This is Place Foundation (PLACE) is a global mapping and data intermediary between governments and the private sector. PLACE seeks to produce higher quality, more in depth maps and further chart areas of the world that have been underserved. PLACE’s model collects data from the public and private sectors and disseminates mapping data to the public while allowing host governments to maintain ownership of maps and data.

History and Structure

This is Place Foundation was formed in 2020 as part of the Omidyar Network. ¹ PLACE seeks to solve inefficiencies in modern-day mapping by creating an intermediary between the public and private sectors. ²  PLACE seeks to provide the public and governments with increased access to mapping and data. ³

This is Place Foundation has created a permanent legal data trust, the PLACE Trust, that holds all PLACE data and licenses to mapping received from governments in perpetuity. ⁴ All data produced in partnership with PLACE belongs to the government of each country and PLACE receives an irrevocable, royalty-free, perpetual license to copy all data and for its use by PLACE members through the PLACE Trust. ⁵ PLACE members pay an access fee that varies depending on the entity requesting the data. ⁶

Projects

This is Place Foundation provides quality mapping data around the world with a focus on parts of the world that are underserved and maps and data are not widely available. ⁷ PLACE’s mapping data can be used to cut carbon emissions, identify affordable housing locations, determine the location for public services such as COVID-19 vaccine distribution sites, document land rights, and develop natural disaster risk models. ⁸ PLACE collects mapping data through open-source aerial mapping drones and commercial street camera systems. ⁹

PLACE has worked in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire to map and provide data to leaders and the private sector on areas of the city that are prone to flooding to assist in road and housing development. ¹⁰ In 2020, PLACE began a test in Ghana using GPS and mapping services of the Spatial Collective, drones from Micro Aerial Projects, and local partners in Kenya to map and label various parts of the country. ¹¹ As of October 2023, plans are ongoing to map further parts of the Ivory Coast. ¹²

Partners

This is Place Foundation has partnered on projects with the American Geographical Society, CADASTA, Cities Alliance, Clark University, Colandef, Geovation, Global Land Alliance, GovLab, Grunin Center for Law and Societal Entrepreneurship at the NYU School of Law, Land Portal, Meridia, Micro Aerial Projects, Habitat for Humanity, New America, Omidyar Network, Suyo, The Asia Foundation, The Commons Project, Picterra, Radiant Earth Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, Spruce, Thomson Reuters Foundation, TrustLaw, and We Robotics. ¹³

Founding members of This is Place Foundation are the Global Land Alliance, Radiant Earth Foundation, Chemonics International, IO Aerospace, Seso Global, Esri, Element84, Clark University, Global Innovation Fund, and Atlas AI. ¹⁴

Financials

In 2021, This is Place Foundation reported net assets of $1,118,800. ¹⁵ According to the organization’s tax returns, in 2021 This is Place Foundation recorded $1,172,719 in revenue and $1,211,693 in expenses. ¹⁶ In 2020, This is Place Foundation raised $968,550 in revenue and occurred $957,763 in expenses. ¹⁷

PLACE has taken funding from the Omidyar Network, Rockefeller Foundation, Mozilla Foundation, David Weekley Family Foundation (now Dovetail Impact Foundation), and Microsoft Planetary Computer. ¹⁸

Leadership

Peter Rabley is managing partner and co-founder of PLACE. ¹⁹ Previously, Rabley a venture partner leading the property rights initiative for the Omidyar Network. ²⁰ From 2011 to 2012, Rabley was vice president for global business development and international operations government at Thomson Reuters. ²¹ From 1996 to 2010, Rabley was president and CEO at International Land Systems. ²²

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