Geodata and territorial governance: the institutional trajectory of the Système d’Information du Territoire Genevois (SITG)
This paper explores the early emergence and evolution of a key geoinformation actor in the Geneva region. It traces the transformation of the Système d’Information du Territoire Genevois (SITG) – initiated by a group of GIS enthusiasts – into a central actor in spatial data governance at the regiona...
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| Publicat a: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/netcom, |
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| Autor principal: | |
| Format: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
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Netcom
2026
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| Accés en línia: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Sumari: | This paper explores the early emergence and evolution of a key geoinformation actor in the Geneva region. It traces the transformation of the Système d’Information du Territoire Genevois (SITG) – initiated by a group of GIS enthusiasts – into a central actor in spatial data governance at the regional scale. Through a longitudinal analysis of institutional documents, the paper shows how SITG gradually accumulated institutional authority, emerging from bottom-up, technically driven collaborations rather than from a formal political roadmap. Over time, its influence expanded beyond cantonal borders, contributing to the shaping of the Greater Geneva agglomeration as a coherent territorial entity. This story shows how actors and data infrastructures do not simply support territorial governance; they actively constitute it. This empirical study contributes to debates in digital geography, spatial data governance, and territorial planning by foregrounding the socio-technical labour behind geodata actors and infrastructures. It argues that understanding how digital tools shape territorial governance requires close attention to the institutional pathways, informal practices, and embedded power relations that underpin their development. Rather than viewing spatial data systems as neutral supports for decision-making, the paper highlights their active role in constructing the informational and operational foundations of territorial governance. The case of SITG invites broader reflection on how digital infrastructures emerge, consolidate authority, and influence regional vison – particularly in complex, multilevel, and cross-border contexts. In doing so, the paper offers a grounded analysis of the quiet but consequential ways that spatial data infrastructures shape the practices, and institutions of contemporary territorial governance. |
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