object Modelling

5 skin of the earth objects • Ways• Water• Vegetation• Artificial• Exposed

• Z-Layer

• Superimposed

• Networked

• Grouped

• GDF1 GDF2 centrelines

• Sites

• Locales

• Boundaries

Seamless, topologically consistent blanket of polygons that

covers the entire surface of Ireland w/no holes or gaps

3 Methods

• Assemblage

• Making Up Spaces

• Genealogy

Material Platform

(infrastructure – hardware)

Code Platform

(operating system)

Code/algorithms

(software)

Data(base)

Interface

Reception/Operation

(user/usage)

Systems of thought

Forms of knowledge

Finance

Political economies

Governmentalities - legalities

Organisations and institutions

Subjectivities and communities

Marketplace

System/process

performs a task

Context

frames the system/task

Digital socio-technical assemblage

HCI, Remediation studies

Critical code studies

Software studies

New media studies

Game studies

Critical Social Science

Science Technology Studies

Platform studies Places

Practices

Flowline/Lifecycle

Surveillance Studies

Critical data studies

Mapping out the Assemblage

2. Genealogy of a Data Model

Material Platform

(infrastructure –

hardware)

Code Platform(operating system)

Code/algorithms

(software)

Data(base)

Interface

Reception/Operation (user/usage)

Systems of thought

Forms of knowledge

Finance

Political economies

Governmentalities &

legalities

Organisations and institutions

Subjectivities and

communities

Marketplace

System/process performs a task

Contextframes the system/task

Digital socio-technical assemblage

HCI, remediation studies

Critical code studiesSoftware studies

Critical data studies

New media studiesgame studies

Critical Social ScienceScience Technology Studies

Platform studies

Places

Practices

Flowline/Lifecycle

Data Model Genealogy

20151995 2000 2005 2010

Launch

Prime2

Requirements

Workshop

Award

of bid

RMDS

Production

Freeze

Prime

Restructuring

Prime 1

RMSI data

Re-

engineering

EU

Procurement

Directive

RatifiedOsi

ACT

Tender for

Conceptua

l Model

Inspire

Contract

Awarded,

3 companies

build

prototypes

Data

modelling

discussions

w/OSNI, OS

UK

3. Making up Spaces

(Modified Ian Hacking Framework of Making Up People, Lauriault 2012)

Iconic City Things

Prime2 Data

Model

Iconic Object

Way M50 – Red Cow interchange

Water Docklands – Samuel Beckett Bridge / Gasometers

Vegetation Collins Barracks / Esplanade

Building Observatory, GPO, Liberty Hall, Heuston Station, Connelly Station, Collins Barracks, OSI, Conference Centre, Digital hub Guinness Factory, Ivy trust Guinness – flat complexes, park area beano, public baths, Hilton Hotel / Rowntree Sweets, Kilmainham jail & museum, Croke Park / Lansdowne Road

Artificial Bull Wall island

Z-Order Priority Samuel Becket Bridge,Kings Bridge, Halfpenny Bridge (Way & Structure)

Superimposed Objects -

Structure

Nelsons pillar blow up in 1966/Spire? Stiletto in the Ghetto, Wellington monument – obelisk

Divisions City Walls / Antiquity, The Pale, Guinness Walls

Networks – water, rail,

roads

Liffey & Grand Canal, M50, North & South Circular, Heuston, Connelly, Luas

Grouped Objects M50 road network Names. N & S Circular Road, Rivers & Canals

Sites, Locals Trinity (Site), Temple Bar (Locale)

Boundaries Dublin, EDs in Dublin, Baronies, County, Parish

Multi-scaled Nested Approach

2

0

1

5

1

9

9

5

2

0

0

0

2

0

0

5

2

0

1

0

1. Classification

2. Object of Study

3. Institutions4. Knowledge

5. Experts

Looping Effect

a. Counting b. Quantifying

c. Creating Norms d. Correlation

e. Taking Action f. Scientification

g. Normalization

h. Bureaucracy i. Resistance

Engines of Discovery

Derived Engines

OSi Index of Map Sheets

(Pictures of vector lines)

Extract of OSi real-world object database,

PRIME2 Model

I would like to express my gratitude to all at the Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSi) for generously sharing their knowledge and time.

The research for this paper was funded by a

European Research Council Advanced Investigator

award (ERC-2012-AdG-323636-SOFTCITY.