From models to data: A prototype Query Translator for the cadastral domain

The missing possibility of exchanging cadastral information between different countries in an efficient way leads to rather complicated procedures of collecting and analyzing cadastral data in land transactions with multinational parties. Cross-border exchange of cadastral information is not only interesting in the real property financial market, but also for authorities, for example in land management and infrastructure development, and for international companies, e.g., in their property management. In this paper, we propose an approach to query translation based on the core cadastral model [Lemmen, C., van der Molen, P., van Oosterom, P., Ploeger, H., Quak, W., Stoter, J., et al. (2003). A modular standard for the cadastral domain. In Proceedings of Digital Earth 2003, September 21–25, 2003 (pp. 108–117). Brno, Czech Republic] which serves as connecting piece between various national cadastral systems. We will show by demonstrating a query translation from one national cadastral model into another that interoperability between cadastral systems conforming to a core model can be achieved. A prototype Query Translator demonstrates the practical use of our approach. The approach is evaluated with queries between the core cadastral model and two national cadastral models: the current Dutch model and a prototype Greek model. On the basis of the experiences obtained, recommendations are given for further improvement of the query translation. We also make suggestions to make the core model better suitable for a role as an intermediary model for query translation. Choices must be made here: about system boundaries of the model and about desired level of abstraction.