Geographic data is a valuable source of information in modern society. By utilizing alternative sources of this data, the availability and potential applications of geographic information systems can be increased. Volunteered Geographic Information and the Future of Geospatial Data is a pivotal reference source for the latest scholarly research on information gathering from volunteers, as opposed to official agencies and private companies, to compile geospatial data. Highlighting a range of pertinent topics such as regional landscape mapping, road safety, and land usage, this book is ideally designed for researchers, academics, students, professionals, and practitioners interested in the growing area of volunteered geographic information.
The phenomenon of volunteered geographic information is part of a profound transformation in how geographic data, information, and knowledge are produced and circulated. By situating volunteered geographic information (VGI) in the context of big-data deluge and the data-intensive inquiry, the 20 chapters in this book explore both the theories and applications of crowdsourcing for geographic knowledge production with three sections focusing on 1). VGI, Public Participation, and Citizen Science; 2). Geographic Knowledge Production and Place Inference; and 3). Emerging Applications and New Challenges. This book argues that future progress in VGI research depends in large part on building strong linkages with diverse geographic scholarship. Contributors of this volume situate VGI research in geography’s core concerns with space and place, and offer several ways of addressing persistent challenges of quality assurance in VGI. This book positions VGI as part of a shift toward hybrid epistemologies, and potentially a fourth paradigm of data-intensive inquiry across the sciences. It also considers the implications of VGI and the exaflood for further time-space compression and new forms, degrees of digital inequality, the renewed importance of geography, and the role of crowdsourcing for geographic knowledge production.
Maps are a fundamental resource in a diverse array of applications ranging from everyday activities, such as route planning through the legal demarcation of space to scientific studies, such as those seeking to understand biodiversity and inform the design of nature reserves for species conservation. For a map to have value, it should provide an accurate and timely representation of the phenomenon depicted and this can be a challenge in a dynamic world. Fortunately, mapping activities have benefitted greatly from recent advances in geoinformation technologies. Satellite remote sensing, for example, now offers unparalleled data acquisition and authoritative mapping agencies have developed systems for the routine production of maps in accordance with strict standards. Until recently, much mapping activity was in the exclusive realm of authoritative agencies but technological development has also allowed the rise of the amateur mapping community. The proliferation of inexpensive and highly mobile and location aware devices together with Web 2.0 technology have fostered the emergence of the citizen as a source of data. Mapping presently benefits from vast amounts of spatial data as well as people able to provide observations of geographic phenomena, which can inform map production, revision and evaluation. The great potential of these developments is, however, often limited by concerns. The latter span issues from the nature of the citizens through the way data are collected and shared to the quality and trustworthiness of the data. This book reports on some of the key issues connected with the use of citizen sensors in mapping. It arises from a European Co-operation in Science and Technology (COST) Action, which explored issues linked to topics ranging from citizen motivation, data acquisition, data quality and the use of citizen derived data in the production of maps that rival, and sometimes surpass, maps arising from authoritative agencies.
This book presents most recent research studies on mapping and spatial analysis of socio-economic and environmental indicators used by various national and international contributors to regional development projects. It gathers the best contributions to the 1st International Conference on Mapping and Spatial Analysis of Socio-Economic and Environmental Indicators for the Local and Regional Sustainable Development. The conference was held in southern Tunisia, Tataouine in March 2015.The research studies focused on generating and analyzing indicators in various domains of Agriculture, Energy, Industry, Tourism, Transport, Urban Planning, Exploitation of Natural Resources, Infrastructure, Health, Environment, Education, Information and Communication Technologies, Social Affairs and Employability, and Culture and Sport. Socio-economic and environmental indicators are important in regional development plans and strategies as they allow to observe and analyze changes in the economic growth and to measure their impact on the environment and on social networks/daily life of citizens. On the basis of well-defined geomatic approaches, and particularly, through sophisticated digital mapping and spatio-temporal analyses, authors focused on retrieving indicators to evaluate the exploitation rate of natural resources, intensity of the energy consumption in various economic sector, net migratory flows, quality checking of the air in urban areas, adaptation to climate change, and vulnerability of the coastal domain and risk of marine submersion due to sea-level rise. The book is of interest not only to investors and contributors to regional development projects, but also to all relevant policy makers.
