Introduction to GDP

Basic overview: Geographic Data Processing, GIS, what types of data, what applications?

Topics GDP part of course• Basic knowledge geography, cartography• GIS data and representation• GIS data sources and acquisition• GIS data structures• GIS analysis• Label placement• Terrain algorithms• Trajectory algorithms• Route planning• LiDAR data and processing

This lecture

• What is a GIS?• Examples of applications of GIS• Basic functionality of GIS• What is typical about GIS?• What software and companies?• Role of computer science

What is GIS? Definitions• A powerful set of tools for collecting, storing, retrieving

at will, transforming and displaying spatial data from the real world (Burrough, 1986)

• A system for capturing, storing checking, manipulating, analysing and displaying data which are spatially referenced to the Earth (Dept. of Environment, 1987)

• An information technology which stores, analyses, and displays both spatial and non-spatial data (Parker, 1988)

Definitions, continued• A database system in which most of the data are

spatially indexed, and upon which a set of procedures operated in order to answer queries about spatial entities in the database (Smith et al., 1987)

• A decision support system involving the integration of spatially referenced data in a problem solving environment (Cowen, 1988)

Differences Similarities

• Set of tools• System• Database system• Decision support

system• Also: A technology

• Spatial data is essential• At the least an aid for

input, storage, manipulation, analysis and visualization of data

Most common use of GIS

• Management of geographic data– land use– land ownership– date of origin of features (e.g. buildings) – ...

with a possibility of querying

Important example use

• Site planning: find locations that satisfy a combination of properties (e.g. for VINEX locations):– not built up– not forest– near a train station– at least 8 km2

– ...

What is typical about GIS?• Applications are spatial

• Problems are not well-defined: multiple criteria must be met simultaneously, concepts often not well-defined (e.g. Groene Hart, surroundings of Arnhem)

• Data is unreliable, expensive to get, sometimes outdated, sometimes only partially relevant, difficult to integrate, ...

Firsts of data storage, I• Geometric and attribute data• Geometry: several map layers• Attribute: as in normal databases

• municipality Zierikzee• population 45.000• …..

Firsts of data storage, II• Geometry: vector and raster representation

(4.234 Lon, 52.671 Lat)

(4.237 Lon, 52.674 Lat)

Output of a GIS• Maps

- theme choice- stacking order choice- colors, projection, etc.

• Tables, states• Query results: “There is x square meter with

the requested properties” • Analysis results (e.g., for decision support)

Another example use and output

More examples• Pollution• Natural disasters• Management (road, water,...)• Planning

earthquakes and break lines

outcome of air pollution analysis

GIS in the Netherlands: data• Cadastral offices (GBKN)• Topographic Service

(TOP10vector, raster)• Road and Water

Management (NWB)• Elevation (AHN)• Subsurface (TNO)• Pollution data,

health data (TNO, RIVM)• Census bureau:

CBS (statistical data)• Companies (road networks)

Actueel Hoogtebestand• Data comes with metadata

– Average error 5 cm– Standard deviation 15 cm– Filtering of houses, trees, cars, ...

Price: 150,000 for the original data points; 75,000 for the 5m grid

Actueel Hoogtebestand, from 2012

• Second version: data for every 0.5 x 0.5 meters 135 billion data values for the Netherlands

Price: 455,000 for the original data points; 227,500 for the 0.5m grid

Cadastre/Topographic Service

TOP10vector TOP10roadsSubscription, per 1 km2: 1.50For all of NL: 42,500

Cadastre/Topographic Service

TOP50raster TOP250raster

TOP10rasterwithout text

TOP10rasterwith text

Cadastre/Topographic Service

• Postal code regions, 6 digit: 13,325• Postal code regions, 5-digit: 1340• Postal code regions, 4-digit: 178• Cadastral map, 1 parcel: 0.66;

from 1,000,000 parcels: 0.40 per parcel• GBKN raster, per 0.5 km2: 1.45

(the Netherlands has 33,800 km2)

GIS in the Netherlands: users• RIVM• Cadastre (including Topografische Dienst

Nederland)• TNO (defense, security and safety; built

environment and geosciences)• Alterra (agricultural research)• Rijkswaterstaat (ministery of Verkeer en

Waterstaat)• Companies• Universities (research): physical and human

geography, cartography, archeology, biology, meteorology, geophysics, geology, ….

Application areas: general

• Socio-economic/ government– Health– Local government– Transport planning– Service planning– Urban management

• Utilities– Network management– Service provision– Telecommunications– Emergency repairs

• Commerce & business– Market share analysis– Insurance– Fleet management– Direct marketing– Target marketing– Retail site location

• Environment– Pollution monitoring– Natural hazard assessment– Resource management– Environmental impact

assessment

GIS in the Netherlands: research

• ITC: International Institute for Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences (Enschede)

• Universities (e.g., Delft, Utrecht, Wageningen)

GIS: types of companies• GIS, general software (ESRI, Intergraph, MapInfo,

Oracle, Geodan, Logica)

• Route planners (TomTom, Garmin, Siemens, Magellan)

• Internet (geographic search engines/geographic IR, Google Maps/Earth, MapQuest, ...)

• Data services, training, consultancy, applications

Main GIS company: ESRI (Environmental Systems

Research Institute)• Since 1969 (!)• 70th largest software

company (in 2008)

Software of ESRI• ArcGis: GIS• ArcView: desktop mapping• ArcExplorer: GIS data viewer and query tool via

map• MapObjects: library to add GIS functionality to

Windows applications • Spatial Database Engine: client/server software to

adjoin GIS to existing DBMS (Oracle, Sybase, Microsoft SQL server, …)

• ArcLogistics, ArcCAD (GIS functionality in AutoCAD), ArcFM (facilities management), NetEngine (network analysis), Maplex (label placement)

Software of ESRI for Internet

• ArcIMS (Internet Mapping Solutions): GIS• ArcView IMS (Internet Map Server): desktop

mapping on the Internet• MapObjects IMS: library to add GIS

functionality to Windows applications

Software with GIS features• Desktop mapping (Freehand, Map Maker,

PolyMap)• Car Navigation Systems (TomTom, Garmin,

Magellan)• Landuse Information Systems• Software for (geo)statistics, interpolation

(SYSTAT)

Computer science issues of GIS

• Databases• (Geometric) algorithms• Graphics, scientific visualization• Knowledge technology, decision support

systems• Combinatorial optimization• Interface design