Robert B McMaster

Scale and geographic inquiry: nature, society and method.

List of Figures.List of Tables.List of Contributors.Preface.Introduction: Scale And Geographic Inquiry: Robert B. Mcmaster And Eric Sheppard (University Of Minnesota, University Of Minnesota).1. Fractals And Scale In Environmental Assessment And Monitoring: Nina Siu-Ngan Lam (Louisiana State University).2. Population And Environment Interactions: Spatial Considerations In Landscape Characterization And Modeling: Stephen J. Walsh, Kelley A. Crews-Meyer, Thomas W. Crawford, William F. Welsh (University Of North Carolina, University Of Texas, Gettysburg College, University Of North Carolina).3 Crossing The Divide: Linking Global And Local Scales In Human-Environment Systems: William E. Easterling And Colin Polsky (Penn State University, Harvard University).4. Independence, Contingency, And Scale Linkage In Physical Geography: Jonathan D. Phillips (University Of Kentucky).5. Embedded Scales In Biogeography: Susy S. Ziegler, Gary M. Pereira, Dwight A. Brown (All At University Of Minnesota).6. Scaled Geographies: Nature, Place, And The Contested Politics Of Scale: Erik Swyndegouw (University Of Oxford).7. Scales Of Cybergeography: Michael F. Goodchild (University Of California).8. A Long Way From Home: Domesticating The Social Production Of Scale: Sallie Marston (University Of Arizona).9. Scale Bending And The Fate Of The National: Neil Smith (City University Of New York).10. Is There A Europe Of Cities? Peter Taylor (Loughborough University).11. The Politics Of Scale And Networks Of Spatial Connectivity: Transnational Interurban Networks And Rescaling Of Political Governance In Europe: Helga Leitner (University Of Minnesota).12. Scale And Geographic Inquiry: Contrasts, Intersections, And Boundaries: Robert B. Mcmaster And Eric Sheppard (University Of Minnesota, University Of Minnesota).Index.

A statistical analysis of mathematical measures for linear simplification

The implementation of automated cartography has resulted in the digitization of linear data and the development of simplification algorithms for generalizing these data. Some algorithms, such as the nth point and random point methods are simple in both practice and operation. Others, such as polynomial reconstruction, appear to be conceptually overly complex and computationally time consuming. This study presents a method for the evaluation of simplification algorithms. Thirty mathematical measures are developed for this purpose, including both single attribute measurements, which may be applied to a single line, and measures of displacement for evaluating differences between a line and its simplification. These measures are used to compare thirty-one unsimplified naturally-occurring lines with two simplifications of each. Using principal components analysis, correlation matrices, and cartographic judgment, the thirty measures are reduced to six by eliminating statistical redundancy. The resulting six mea...

GIS-based measures of environmental equity: Exploring their sensitivity and significance

In order to determine whether principles of environmental justice have been violated, a large number of empirical studies have been carried out to ascertain whether minority and low-income populations are disproportionately exposed to industrial pollution. This study provides a comparative evaluation of two commonly employed proximity measures in GIS-based environmental equity assessment, examining their influence on the results of the analysis, and proposes a methodology for evaluating the significance of these results. 1990 census data on population characteristics and data from the 1995 EPAs toxic release inventory (TRI) for the City of Minneapolis, MN are used. These results also allow a preliminary assessment of environmental equity/inequity in potential exposure to airborne toxic chemicals for racial minorities, poor people and children in Minneapolis. In the third part of the paper we develop and employ a geographic randomization methodology for assessing the significance of these results.

GIS-based Environmental Equity and Risk Assessment: Methodological Problems and Prospects

Geographic information systems increasingly have been applied in the domain of environmental risk assessment. One area of research that appears to have excellent potential is in GIS as applied to the assessment of environmental equity. This paper reviews the methodologies used in recent GIS-based environmental equity studies and their results. From this review, a framework for a more comprehensive discussion of methodological issues and challenges is provided, addressing questions of data and measurement, scale and resolution, and methods of analysis. A preliminary environmental equity analysis for the Twin Cities metropolitan region illustrates the complexity of the relationship between the methodological approaches used and the resulting assessments of environmental equity and risk. This analysis is based on multiple sources of hazardous materials, uses fine-resolution census data including site-specific institutions, includes more sophisticated measures of risk than the location of hazardous sites, and...

