The rise of Web 2.0 enabled interactive and collaborative geospatial applications like Volunteered Geographic Information, public data portals, and location-based services. But centralization of data in order to monetize resources online has raised concerns around privacy, equity, and sustainability. In response, Web3—built on decentralized technologies such as blockchain[LW1] and peer-to-peer networks—aims to create a more user-centric internet. Within this framework, a decentralized geospatial web is being developed to enhance spatial data infrastructure (SDI) through secure verification, transparent geocomputation, and local data sovereignty. UMD’s work explores how decentralized protocols can complement existing geospatial standards, contributing to advancements in Technology, with implications for Governance and People.
Key Features
Decentralized Data Storage and Dissemination
Challenge: Centralized control of spatial data by a few private entities limits accessibility, equity, and sustainability.
Solution: Use decentralized protocols like IPFS and Filecoin to distribute geospatial data.
Tools Developed:
- ipfs-stac: A Python library integrating STAC metadata with IPFS/Filecoin for decentralized geospatial data access
- Web3 Geo Dashboard: A live dashboard for monitoring and visualizing decentralized geospatial data (e.g., Landsat), enabling provenance verification and peer-to-peer sharing
- Spatial Query Prototype: Uses discrete global grid systems to enable spatial queries directly on IPFS
Verifiable and Interoperable Geospatial Data
Challenge: Lack of trust and verifiability in location-based data, especially critical for autonomous systems and MRV (Measurement, Reporting, Verification) applications.
Solution: Introduced the Location Protocol for portable, signed, and cryptographically verifiable spatial records.
Features:
- Works across decentralized and traditional systems.
- Supports coordinates, boundaries, imagery, and more.
- Enables attribution, transparency, and trust in spatial data.
Ongoing Work:
- Integration with Proofmode and other platforms
- Development of SDKs and APIs for creating and querying Location Protocol records
- Exploration of verifiable geocomputation