Questions/Answers

Digitization in public administration provides a new opportunity to innovate and create solutions for better public services. But in the process there are issues to deal with such as how to use digital data for the best interest of citizens and how to narrow a digital divide. Digital inclusiveness and active communication through data can lead to higher digital literacy and stronger citizen engagement in public administration. The Incheon Metropolitan Government has opened to the public its vast amount of spatial information which it has aggregated for 13 years about the entire Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) (123.65km2) so that the data is accessible by any citizen who needs it. The spatial information disclosed was approved through security deliberation and is available in three formats: two-dimensional aerial views, three-dimensional modelling images, and aerial 360-degree panorama images. Users, either citizens or administrators, can get various analysis results (e.g. the right to light or view of a building, the gradient and landscape of streets, etc.) and thematic maps (e.g. Continuous Cadastral Map, Planning and Development Map, Zoning Map, etc.). Usually, anyone who wants to access 3D spatial information needs to buy a geographic information system (GIS) engine for a high price and install it on the server of a PC or a mobile phone. But the IFEZ 3D Spatial Information Service uses Web Graphics Library (WebGL), which runs on desktop and mobile platforms or anywhere you find browsers (e.g. IE, EDGE, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera, etc.). Now anyone who needs the spatial information on the IFEZ can get the data through their PCs or any mobile devices, without the constraints of time and space; the easier and expanded access for everyone contributes to more convenience of public administration and higher quality of life.

The IFEZ 3D Spatial Information Service enhances the openness of public data by applying WebGl, a new standard for browsers, and making about 90 gigabytes of spatial information available to ordinary citizens. Now people can understand how the city has developed through readily attainable 2D and 3D images and various time-series maps on their own devices of preference. Monitoring the city’s dynamics enables citizens to expect how the city will look like in the future, thereby encouraging public participation and more interaction between government and city society.

The IFEZ 3D Spatial Information Service is aligned with SDG Goal 11. More specifically, it contributes to inclusive and sustainable urbanization and higher capacity of citizen participation in human settlement planning and management (11.3). All new constructions are designed and built in harmony with the surrounding environment, with the principle of inclusion, and on the premise that they will stay for at least a century. Deliberation committees ensure inclusiveness, sustainability, and endurance by reviewing the newly planned architectural landscapes and buildings using 3D simulation analysis of the IFEZ 3D Spatial Information Service.

Korea is well equipped in terms of technological infrastructure, and Korean people are quite techno-savvy. And the value of Information or big data in diverse forms, data storage, and data analysis are getting more appreciated socially and economically. Against this backdrop, the IFEZ 3D Spatial Information Service was initiated and gets more significance with the 4th Industrial Revolution. When it comes to public administration, there needs to be the culture of seeking innovation and more engagement with the public. Except the basic infrastructure, the success of this initiative mostly depends on social and cultural factors.

In the past, the spatial information of the IFEZ was browsed and used only within the public intranet by authorized institutions. Now anyone can find and have the once-limited information and its analytical results as well, including the image shots of three types measured through LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) or an active remote sensing system. It has opened up more opportunities for communication with and participation of citizens about pressing issues that can occur in urban settings. And the spatial information itself serves as historical materials because it can show how the IFEZ has evolved over the years.

One of the major features of this service is easy access. Many statistics show that women are still less accessible to the Internet or less tech-savvy than men. But the WebGL-based service provides a readily usable and easily available environment for men and women alike.

The target group is the public, private or public, who are interested in the spatial information about the IFEZ. In the past the system offered two-dimensional maps to limited public officials. But now three-dimensional modelling data is set as a default display, and users can move to 2D images or aerial-VR images. And diverse content are also provided such as a continuous cadastral map, a special-purpose zoning map, a building management ledger, and public land prices. Even ordinary citizens can monitor the properties they want to purchase through multi-faceted materials.

If you want to access 3D spatial information, you need to buy a geographic information system (GIS) engine for a high price and install it on the server of a PC or a mobile phone. But the IFEZ 3D Spatial Information Service uses Web Graphics Library (WebGL), which runs on desktop and mobile platforms or anywhere you find browsers (e.g. IE, EDGE, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera, etc.). Now anyone who needs the spatial information on the IFEZ can get the data through their PCs or any mobile devices, without the constraints of time and space; the easier and expanded access for everyone contributes to more convenience of public administration and higher quality of life.

