Historical Background
Origin Story
p2d2 emerged from the realization that administrative data and citizen data often exist in parallel without systematic exchange. Authorities maintain their specialized data, while citizens enter the same information in OpenStreetMap or WikiData.
The Problem
- Duplicate Work: The same data is collected multiple times
- Inconsistencies: Administrative data and community data contradict each other
- Lack of Timeliness: Changes in one system don't reach the other
- Resource Waste: Administration and community work separately
The Vision
p2d2 closes this gap through a bidirectional data flow:
- Administrative data is provided as OpenData
- Citizens can review, correct, and use this data
- Improvements flow back into administrative systems
- We all benefit from quality-assured data: Data-sovereign citizens, our administrations, and our economy, because we base our decisions on facts that everyone can verify themselves.
Pilot Project: Cemeteries in Cologne
The first application scenario was the collection of cemetery data in Cologne:
- Initial Situation: Cemetery data was available in specialized systems but not in OSM
- Challenge: Even though the Cologne city council defined "all data as fundamentally public" in 2010 and 2012, data in specialized applications often resides in data silos and is shielded from the public.
- Success: Systematic transfer and continuous synchronization
Further Development
From the pilot project, a generic geodata infrastructure developed that can be scaled for different data categories and geographic areas.