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Lambeth London Borough Council

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VertiGIS Studio technology makes spatial data usable for everyone in London Borough of Lambeth 

Lambeth Borough Council is improving access to better spatial data by using VertiGIS Studio technology to make data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable (FAIR) and of the right Quality. The council’s ‘spatial toolbox’ enables employees and the public alike to get access to its datasets for analysis and decision-making purposes, including information published under an open data licence. The council are making better spatial data available to more people using the ‘spatial toolbox’.

Challenge 

Covering one of the largest geographic areas of any inner London borough, Lambeth is one of the most densely populated places in the country. This generates a wealth of data that needs to be shared internally and externally to ensure efficient and effective delivery of public services. 

While location (spatial) is used as the common link for finding, accessing, exchanging, and reusing around 400 datasets, providing the skills and knowledge necessary to use spatial data can be costly and time-consuming. The Council therefore required an online spatial data solution that extended the capabilities of its Esri ArcGIS platform to non-technical council users, as well as people using the council online services and open data.

Solution 

Used as Lambeth’s primary online spatial data solution since 2012, VertiGIS Studio's technology was implemented, and is now sustained, in partnership with 1Spatial. As a framework for designing, developing, and operating spatial data applications, the VertiGIS Studio technology provides FAIR and Quality data – achieving Council efficiencies and effectively extending the value of the Council’s Esri ArcGIS platform. 

Tom and his team used VertiGIS Studio's technology to deliver a public-facing mapping tool, which has further increased the reuse of spatial data. This process simply required copying the XML file from the internal tool with no migration of software or data required.

To date, more than 150 datasets have been released under an open government licence, including the open data equivalent of the Council’s internal planning information. Although it does not go into the same level of mapping detail, it has the same functionality, and provides value for money as it has been built in-house rather than by an external supplier.

Case Study

A spatial toolbox to unlock the value of location data

"We’re really proud to have released more open spatial data than any other council in the country, and in terms of capabilities, VertiGIS Studio’s technology is better than any other public-facing web mapping tools for local authorities committed to opening up, and providing easy access, to their spatial data. 1Spatial has enabled us to deliver an amazing tool to the public, so we are now again ahead of every other council in terms of our mapping tool, as well as for open data.”

Tom Brown Spatial Information Manager, Lambeth Borough Council
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Key benefits

  • Increased the number of people that have access to better spatial data. 
  • Increased the reuse of spatial data for multiple uses within and outside of the Council. 
  • Improved the Council’s technical efficiency, by carrying out spatial data management activities faster, to a higher standard and with fewer resources. 
  • Improved the effective use of spatial data, by enabling a self-serve, automated approach to accessing spatial data.
  • Improved the reliability and evolution of the Council’s Spatial Data Infrastructure, by enabling the Councils’ spatial data team to focus on project delivery rather than fulfilling specific requests for spatial data. 
  • Achieved the Council’s open data and other statutory information targets.
  • Improved spatial data quality and users trust in spatial data provided through automated data management workflows and processes.