The disclosed spatial information includes location coordinates such as latitude and longitude. Considering the Korean Peninsula is divided, opening information to the public had to go through thorough security deliberations. The National Geographic Information Institute and other related institutions conducted a number of reviews to see if the disclosure violates the security-related regulations and laws.

Using WebGL means no ActiveX and no plugin. Compared to a GIS engine usually with high price tags and a cumbersome process, this new system improves affordability and convenience, attracting a broader user base. From the perspective of public budget for this system, now the IFEZA pays less for maintenance and zero royalty for a specific software that may otherwise be needed for a GIS engine. The use of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology produced spatial information with precise and sophisticated measurement, helping disaster risk reduction of constructions.

The basic idea of the service is related to WebGL, which has been around for years. WebGL 1.0 is currently highly utilized and enables professional apps to run in modern web browsers across many operating systems. It works well because it taps into the openness of OpenGL.

WebGL is a JavaScript API for rendering interactive 2D & 3D computer graphics within any compatible web browser without the use of plugins, meaning that the IFEZ system can be replicated regardless of any context. The only needed infrastructure is any devices that can run diverse browsers

If managers in charge of spatial information are interested in WebGl, they can easily adopt the technology thereby bringing innovation to public administration. As technologies advance, especially autonomous driving, virtual and augmented reality, drones, cyber physical systems, etc.), spatial information is getting emerging as the foundation for the development of new industries. Related data collection should be sorted out by year so that the yearly evolvement of a specific region can be monitored.

The project budget was KRW 0.22 billion or USD 187.900, including expenditures for hardware, software, and added values

The past GIS system took users three hours to upload 3D files; now it takes about three minutes. Whenever the landscape/construction committee completes its deliberations (usually three to four times a month), the results are immediately uploaded to the IFEZ 3D web system. Citizens can access the latest information.

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The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) runs a sharing and management system dedicated to spatial information in order to prevent project overlaps and budget wastes. This allows the central government, local municipalities, and public institutions to know what’s been already done, learn the past lessons, and share their own experience. Based on this, the central government tries to lay the foundation for the national spatial information industries of the future. And the MLIT conducts a yearly comprehensive review on action plans, preliminary examinations, performance evaluation, and statistics compilation.

The website of a sharing and management system for spatial information run by the MLIT collects all of the project plans, preliminary reviews, performance evaluations, and statistics compilation across the country. The number of service users can also be found through the website.

Achievements - May 31, 2017: Institution Excellence Award at the nationwide workshop for strengthening communication among construction and urban administration officials - December 29, 2017: Institution Commendation for Spatial Information Projects - September 14, 2018: Minister’s Award at the 35th Presentation Competition of Local Information Research Project - August 7, 2019: Prime Minister’s Award for Spatial Information Technology Development at the Smart GEO Expo 2019

In order to effectively collect, process, store, process, analyze, and express various spatial information, the service is operated as a single system. It combines hardware, software, database, and human resources of computers. In connection with the real estate comprehensive management system, property information, building management ledgers, land use plan confirmation sources, and land prices are offered in real time.

The landscape and architecture committee creates three-dimensional simulation materials during deliberations, and the results are opened to citizens (so far, deliberations were held on 581 new buildings in 117 sessions, as of the end of October 2019). Users can expect future developments through the easy search of a variety of high-quality information.

The MLIT pays special attention to spatial information by designating it as one of seven new industries. It conducts diverse projects such as to create precision maps for unmanned driving and to aggregate spatial information recorded by drones. The project uses new technologies such as IoT, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality. As people and things are connected and exchange data in real time, massive data is generated and the importance of spatial information as a foundation for connecting such data is also getting more significance. According to a statistics, 80% of public administration is related to location information, and more and more collaboration is made for giving directions to destinations and updating maps of popular portal sites. Spatial information is a system that can visualize and analyze the comprehensive data of administration of municipalities through various methods. In the past, access to 3D spatial information was extremely closed and limited. Now open 3D spatial information can contribute to improving the quality of life of residents. It is a future-oriented system that can play an important role in public administration.