A Research Agenda for Geographic Information Science

Introduction to the UCGIS Research Agenda Spatial Data Acquisition and Integration Cognition of Geographic Information Scale Extensions to Geographic Representations Spatial Analysis and Modeling in a GIS Environment Research Issues on Uncertainty in Geographic Data and GIS-Based Analysis The Future of the Spatial Information Infrastructure Distributed and Mobile Computing GIS and Society: Interrelation, Integration, and Transformation Geographic Visualization Ontological Foundations for Geographic Information Science Remotely-Acquired Data and Information in GIScience Geospatial Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery Postscript on the UCGIS and Research

A synoptic View of Generalisation Operators

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of what has been achieved so far toward creating a comprehensive set of generalization operators. It contains discussions related to the classification of these operators, and how different classifications have been defined to suite different contexts; it proposes a generic list of generalization operators and a detailed list of implementation of these operators for different types of features. This chapter discusses a virtual toolbox that can be used when designing automatic generalization solutions. Most of the research in generalization assumes that the process can be broken down into a series of logical operations that can be classified according to the type of geometry of the feature, into generalization operators. For instance, a smoothing operator is designed for linear features, while an amalgamation operator works on areal features. Advances in hardware and modeling tools provide new opportunities to develop new types of algorithms. The list of different types of phenomena that need to be processed during the generalization is very large, and the list of representations that one may want to derive for each of them is larger still. Thus, there is always a need to develop new algorithms, particularly those that can take into account the context in which they operate. The chapter concludes by discussing the changing nature of algorithms and operators in response to technological developments and changing contexts of use.

A History of Twentieth-Century American Academic Cartography

The academic discipline of cartography is a twentieth-century phenomenon. From its incipient roots in landscape representation in geology and the mapping of socio-economic data in geography, it grew into its own sub-discipline with graduate programs, research paradigms, and a scientific literature of its own. It came close to establishing a national center for cartography In the late 1960s. After rather sporadic activity before World War II, the period from 1946 to 1986 saw the building of major graduate programs at the universities of Wisconsin, Kansas, and Washington. Other programs were created, often with the doctoral students from those three. At the end of the twentieth century, cartography underwent significant changes in relation to the emerging discipline of geographic information science. The future for academic cartography is less certain, as graduate programs adjust the balances among the many components of mapping science, including cartography, geovisualization, GI science, GIS systems, spatial analysis/statistics, and remote sensing.

The importance of spatial effects for environmental health policy and research

Issues of spatial scale and resolution are intrinsic to efforts aimed at protecting and improving environmental health. Deciding on an appropriate policy or selecting a suitable research design implies a decision, either implicit or explicit, about spatial scale and resolution. This article looks at issues in the context of environmental health, reviews crucial problems and questions, and examines examples of spatial effects on analytical results related to causal inference, disease clustering, and analysis and interpretation of census data. The discussion focuses on the need to consider spatial issues as a key component of informed, well- reasoned decisions about safeguarding environmental health.

GIS diffusion in Uganda

ABSTRACT Despite myriad studies having been carried out on the diffusion of geographical information systems (GIS) technology, only a limited number have been done within the context of developing countries. This paper addresses the research question, how did the diffusion of GIS technology occur in Uganda? Mixed methods were used for data collection, and analysis was performed using a theoretical framework called the diffusion of innovations (DOI). The results of the study showed that the adoption of GIS by institutions in Uganda occurred in a classic diffusion pattern consistent with diffusion theory. Adoption of GIS was promoted by its relative advantage over, and compatibility with, existing technologies. It was characterized by both heterophilous and homophilous communication channels, and influenced by change agents and champions. Its rate of adoption followed an S-shaped diffusion curve, and was hampered by bureaucracy, and patronage-based societal norms. This study makes a contribution to literature on GIS diffusion in developing countries.

Manual of Geospatial Science and Technology, Second Edition

Following in the tradition of its popular predecessor, the Manual of Geospatial Science and Technology, Second Edition continues to be the authoritative volume that covers all aspects of the field, both basic and applied, and includes a focus on initiating, planning, and managing GIS projects. This comprehensive resource, which contains contributions from 53 leading experts and professors in the areas of GIS, GPS, and remote sensing, reflects the very latest advances in the technology, applications, and usage of the geospatial sciences in many key disciplines, from natural resource analysis to transportation planning.