Geospatial Data Culture of Diversity: a Neopragmatic Characterization

Abstract

In recent years, fundamental changes regarding geospatial data resources have become apparent. The establishment of gaming software and associated web-based exchange and communication platforms offer cartography and geoinformation sciences new potentials of geospatial data, which requires a rethinking, especially in the field of 3D visualization. The resources of official geospatial data holding agencies and first VGI communities from early times of digitization are extended by geospatial data originating from 3D modeling in gaming and containing high creative potential. Here, in relation to the availability of geodata resources, a change in the geospatial data culture becomes apparent, from a geospatial data culture of dependency (ca. 1830–1980), to a geospatial data culture of participation (ca. 1980–2020), to its further development to a geospatial data culture of diversity (since ca. 2020). These three paradigms of a geospatial data culture are discussed in this paper, after a conceptual reflection that builds on a neopragmatic understanding. Case studies are based on virtual and augmented reality. With these examples, the synthesis of different geospatial data resources for targeted 3D cartographic applications is highlighted.