Geodata is information linked to a geographic location. It helps us understand what is located where, identify geographic connections, and make better decisions on everything from infrastructure and real estate to the environment, climate, and risks.
Here, we explain what geodata is, what types of geodata exist, where the information comes from, and what’s important to consider when using geodata to inform decision-making.
Geodata is information linked to a location on Earth. Buildings, roads, waterways, forests, and various types of boundaries are examples of features that can be described by a geographic position.
Various types of information can then be linked to that location, such as addresses, property designations, elevation data, statistics, or other characteristics.
What distinguishes geodata from other data is thus the spatial link. The information has a geographic position, usually expressed as coordinates.
Geodata is used to analyze, plan, make, and follow up on decisions concerning physical locations. By combining information about what is found at a location with where it is located, it is possible to identify geographic relationships, compare different areas, and create a better basis for decision-making.
Geodata is used, for example, in:
Geodata can be described and structured in various ways. Two basic types are vector data and raster data.
Vector data consists of points, lines, and polygons (areas). For example, a substation can be represented as a point, a road as a line, and a lake as a polygon.
Raster data consists of a grid of equally sized pixels, where each pixel has a value. Satellite images and aerial photographs are examples of raster data.
Geodata can also be divided into basic data and thematic data.
Basic data describes fundamental features of the physical environment, such as property boundaries, road networks, buildings, and lakes. The responsibility for producing such data often lies with government agencies or municipalities.
Thematic data contains more specialized information that can be combined with base data to, for example, show land use, population density, or high-risk areas.
Geodata can be collected from many different sources. New, more specialized datasets can also be created by combining multiple types of information.
The basis for this might include, for example:
In Sweden, various government agencies produce and distribute geodata within their respective areas of responsibility. Municipalities also collect and manage geographic information, such as detailed land-use plans and information on water and sewer networks.
Companies in sectors such as energy, forestry, real estate, and telecommunications also collect and create their own geodata. For companies, it is often the combination of public baseline data and their own or purchased data that creates real business value.
When geodata is used to support decision-making, quality is crucial. It’s not enough for the information to simply exist—it also needs to be sufficiently up-to-date, accurate, and precise for its intended use.
Some important things to check are:
The information accompanying a dataset is therefore important for assessing whether the geodata is suitable for the analysis or decision for which it is intended.
Geodata refers to the geographic information itself, while GIS is the tool or system used to manage that information.
GIS stands for Geographic Information System and is used to store, process, analyze, and visualize geodata.
To put it simply:
Geodata describes what is located where. GIS helps us understand what the information means and what geographic relationships exist.
Through GIS, different types of geodata can be combined and visualized in, for example, maps and analyses, making the information easier to use as a basis for decision-making. This builds on the document’s concluding distinction between geodata as information and GIS as the tool that makes it usable.
Metria helps companies and organizations gain access to up-to-date and quality-assured geodata in the right format for analysis, maps, and their own systems.
Learn more about Metria’s geodata and mapping services.
Metria offers digital solutions and services in GIS, geodata, real estate, and business information. Our offering covers the entire process—from identifying a customer’s needs for geodata, real estate, and business information to collecting, analyzing, and visualizing data to generate insights that lead to smarter, safer, and greener decisions.
Since spring 2022, Metria has been part of Spir Group, a Nordic group with approximately 260 employees in Norway and Sweden.
Spir Group is a Nordic company that simplifies unnecessarily complex processes by collecting and making information accessible to consumers, the public sector, and the private sector.
Spir Group is the parent company and the visionary force behind several software subsidiaries, all dedicated to delivering business-critical technology that sustains and develops society.
Our clients range from real estate agents, banks, insurance companies, appraisers, real estate developers, media companies, builders, property owners, engineers, and energy companies to manufacturers of building materials.
We are a team of more than 260 colleagues with deep domain and technology expertise. Spir Group does more than just collect and share information. We enable innovation and growth that strengthen trust between people, businesses, and society.
For more information about Spir Group, visitwww.spirgroup.com.