Scalable Solutions for Urban Data Spaces: Insight from the USAGE blueprint

The USAGE objective is to identify, implement, and demonstrate an architecture and solutions for a data space supporting the European Green Deal priorities. It implements the methodology based on the data USAGE data space framework built around specific use cases in the context of local and European policies and guidelines as well as digitalization agendas. Use cases, considered the primary value proposition for the data uptake, are developed and maintained in the USAGE framework. They cover  urgent municipalities scenarios like heat islands, clean energy, qir quality and mobility. Target requirements are translated into data and service requirements expressed in the ISO catalog-based model tailored to the specific data quality measures for the Decision Ready Information. Implementation of the value chain goes across various data inputs including satelite and airborne images, local sensors and citizen science data, surface and urban models producing intermediary and end user products and services. Disciplined and tool-supported collection of the data and application assets consistent with the INSPIRE-compliant schemas and data requirements model which allows them to leverage the solutions' potential and implement the value proposition for their providers. Profiled models create the frames of the data value chain, documenting processing steps from the data requirements through BPMN data flow models linking to the used and produced assets. In addition, licensing schema, including the constraints model, allows for data sovereignty and trust among the data space actors.

The outcome blueprint for the urban data space goes beyond the USAGE pilots to test scalable solutions based on adopting the proposed set of standards coming mainly from ISO, OGC, W3C, OASC and their extensions. It is built in the European initiatives and legal references (i.e., the European strategy for data, the European interoperability framework, the European interoperability reference architecture), and reviewed several projects and initiatives results contributing to shaping data spaces: Open DEI design principles, the International Data Spaces Association (IDSA) reference architecture, Gaia-X architecture, Data Spaces Business Alliance (DSBA) documents, the Data Spaces Support Centre (DSSC) results, Data Space for Smart and Sustainable Cities and Communities (DS4SSCC) outcomes, and the GREAT project Technical Blueprint. Presentation goes across the best practices and guidances extracted from the implementation of the FAIR dataspace and considerations given defined frameworks.