ESRI Canada supports the modernization of the U.S. National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), emphasizing improvements in Governance, Data & Technology, and People. A modernized NSDI aims to enhance interoperability, streamline geospatial data exchange, improve decision-making and collaboration, increase data quality and workflow efficiency, and reduce duplication and resource waste. ESRI Canada views SDI as a distributed ”systems of systems” built on interoperability, standards, and collaboration, often implemented by specific communities for targeted applications.

Key Features

Esri Canada’s contribution covers three thematic areas:

Governance – Best practice documents

• Integration of public and private data
• Harmonized data models
• Pragmatic data aggregation strategies

Data and Technology

• Integration of heterogeneous data
• Creation of unique data hubs
• Use of metadata and globally unique identifiers
• Plug-and-play capabilities
• Seamless data integration
• Consideration for automation and AI

People

• Education and training programs
• Credentialing initiatives

Technical Information

Esri Canada’s contribution emphasizes the need for standardized, collaborative geospatial data management, adoption of open data-sharing principles, continuous review and improvement of geospatial processes, and exploration of innovative technologies and methodologies. A key example is the Community Map of Canada, which enables community contributions to basemap data, publishes updated basemaps twice weekly, and ensures data is current, accurate, and accessible.