Modeling the Urban Low-Altitude Traffic Space Based on the Land Administration Domain Model—Case Studies in Shenzhen, China

The urban low-altitude airspace is an integral part of urban space. As low-altitude utilization activities are being performed closer to the land surface, the management of the low-altitude space has become a focus of land administration. The management of the low-altitude airspace faces challenges such as cross-departmental coordination, fuzzy airspace boundaries, and complex spatial expressions. In 2020, the concept of “3D land administration” was introduced, marking the emergence of three-dimensional geospatial regulation in land management practices. Semantic models featuring the LADM (Land Administration Domain Model) as their core are updated iteratively to promote various applications related to 3D geographic regulation, but there is still a gap in the research on low-altitude utilization. Drawing upon Chinese regulations and policies, this paper employs the LADM framework to achieve semantic descriptions and expressions for managing areas in the low-altitude airspace: (1) relevant policies governing low-altitude spaces in China are analyzed, and the boundary between low-altitude and surface management is discussed; (2) the LADM structure is utilized to establish a comprehensive model for regulating low-altitude spaces; (3) and the capability of the LADM to support 3D low-altitude modeling is demonstrated through practical use cases in Shenzhen, China. Finally, the paper provides a comprehensive overview of the avenues for improvement and prospects.