Geospatial technology should be used in service of culture, and better marketing can help drive cultural shifts.
Technology generally moves faster than culture, but marketing can bridge the gap between the two.
Deep dives
Systems thinking and the role of geospatial data
In this podcast episode, the speaker discusses the concept of systems thinking and emphasizes the role of geospatial data within various systems. The conversation touches on natural systems, human systems, and ecological systems, and highlights the importance of geospatial data in understanding and modeling these systems. The podcast also explores the idea of location systems and how geospatial data and technology contribute to creating digital representations of the real world.
Smart cities, digital twins, and climate change
The podcast delves into the topics of smart cities, digital twins, and climate change. It examines how the use of geospatial technology and data can contribute to creating digital representations that model real-world environments and support decision-making in urban planning and environmental management. The conversation touches on the benefits of visualizing potential outcomes and scenarios using digital twins, and how this can aid in understanding the impact of climate change and making more informed decisions.
Challenges of integrating geospatial data
The podcast episode addresses the challenges of integrating geospatial data, particularly in terms of standardization and diversity. It emphasizes the need for standardized formats and interfaces to enable easier discovery and use of data, while also acknowledging the importance of allowing for data variety and different conceptualizations. The conversation highlights the significance of metadata and data descriptions in ensuring a shared understanding of geospatial data across different stakeholders and systems.
The importance of open data and knowledge sharing
The episode emphasizes the importance of open data and knowledge sharing in leveraging the potential of geospatial technology and data. It suggests that more open data and easier access to diverse datasets can accelerate progress in understanding and managing complex systems. The podcast also discusses the benefits of collaborative efforts in data provision, standardization, and knowledge engineering, emphasizing the value of open access to information in promoting better decision-making and addressing challenges such as climate change.
This episode covers a wide range of topics from the role of geospatial in systems thinking - representing natural systems in location systems and how we can apply the technology behind virtual worlds to the real world.
During this conversation, it became clear to me that technology should be used in service of culture and not the other way around. I think in terms of geospatial we have an interesting opportunity to have an outsized impact if we can just figure out how to market it!
I often think about problems as being either technological or cultural and it seems to me that technology generally moves faster than culture. Although I am sure we can all think of some great examples of huge cultural shifts that have happened in response to short-term emergencies in the past few years.
Culture seems to react to technology as opposed to driving technology. I think if we were all better at marketing we could change this.