GIT Developments in central Europe: Hungary as a case study
Miklos K. Hoffmann
László Csemniczky GITA Hungary
M. Hoffmann
Am Hang 11, D-24794 Borgstedt, Germany
L. Csemniczky
Bartók B. u. 24. H-1151 Budapest, Hungary
Abstract
Hungary sits at the crossroads of Western and Eastern Europe. From its central location, it
can play a role in mobilizing GIT throughout the region. There is considerable need for
geospatial data applications throughout this area. This presentation will be an overview of the
successes, the challenges and the directions of geospatial technology in Hungary,
concentrating on the main streams: Government, Utility and Environmental issues. We
present the relevant projects of the National Spatial data Infrastructure, focusing on macroeconomic
relationships, and investigate the impacts and benefits for the general
administration and the private sector generated by investments in the spatial data
infrastructure.
Overview of GIS Development in Hungary
The development of GIS in Hungary essentially began when the possibility of
importing hardware equipment and software products into Hungary was extended.
The so-called COCOM list is worth mentioning here, as it severely restricted the
import of these equipments into Hungary. It is, however, important to say that the
restriction only applied to modern IT devices and products. The skills of Hungarian IT
professionals and their education were adequate, and Hungary boasted several
internationally known and acknowledged IT experts, like János Neumann.
A relaxation of the COCOM restrictions occurred in 1982, when the first interactive
graphic system, the Contraves GRADIS-2000 workstation was installed (on a Digital
PDP 11/44 computer), for the first time in Hungary at the Department of Land
Surveying of the Technical University of Budapest. This system can be considered
the forefather of object-oriented GIS systems. CAD systems began to spread around
1985-87. Then the first systems based on databases appeared in Hungary. The final
result for the users was always a map that could be retrieved or changed at any time.
These conditions lasted through the mid 1990s.
By this time, five years after major political changes, hardware and software
acquisition options were essentially the same in Hungary as in the Western European
countries, but there was a big difference in the financial situation, and there still is.
However, this allowed GIS to support certain activities, that is, to become businesslike.
The architecture of the planned and more or less developed systems was
determined by integration with a given activity (i.e., managing network losses of a
public utility company and the related property records).
The goal of companies that implemented GIS was not only the creation of a digital
map, but also to change the operating environment of the respective organization.
The development of system integration technology brought the management and the
technical systems closer to each other. A good example of this is the combination of
SCADA and GIS systems in large corporate environments.
GIS Developments in the Field of Cadastral Map Data Services
One of the fields involved in basic data is surveying. It has been a goal since the
1970s to automate real estate records. The first step in this direction was the
implementation of a digital data processing system in 1974 (using Digital PDP 11/40
Aristogrid digitizing devices).
A notable experiment was the digital processing of the land survey base map system
of Szeged, a city with a population of about 150,000. However, the IT infrastructure at
that time was unable to support the development of a flexible system that would
ensure change management. The data recorded back then are still included in many
databases.
At almost the same time, the digital processing of the cadastral base map of
Budapest began. The so-called “skeleton map set” created in the 1980s is still the
basis for the real estate records of Budapest. The corner points of all ground-plots
have been recorded unequivocally with coordinates, and a computerized record of
the alphanumeric data was created. Of course, this skeleton map cannot be
considered a digital cadastral base map, as it only records the boundary structure,
not the internal map content (i.e., buildings and public domain content were not
digitized).
By 1984-85, the technology for the maintenance management of digital land survey
base maps existed, and its practical application began on the aforementioned system
in Szeged.
In the 1990s, the appearance of workstations and PCs with ever more powerful
performance, as well as the political changes that allowed the free flow of modern IT
information and equipment, increased the capabilities of the land management base
systems. The digital processing of the cadastral base maps for the entire country was
initiated within the context of a European assistance program.
The first of these systems, still operating admirably, is the INFOCAM system,
installed at the Budapest Land Office with Swiss support. This system currently
provides digital cadastral base map data for almost half of the 23 districts of
Budapest, and data maintenance is ensured. Unfortunately, a lack of funds prevents
faster development. Currently, the digitally processed districts are situated in different
areas of the capital city. Therefore, the large public utility companies of the city
cannot benefit from the use of the digital records, as they are not district-based, but
can only manage the city as a whole.
The National Cadastre Program, the largest land management project in the country,
started in 1995. The poor financial situation at that time proved again to be an
insurmountable barrier, so the program began with considerably less funding than
planned, and could not therefore cover the entire country. Within this program, the
modern digital cadastral base maps were created for the surface of chosen areas.
Only those areas that were able to cover 40% of the production costs were included
in this program, which is still underway. Due to lack of funds, digital cadastral base
maps cover only 15% of the surface of the country.