This book is mainly focused on two themes: transportation and smart city applications. Open geospatial science and technology is an increasingly important paradigm that offers the opportunity to promote the democratization of geographical information, the transparency of governments and institutions, as well as social, economic and urban opportunities. During the past decade, developments in the area of open geospatial data have greatly increased. The open source GIS research community believes that combining free and open software, open data, as well as open standards, leads to the creation of a sustainable ecosystem for accelerating new discoveries to help solve global cross-disciplinary urban challenges. The vision of this book is to enrich the existing literature on this topic, and act one step towards more sustainable cities through employment of open source GIS solutions that are reproducible. Various contributions are provided and practically implemented in several urban use cases. Therefore, apart from researchers, lecturers and students in the geography/urbanism domain, crowdsourcing and VGI domain, as well as open source GIS domain, it is believed the specialists and mentors in municipalities and urban planning departments as well as professionals in private companies would be interested to read this book.
For generations, the map has been central to how societies function all over the world. Cybercartography is a new paradigm for maps and mapping in the information era. Defined as "the organization, presentation, analysis and communication of spatially referenced information on a wide variety of topics of interest to society, cybercartography is presented in an interactive, dynamic, multisensory format with the use of multimedia and multimodal interfaces. Cybercartography: Theory and Practice examines the major elements of cybercartography and emphasizes the importance of interaction between theory and practice in developing a paradigm which moves beyond the concept of Geographic Information Systems and Geographical Information Science. It argues for the centrality of the map as part of an integrated information, communication, and analytical package.This volume is a result of a multidisciplinary team effort and has benefited from the input of partners from government, industry and other organizations. The international team reports on major original cybercartographic research and practice from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, including the humanities, social sciences including human factors psychology, cybernetics, English literature, cultural mediation, cartography, and geography. This new synthesis has intrinsic value for industries, the general public, and the relationships between mapping and the development of user-centered multimedia interfaces.* Discusses the centrality of the map and its importance in the information era * Provides an interdisciplinary approach with contributions from psychology, music, and language and literature * Describes qualitative and quantitative aspects of cybercartography and the importance of societal context in the interaction between theory and practice* Contains an interactive CD-Rom containing color images, links to websites, plus other important information to capture the dynamic and interactive elements of cybercartography
Socioeconomic development has drawn increasing attention in academia, industries, and governments. The relationship between big data and its technologies and socioeconomic development has drawn certain attention in academia. Socioeconomic development depends not only on big data, but also on big data technologies. However, the relationship between big data and socioeconomic development is not adequately covered in current research. The Handbook of Research on Driving Socioeconomic Development With Big Data provides an original and innovative understanding of and insight into how the proposed theories, technologies, and methodologies of big data can improve socioeconomic development and sustainable development in terms of business and services, healthcare, the internet of everything, sharing economy, and more. Covering topics such as corporate social responsibility, management applications, and process mining, this major reference work is an excellent resource for data scientists, business leaders and executives, IT professionals, government officials, economists, sociologists, librarians, students, researchers, and academicians.
The Third Edition of this bestselling textbook has been fully revised and updated to include the latest developments in the field and still retains its accessible format to appeal to a broad range of students. Now divided into five clear sections the book investigates the unique, complex and difficult problems that are posed by geographic information and together they build into a holistic understanding of the key principles of GIS. This is the most current, authoritative and comprehensive treatment of the field, that goes from fundamental principles to the big picture of: GIS and the New World Order security, health and well-being digital differentiation in GIS consumption the core organizing role of GIS in Geography the greening of GIS grand challenges of GIScience science and explanation Key features: Four-colour throughout Associated website with free online resources Teacher’s manual available for lecturers A complete learning resource, with accompanying instructor links, free online lab resources and personal syllabi Includes learning objectives and review boxes throughout each chapter New in this edition: Completely revised with a new five part structure: Foundations; Principles; Techniques; Analysis; Management and Policy All new personality boxes of current GIS practitioners New chapters on Distributed GIS, Map Production, Geovisualization, Modeling, and Managing GIS
This Fourth Edition of Cartography: Visualization of Geospatial Data serves as an excellent introduction to general cartographic principles. It is an examination of the best ways to optimize the visualization and use of spatiotemporal data. Fully revised, it incorporates all the changes and new developments in the world of maps, such as OpenStreetMap and GPS (Global Positioning System) based crowdsourcing, and the use of new web mapping technology and adds new case studies and examples. Now printed in colour throughout, this edition provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to read and understand maps and mapping changes and offers professional cartographers an updated reference with the latest developments in cartography. Written by the leading scholars in cartography, this work is a comprehensive resource, perfect for senior undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in GIS (geographic information system) and cartography. New in This Edition: Provides an excellent introduction to general cartographic visualization principles through full-colour figures and images Addresses significant changes in data sources, technologies and methodologies, including the movement towards more open data sources and systems for mapping Includes new case studies and new examples for illustrating current trends in mapping Provides a societal and institutional framework in which future mapmakers are likely to operate, based on UN global development sustainability goals
