• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DE-9IM has a list of topological relationship types between 2d-geometrically described places
  • "The Dimensionally Extended nine-Intersection Model (DE-9IM) is a topological model and a standard used to describe the spatial relations of two regions (two geometries in two-dimensions, R2), in Geometry, Point-set topology, Geospatial topology, and fields related to computer spatial analysis. "
• http://schema.org/GeoShape is the closest schema.org currently gets to having a type for geo-spatial geometry.

It would be useful (as discussed 2016-09-19) at W3C/OGC Spatial Data on the Web WG meeting in Lisbon if these could be used within schema.org.

Suggest:

* geospatiallyEquals
* geospatiallyDisjoint
* geospatiallyTouches
* geospatiallyContains
* geospatiallyCovers
* geospatiallyIntersects
* geospatiallyWithin
* geospatiallyCoveredBy 
* geospatiallyCrosses 
* geospatiallyOverlaps

with text based on Wikipedia's summaries, and allowing each to link either geometries or places.

Ok I have made a FIRST CUT with DELIBERATE MISTAKES for discussion in Schema.org and W3C circles.

Further things to consider:

• I included a GeospatialGeometry definition to avoid editing the existing deployed GeoShape (which could become a subtype)
• It tries to make these relations applicable both at the geometry and at the place level. Of all the relations, "equals" is the hardest to consider without concrete geometry.
• Text is based heavily on Wikipedia, no proper citation to underlying standards yet.
• We haven't got inverseOf relations or subPropertyOf relations yet (although schema.org understands these). Also we don't have "symmetric property" in schema.org's meta model yet, although that could be useful here.
• It was suggested that similar temporal relations could be added (see Working Draft)

http://pending.webschemas.org/GeospatialGeometry /cc @philarcher1 @6a6d74

It's part of an effort to get existing professional geospatial systems to expose modern Web-based views rather than just GIS-specific standards. Those tools support such relations out of the box. (stopgap reply for now, typing on a phone)