Many Estonians have probably viewed orthophotos and map data on the X-GIS map server of the Land and Spatial Development Board (MaRu). Perhaps less well known, but nonetheless noteworthy, are the map servers displaying 3D data on the e-construction portal and 3d.maaruum.ee. More knowledgeable users are also accustomed to downloading open data from the Land and Spatial Development Board geoportal to incorporate it into their projects.
The 3D map allows you to view information about the purpose of buildings, their registration codes, energy labels, and more.
All of the above may seem so commonplace and expected that we no longer find it surprising or something to be proud of, but in reality, there are not many countries in the world where various map and spatial data are so easily accessible and, for example, updated in real time in the case of buildings that have received a building permit.
Tallinn city center in 3D digital twin with planned buildings.
However, technology is developing at a tremendous pace today, and when collecting, processing, and distributing data, it is necessary to constantly keep up with the times in order to provide consumers with the best quality spatial data for the whole of Estonia. This is where the Geo3D strategy comes into play, which is a complex program covering a series of activities in 2023-2026, after the implementation of which Estonia's spatial data will be even better maintained and made more accessible. As the name suggests, there is a strong emphasis on three-dimensional (3D) data, but the goal of Geo3D is to make the entire map data collection and production process more efficient, so that everyone benefits, even those who only need traditional, two-dimensional data, such as the basic map of Estonia or orthophotos.
Measurements can also be taken on the 3D map.
The Geo3D strategy is a guideline from the Land and Spatial Development Board that defines how to develop and implement 3D spatial data for the needs of the Estonian state and society. The strategy was completed in 2023 and its goal is to create comprehensive 3D spatial data capabilities by 2026 — from data collection and analysis to modeling and visualization. The main thing is to ensure that 3D data is easy to use in various fields: planning, construction, address management, and elsewhere. 3D helps to visualize better and therefore helps to understand the surroundings better. This leads to better spatial decisions and cost savings at the national and local government levels. The long-term strategy and the analysis completed in 2023 to support its implementation can be found on the geoportal.
The implementation of Geo3D is in full swing
We have been working hard for several years to achieve the objectives of Geo3D, and significant progress has been made by 2025. Since this spring, new aerial surveying equipment has been in use (read more in the blog article How are orthophotos made? or on the geoportal), and by the end of the year, everyone will have access to new and significantly higher quality orthophotos and point clouds.
Since 2021, we have been investing in the creation of 3D models. Currently, accurate and up-to-date three-dimensional models of all buildings and structures (bridges, greenhouses, roofs, wind turbines) in Estonia are available to everyone, and millions of trees can be viewed in their correct location and size in 3D environments. All of this data is available in Estonia's digital twin, which, compared to conventional two-dimensional maps, allows you to:
- view and interactively explore any part of Estonia, peeking behind every corner if necessary
- get a faster and clearer overview of the natural processes that affect our lives. In a 3D environment, for example, it is very easy to visualize possible floods or areas illuminated by the sun and areas in shadow at any given moment.
- stay up to date with man-made changes by monitoring planning processes. Everyone can plan a new woodshed or greenhouse and quickly find the most suitable location for it in their backyard.
3D maps also allow you to visualize the movement of the sun in order to choose a suitable location for a flower bed or greenhouse.
Just as Geo3D gives impetus to the production of 2D data in addition to 3D data, Land and Spatial Development Board also focuses on 4D data: to this end, we add a temporal dimension to spatial data. The e-construction portal already allows you to view planned building areas, and the X-GIS historical map application allows you to view Estonia on old maps and photos. In the future, however, we want to extend the timeline in both directions—bringing even more historical spatial data out of the archives and better visualizing the future of our living environment, i.e., planning.
What else can we expect in the near future?
One of Geo3D's strategic goals is a faster map data production cycle, which would benefit all of our data consumers. We see that in the future, artificial intelligence (or AI) will increasingly help human mappers. We are taking the first steps in this area and launching an innovation project to teach and train an AI-based system in collaboration with external specialists so that in a year or two, Land and Spatial Development Board map products will reach users faster than has been possible so far. This was discussed in more detail in a previous blog post.
In addition to collecting and processing spatial data, another key area is data disclosure. This is where the results of Geo3D will probably be most visible to regular users. At the beginning of 2025, we started creating X-GIS 3D. It will be a new web application that combines the existing Land and Spatial Development Board 2D and 3D map applications into a unified user experience. What's more, the long-term goal of X-GIS 3D is to make all Estonian public sector map windows uniform in both appearance and functionality, so that users can more easily focus on the content displayed in the map window. In addition to the new design, XGIS-3D will bring easier data sharing (including the ability to view 2D and 3D data in a single window), easier data downloading, time-related spatial data visualization, and much more. According to current plans, the newer and improved X-GIS should be available to the public by the end of 2026.
Figure 3. This is what Land and Spatial Development Board map services will look like in the near future.
In summary, Geo3D has already made Estonia's spatial information and models more accurate and usable, and this development will continue in the future. This will benefit all of us whose work, personal needs, or hobbies are related to spatial data.
Author: Hanno Kuus, Advisor, Geo-Information Systems Development Department, Land and Spatial Development Board
Loomise kuupäev: 13.11.2025
