The Land Administration Domain Model (LADM)
An Overview

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FOREWORD

The Land Administration Domain Model (LADM) is an International Standard (ISO 19152) that concerns information on ‘people to land relationships’. It has become a universal, conceptual, information model covering basic information-related components of land administration. This publication is intended for anyone interested in learning more about LADM: its necessity, demands, purpose, and benefits. An extended version of this overview, titled “LADM in the Classroom”, focuses on training and higher education.

The design of the first edition of the Land Administration Domain Model (LADM), completed in 2012, was to facilitate the creation of a common view to land administration across the various stakeholders involved with it. In many countries, multiple public stakeholders are responsible for different aspects of land administration, e.g. land tenure, land value and land use plans. Therefore, regular and seamless information exchange among these stakeholders is essential for a successful land administration system. This ensures that information is ready for use, kept up to date, and supplemented or completed as needed. To achieve an effective and sustainable land administration system, coordination is required between the professionals and organisations that produce the information and the users who rely on it for both private and public purposes. This coordination fosters interoperability and information sharing, paving the way for future advancements in information infrastructures with land administration included.

The knowledge development of LADM is the result of a truly collaborative and committed approach by professionals and standards experts over two decades. The first edition of LADM was developed incrementally by the FIG community from 2002 to 2006. After much hard work with experts within ISO/TC 211 Geographic Information/ Geomatics, it was published as an ISO standard in December 2012. In 2019, ISO/TC 211 approved the development of the next edition as a multi-part standard, with each part representing a separate standard: 1) Generic conceptual model, 2) Land registration, 3) Marine georegulation, 4) Valuation information, and 5) Spatial plan information. Again, following a similar collaborative approach this second and revised edition was advanced through input provided by experts within ISO/TC 211, as well as from the LADM User Community during the FIG LADM & 3D Workshops. FIG Commissions 2, 3, 7, 8, and 9 have been actively involved. This collective knowledge is documented in the standard and in numerous professional and scientific publications.

LADM adoption is evident through the development of country profiles, which are adaptations of the model tailored to specific countries. As far as known more then fifty LADM country profiles exist, with approximately ten of these translated into land information system implementations. LADM’s specialisation into the Social Tenure Domain Model (STDM) has demonstrated its versatility as a generic land information model. The geospatial industry recognises the benefits of LADM, and all of this bodes well for the future.

We would like to express our gratitude to everyone who contributed to the design and development of LADM. Special thanks go to the FIG Foundation and to Kadaster for their financial support to Abdullah Kara, editor of the standard. The model shows great promise in its applications and use, and it has the potential to contribute to a better world.  

Executive Summary

This publication marks the first time FIG provides an overview publication of the decades-long efforts to provide a generic, accessible, and available Land Administration Domain Model (LADM). The various reports and academic papers relating to LADM are numerous, each focussing on different aspects. This publication seeks to give a summarised view of the background, but, also introduction to LADM for a larger audience, especially management.

After ISO publishing the first edition in 2012 with a focus on land tenure, a revised edition has now been virtually completed. In addition to land tenure, this edition now also focuses on land value and planned land use.

In this publication the following questions are addressed:

What is LADM?

The LADM standard is a universal, conceptual information model that covers basic information-
related components of land administration. It involves information on ‘people to land relationships’. Its history is briefly reviewed.

Why LADM is needed?

Responsible stakeholders as surveyors, notaries, lawyers, planners, valuers, bank employees, brokers, colleagues in governments and citizens must share a common view of land administration. LADM provides this view. It serves as a common language that can be used by experts from different disciplines for land policy development and for land administration system and information infrastructure development and operation (information storage). It contributes to achieving the global agenda.

Which LADM demands are there?

The development of an LADM is based on user demands, providing a solid foundation. These demands are derived from global guidelines and requirements, as well as from the outcomes of several LADM and 3D Cadastre workshops. The general demands are briefly outlined, along with more specific demands from the perspectives of land tenure, land value, and planned land use.

How does LADM look?

The components are sub-models (called LADM packages) on parties, RRRs (rights, restrictions and responsibilities), spatial units, land survey, valuation information and spatial plan information on planned land use.

What are LADM benefits?

The key benefit is that a common language, a terminology is available now for communication between all experts, especially between land administrators and experts from the GIS and DBMS industry. Further benefits are in the possible use of country profiles, participatory approaches and the management of conflicts. LADM supports the creation of nationwide overview of responsibilities and required coordination in land administration.

Conclusions and recommendations

Conclusions and recommendations with proposals for future developments are given.

Contents

Foreword
Executive Summary
1 Introduction - What is LADM?
2 Motivation - Why LADM is needed?
3 Base - Which LADM demands are there?
4 Model - How does LADM look?
5 Application - What are LADM benefits?
6 Conclusions and recommendations
Acknowledgements
References
About Authors

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Published in English
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ISSN 2311-8423 (pdf)
ISBN 78-87-93914-23-0 (pdf)

Published by
International Federation of Surveyors (FIG)
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