Working group 7.1 was given the task to study cadastral reform projects in developed countries. Two elements had to be considered in detail: the on-going automation of the cadastres and the increasing importance of the cadastre as part of a larger land information system. Based on trend analysis, the working group produced a vision of where cadastral systems might be in twenty years, of the changes that might take place, of the means by which these changes can be achieved, and of the technology to be used to implement these changes. The mission of the working group was named "Vision Cadastre 2014" to underpin the task to create a vision of how cadastres might work and look like twenty years from the outlook of 1994.
Commission 7 mandated Jürg Kaufmann with the leadership of this working group. With his secretary, Daniel Steudler, he established a concept of how to tackle the task together with the working group participants, which numbered about 40 people participating in at least one annual meeting. A complete list of all participants is given in the appendix.
The working group met regularly at the four annual meetings of Commission 7: 1994 in Fredericton, Canada; 1995 in Delft, The Netherlands; 1996 in Budapest, Hungary; and 1997 in Penang, Malaysia. A one-day seminar on 'Modern Cadastres and Cadastral Innovations' was organized in 1995 during the Delft meeting. Cadastral systems of developed countries in Europe and Australia and on-going reform projects were presented.
Between the annual meetings the chairman and the secretary prepared the work for the next meeting, sent out and compiled questionnaires, and prepared drafts and statements for discussion. The working group members filled in the questionnaires and took positions to drafts and statements.
The Chairman and the secretary wish to thank very much all working group members for their input, their many good suggestions, and their always motivating and active support of the work. A very special thanks is due to three persons - Prof. Jo Henssen who in his function as president of OICRF helped to establish the sound basis of this work; Prof. Ian Williamson for his never ending and always active willingness to strongly support our work, and Prof. Don Grant for his incomparable sense of confirming that we were on the right track. We also would like to thank FIG for enabling us to work in such a formidable international context; we have enjoyed the last four years.