There are some fascinating panel discussions on the agenda at next week’s annual Geospatial Infrastructure Solutions Conference in Phoenix.

• Peter Batty will be moderating a panel discussion at GITA 2010 in Phoenix next week that will discuss new ways of creating and sharing geospatial data such as crowdsourcing, the best known example of which is OpenStreetMap.   
• Dr Bob Austin will be moderating a panel that will discuss the alternatives of free vs fee for spatial data.
• Justin Sherin will moderate a discussion of how to share geospatial information in emergencies.

Breaking News Panel: Not Your Father’s Approach to Geodata Creation and Sharing

Moderator:  Peter Batty, Ubisense

Speakers: Andrew Turner, FortiusOne; Ron Lake, Galdos Systems; James Fee, WeoGeo; Steve Coast, OpenStreetMap

This panel will look at new approaches to geodata creation and sharing that have emerged in the past few years, and consider how they apply to infrastructure related problems. Crowdsourcing has grown dramatically as a mechanism for creating geospatial data, and has the potential to dramatically reduce the costs associated with geodata creation and maintenance, which of course have traditionally been very high. One of the best known initiatives in this area is OpenStreetMap, and the crowdsourcing approach is also being used by a number of commercial companies including Google, TomTom and others, as well as some government agencies. Crowdsourcing has huge potential in emergency response, and the panel will include a look at how OpenStreetMap contributed enormously to the response to the Haiti earthquake. The panel will also consider approaches to sharing geodata. New lightweight standards like GeoRSS and KML have arguably done more to facilitate sharing of geodata in practice than longer standing more heavyweight standards. Techniques for making geodata accessible to search engines like Google, rather than being hidden behind portals, have also contributed to our ability to easily share data. These and other developments will be discussed by the panel.

Panel Discussion: Driven by Data: Who Pays, Who Plays?

Moderator:  Robert F. Austin, City of Tampa and President-Elect, GITA

Panelists:  James Fee, Editor, The WeoGeo Blog; Robert L. Young, RPLS, Young & Associates; Rudy Stricklan, RLS, AMEC Earth and Environmental

In a world where digital data paid for by taxpayers is driving navigation systems and other consumer and commercial uses, what is the right balance of free vs. fee?  Should cities that built the land bases used by mapping systems provide the data for free or should they be expected to at least cover their initial investment by charging a fee? And, should the fee be minimal or what the commercial market will bear?   The panel will debate these and other issues related to data sharing, including Homeland Security concerns, in the context of state law in Arizona as well as on a national and international level.

Power Panel: A Unified Federal Approach to Geospatial Technologies in Times of Crisis

Moderator: Justin Sherin

The role of geospatial technology, information and data continues to be of critical importance in supporting Homeland Security, Emergency Preparedness, and Response and Recovery Operations. This panel will address the continuing evolution of the individual and coordinated efforts of a number of key federal agencies.  Panelists will also share insights for improving information collection for Homeland Security Infrastructure Programs and the vital role of utilities and other public and private infrastructure organizations in meeting common objectives.