The U.S. Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) has worked collaboratively with the federal geospatial community, the National Geospatial Advisory Committee, stakeholders at the state and local levels, and national geospatial organizations to develop a shared national vision, mission, and guiding principles for a National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI).
This activity builds on previous shared initiatives, particularly The Modernizing Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) for Cumulative Effects Concept Development Study supported by the Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation Branch (CCMEO) of Natural Resources Canada in 2020 & 2021 .
Readily accessible and easy-to-use geospatial resources—including data, information, applications, and expertise—empower the nation by enabling economic opportunities, improved understanding, in‐depth insight, and informed decision-making to address various economic, social, and environmental challenges. Geospatial data must seamlessly integrate with a variety of technologies, including those powered by artificial intelligence (AI), enabling citizens and government agencies to use the data every day in the tools and applications they are already familiar with, such as digital assistants, smartphones, location-based services, mapping and much more.
OGC has now been commissioned to develop new ideas, concepts, and components to fundamentally modernize the national SDI in the United States. In a multi-year project, the OGC community will establish a national SDI hub that, in addition to providing essential information about the NSDI, will visualize it using various demonstrators. Join us on this exciting journey and help make the NSDI more powerful, efficient, and better, thus maximizing the benefits for the economy and society.
The National Spatial Data Infrastructure Modernization Project is sponsored by OGC Strategic Member the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC), with support from the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) and AmeriGEO.
Click here to Register for Call for Contributions: OGC Spatial Data Infrastructure Modernization Project 2025-2026
