Many of Scotland's most pressing opportunities and risks hinge on choices about land. From food, water and energy to tackling climate change and biodiversity loss, land policy underpins the wellbeing of communities and the economy alike.

Professor Deb Roberts, Land Commissioner, said: "Through my work in research and as a Land Commissioner, I am aware that balancing the various requirements of land to meet our needs involves choices and, because land is limited in supply, it will almost inevitably also require trade-offs between competing goals."

Better land information, she argues, helps everyone – from communities to businesses and policymakers – make smarter, fairer decisions.

A call for more transparent, accessible land data emerged strongly from the Commission's ScotLand Futures initiative last year. Participants across urban and rural Scotland reported not knowing who was responsible for derelict or unused sites, stalling local discussions about alternative uses. Transparency concerns also rose when ownership changed hands without clear information on new owners or their intentions, sometimes fuelling rumour and anxiety.

Ownership, however, is only one piece of the puzzle. With climate change intensifying the risk of flooding, drought, wildfires and landslides, shared datasets on soils, water, terrain, habitats, land-use patterns and boundaries are becoming essential to coordinate action, design incentives and protect communities from natural hazards.

Robust land value data is equally important. Commission research indicates that reliable, consistent valuation information – alongside ownership and land-use data – is critical for exploring options such as land value taxation and non-domestic rates, reducing distortions and loopholes, understanding how tax changes affect different sectors and places, encouraging productive land use, and evaluating policy impacts more effectively.

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To meet these needs, the Scottish Land Commission recommends a comprehensive, joined-up and user-friendly land information system. Ideally digital and accessible through a single portal, it should allow different datasets to be combined and mapped to cadastral parcels so communities, governments, businesses and researchers can interrogate multiple issues for any given piece of land.

Recent Commission research shows Scotland lags behind internationally in the completeness and openness of its land data. Countries such as Estonia and Finland, with more transparent and accessible systems, report greater public trust, improved market efficiency and stronger support for innovation. Integrated cadastral and valuation data in these countries has enabled analysis of land value uplift from public investment and planning decisions, and the effects of different ownership models on development outcomes.

The international lesson is clear: governments make better fiscal and policy choices when they have reliable information on ownership, land values, transactions and land use. Nations that know more about their land are better equipped to shape their futures.

Calls for a comprehensive Land Information System for Scotland are not new. A 2023 report for the David Hume Institute and the Built Environment Forum Scotland by Andy Wightman traces advocacy back to an RICS-led push in the late 1990s and the launch of ScotLIS in 2017. While ScotLIS is a valued gateway to the Land Register, it falls short of providing a single point of access to the wider landscape of land data, much of which remains dispersed, sometimes paywalled and restricted. Given that some datasets are collected at public expense, there is a legitimate question about whether the public is getting maximum value from them.

Against this backdrop, the Commission is launching DataPoints, a new blog series examining why better land data matters and what it can unlock. Over the coming year, contributors from different fields will explore how improved information can help us understand change, spot opportunities and make more informed decisions about how land is owned, used and managed.

The series aims to bring fresh perspectives and highlight both what is possible with better data and where gaps still impede progress. Ultimately, it is not only about amassing more data, but about ensuring it can answer real questions, reveal practical opportunities and enable sound decisions.

Further reading includes the Commission's comparative study of international cadastral systems and a five-year route-map to modernise Scotland's land tax administration. Through ScotLand Futures, 1,236 people from communities across Scotland contributed their views, with 96% saying Scotland needs change in how land is owned and used.