Co-Creation in the Region – Systemic and Innovative Development of Transfer

Developing a spatial data and information infrastructure for the public to support climate adaptation and structural change

As part of the “Co-Site” project, a consortium led by the Cologne University of Applied Sciences is working on solutions to the societal challenges of climate and structural change. An important component of this is the development of an information system for climate adaptation at the municipal level. This information tool shall provide information for citizens, planners, and researchers. Different formats of information are envisioned, ranging from text and images, to maps and time series data visualized in dashboards and geostories.

In order to develop this component, the Cologne University of Applied Sciences requires support services in the form of consulting and implementation capacities for a spatial information infrastructure.

The geodata will be managed by GeoNode and accompanied by a Content Management System (CMS), spatial databases and a Sensor Things API integration. As a consultant, 52°North is also involved in systematically compiling the requirements and developing an implmentation plan. We provide this support based on our long-term experience in the field of spatial data and information infrastructures, as well as in the implementation of complex, distributed systems for the use of spatial data and communication of spatial information. Our team also contributes extensive methodological experience in organizing distributed and agile geo-software development projects and on co-designing climate services.

In 2025, project activities continued with requirements analysis and identification of an appropriate system architecture and implementation approach. Our team has derived a prioritization of the information system’s features based on user stories. These were developed by Cologne University of Applied Sciences during workshops with future users and stakeholders. We have also created first integrations of sensor time series and spatial data. The initial version of the CMS was customized to suit the users’ needs, establishing a foundation that will now be expanded to fully realize its potential and deliver useful information to end users.

Technische Hochschule Köln, Germany