For my sins, I spent yesterday reading the UK’s Geospatial Strategy 2020-2025 and thought I’d give it some of the critical attention it deserves considering the weight it will carry over on national policy and planning over the next 5 years. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/894755/Geospatial_Strategy.pdf

A few thoughts, but first the consortium’s aim: 'Our aim is to unlock the significant economic, social and environmental opportunities offered by location data and boost
the UK’s global geospatial expertise.'

It’s an interesting document because it tells us much about how the state views space, technology, data and geographical innovation. It also tells us how much trust and value it places in location data as a form of geographical knowledge.

Perhaps not much new here, but the ‘Gods-eye’ trick is the theme running throughout.

The underlying assumption is that geospatial/location data is purely utilitarian data to be used for economic productivity generated from public-private partnerships.

There is almost no mention that this data can be used to support social and cultural life in any meaningful way, aside from the customary ‘we’ll make bike lanes better’ chat.

Nor is there anything to say that the geospatial consortium has a responsibility to engage in projects that do otherwise. All innovation is economically driven in their eyes.

This is despite the long list of examples of when location data has been used to enrich how we might engage with the world (as in locative media arts, for example).

Another assumption is that nothing exists outside of the Euclidean grid; that everything can and should be located in order to be put to (economic) use for the ‘greater good’.

In my mind this moves us further towards a situation where all forms of life and livelihood have the potential to ‘snap to grid’. The report sees this as an opening, as an opportunity to capture and enrich life. I see this as a foreclosure on the possible future(s) of life.

This thread is not to say that finding use of location data is bad – much good has come from it, but it is to question and probe a little more at what this consortium is doing, why it has been set up, and for whom.