Estimating benefits of Spatial Data Infrastructures: A case study on e-Cadastres

The investments of public administrations and organisations for the development of Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs) should be informed by the analysis of the concrete benefits that such infrastructures may bring to their providers, their users, and society at large. Bibliographic evidence suggests that very little has been done in this respect, apart from theoretical hypotheses and some ex-ante assessments using the few data and experiences available. On the other hand, recent studies on regional SDIs have indicated that the application related to the Cadastre may have a big impact on society, due to the large number of users recorded. Indeed, e-Government services, including the ones providing access to Cadastral activities, have seen a big development in recent years. This paper analyses the case study of e-Cadastre, focusing on the benefits that society may obtain, in comparison with the traditional paper-based Cadastral service which still coexists with the e-Cadastre. The paper will present and analyse the results of a survey to several European Cadastral Agencies, focusing on the benefits for the users, in terms of time and cost saved. The findings show that the shift from the paper-based alternative to the electronic alternative helps citizens save time and money, and therefore provides partial justification to the required investments. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.