Datavindplaats (Dutch for “place to find data”) is the very first initiative that combines Geospatial, Open and even Restricted data and APIs into one very user-friendly and open portal. Bridging the gap between all the required standards improves exchange, reduces and simplifies maintenance, increases efficiency and consistency… and keeps it as simple as possible for data providers in describing their data once-only, while reaching the widest possible audience. The metadata records are being captured in an Open Source software solution. The metadata shown in Datavindplaats is based on the umbrella concept of a consolidated standard, leaving out many domain-specific concepts, so the user interface can remain simple, clear, easy to use and lovable. In this way Datavindplaats becomes a facilitator for the next generation of data solutions.
As a government instance we lead the charge in this challenging domain. In the end we aim to improve market adoption of standardised descriptions of APIs. This allows APIs to be found by citizens and companies alike, making sure solutions can be created that make use of them and disclosed data can be inspected freely. Additionally, this pushes the digital transformation of governmental and private organisations, better serving citizens through public services. The Datavindplaats initiative is based on a well-known Open Source software package: GeoNetwork. Customisations were made to accommodate the local (Flemish) constraints, making them available on GitHub for other parties. Currently, six third party entities make use of this custom version to power their own metadata systems. Missing functionality was added (DCAT) to improve handling Open data, in the form of a ground-breaking plugin that is made publicly available for other members of the GeoNetwork community. A SHACL validator was created to help validation of records, improving quality. Datavindplaats is maintained and updated through active collaboration with various entities, both from public and private sectors. Our active participation in the metadata community for over three decades has triggered rich collaborations, bridging worlds that were previously disconnected, creating a true ecosystem of metadata nodes, standards, data domains and leading to an active community.
Main URL of the initiative: https://www.vlaanderen.be/datavindplaats
Related Open Source repositories:
- Flemish GeoNetwork fork - https://github.com/Informatievlaanderen/metadata-geonetwork
- DCAT-AP GeoNetwork plugin - https://github.com/Informatievlaanderen/metadata-dcatap
- SHACL validator - https://github.com/Informatievlaanderen/OSLO-Validator-EU
Type
Initiative
Organisation
Digitaal Vlaanderen
Country
Belgium
