How Open Geodata Enables Urban Transformation
An article by Hamidreza Ostadabbas (STEG Stadtentwicklung GmbH) and Mohammad Hosseingholizadeh (STEG Stadtentwicklung GmbH)
Open geodata and open-source technologies are playing an increasingly important role in the digital development of our cities. In the current paper “From Open Data to Smart Cities: How Open Source and Open Data Enable Urban Transformation,” Hamidreza Ostadabbas from STEG Stadtentwicklung GmbH demonstrates how open data spaces and freely available tools merge into a powerful and practical smart-city infrastructure.
Workflow with ALKIS Data, PostGIS, QGIS and QField
At the core of the work is a fully reproducible workflow that integrates ALKIS data, PostGIS, QGIS and QField. This creates an end-to-end data flow – from standardized geodata ingestion to mobile field data collection, all the way to immediate use in planning, monitoring and decision-making processes. The approach enables municipalities and planning teams to efficiently document urban conditions, automate harmonization, and provide all stakeholders with consistent and up-to-date information.
The particular value of this work lies in its practical relevance. The workflows presented are not theoretical concepts but are used daily in STEG’s operational practice. This clearly illustrates how open data communication, controlled data models and open-source software together create faster, more reliable and more transparent decision-making foundations.
The applications range from energy monitoring, urban renewal strategies and mobility to climate adaptation, accessibility and public-space quality. The paper demonstrates how municipalities can use open tools to establish the basis for smart-city decision-making – while simultaneously paving the way toward digital twins and continuous urban monitoring.
