The integration of natural and built environment data: the experience of Europe with a focus on Denmark

This paper analyses the current situation in Europe with regard to the integration of natural and built environment data, and with a focus on the experience of Denmark. The European approach is based on the EU initiative known as INSPIRE that builds the overall concept for geospatial data integration, The Danish approach is presented in more details with a focus on institutional arrangements, land policies, land information infrastructure, and the four land administration functions: land tenure, land value, land-use, and land development. It is concluded that the European approach is well designed for setting a standard with regard to data integration. In the case of Denmark it is concluded that the Spatial Data Infrastructure works well even if there is no official policy in this area. Also the Land Administration System (LAS) works well in the sense that it supports sustainable development through facilitating an efficient land market and an effective land-use management. Furthermore, the LAS are well tailored for a decentralized approach to landuse management placing the decision-making power at regional and especially local level. However, the Danish land information infrastructure is complex and needs continuous attention to be adapted to ITC developments. Also, some institutional arrangements could be improved and, more generally, there is need for improving the awareness the land management area as coherent whole.