Volunteered geographic information, the exaflood, and the growing digital divide

Abstract

The phenomenon of volunteered geographic information is part of a profound transformation on how geographic data, information, and Knowledge are produced and circulated. This chapter begins by situating this transition within the broader context of an exaflood of digital data growth. It considers the implications of VGI and the exaflood for further time-space compression and new forms and degrees of digital inequality. We then give a synoptic overview of the content of this edited collection and its three-part structure: VGI, public participation, and citizen science; geographic Knowledge production and place inference; and emerging applications and new challenges. We conclude this chapter by discussing the renewed importance of geography and the role of crowdsourcing for geographic Knowledge production.