Platsidest

Platsidest is a term used in geographic information systems to describe a data layer or dataset that centers on places as the primary objects of analysis. It collects and organizes information about specific locations—such as cities, parks, buildings, and landmarks—along with their spatial coordinates and descriptive attributes.

The word is typically associated with Nordic and European GIS practice, where platsidend ranges from a simple inventory of places to a formalized data model for city planning. The name combines elements meaning place and side or dataset, signaling a focus on place-centric data that can be linked to other geographic and administrative layers.

A platsidest dataset generally includes a unique identifier for each place, a name, a type or classification, precise coordinates or boundaries, and additional metadata such as official status, date of establishment, accessibility, and source. It is designed to be interoperable, often formatted as GeoJSON, CSV, or shapefiles, and linked to external gazetteers or identifiers (for example, Wikidata or OpenStreetMap IDs) to support cross-system referencing and data integration.

Common applications include municipal planning, emergency management, tourism and wayfinding, infrastructure maintenance, and public service delivery. Challenges in maintaining platsidest datasets include ensuring data quality and currency, avoiding duplicates, handling boundary changes, and addressing privacy considerations for sensitive locations.

See also: geographic information systems, gazetteer, geocoding, OpenStreetMap.