geography and geographic information systems (gis): new

B. Wellar 2006

Geography and Geographic Information Systems (GIS): New Realities of Canada as An Emerging Information Society

Dr. Barry Wellar, Professor (ret.),University of Ottawa, and Media Program Director

Geography Awareness WeekCanadian Association of Geographers

Materials for a presentation at GIS Day 2006

University of Ottawa

Department of Geography and Environmental Studies University of Ottawa

November 15, 2006University Centre

B. Wellar 2006

Images from the Doomsday Map Project:Ecological Disaster and Local Response

•• Overexploitation risks survival of planet?Overexploitation risks survival of planet?

•• Rainforests: Their destruction a worldwide problemRainforests: Their destruction a worldwide problem

•• OilOil’’s black death takes terrible tolls black death takes terrible toll

•• Coastal waters being used as toxic dumpCoastal waters being used as toxic dump

Makings of ‘The Doomsday Map’?


B. Wellar 2006


•• 100,000 eastern lakes hurt by acid rain100,000 eastern lakes hurt by acid rain

•• Cocktail of toxins threatens lakeCocktail of toxins threatens lake

•• More PCBMore PCB--laced oil spills in river fearedlaced oil spills in river feared

•• ItIt’’s not cool to kill the ozones not cool to kill the ozone

•• A warning on warmingA warning on warming



B. Wellar 2006


•• 1989 one of the hottest years1989 one of the hottest years

•• A warning on warmingA warning on warming

•• HereHere’’s a crash course on the Greenhouse effects a crash course on the Greenhouse effect

•• Greenhouse effect starts to make Washington sweatGreenhouse effect starts to make Washington sweat

•• British cities could drownBritish cities could drown

•• US drought becoming a threat to our waterUS drought becoming a threat to our water



B. Wellar 2006



•• Dirty air threatens one billionDirty air threatens one billion

•• Metro choking on auto fumes hearings warnedMetro choking on auto fumes hearings warned

•• Mexico City population now Mexico City population now ‘‘irreversibleirreversible’’

•• Air pollution killing Europeans secret report saysAir pollution killing Europeans secret report says


B. Wellar 2006



•• Third world becomes toxic dumping groundThird world becomes toxic dumping ground

•• State looking for State looking for ‘‘candidatescandidates’’ to store toxicsto store toxics

•• Garbage: Viable disposal plan an elusive Garbage: Viable disposal plan an elusive goal after 20 yearsgoal after 20 years


B. Wellar 2006



•• Destroying a habitat: a threat to HawaiiDestroying a habitat: a threat to Hawaii

•• Saving the wetlandsSaving the wetlands

•• A shrinking nesting groundA shrinking nesting ground

•• The death of open spacesThe death of open spaces

•• A shrinking parkwayA shrinking parkway

•• Open space plan called skimpyOpen space plan called skimpy


B. Wellar 2006



•• Urban sprawl: Many cities fight backUrban sprawl: Many cities fight back

•• Plaza site permits let dozers rollPlaza site permits let dozers roll

•• Fighting the concrete jungle Fighting the concrete jungle

•• Choking on successChoking on success

•• AutoAuto--maker: donmaker: don’’t let cars destroy our citiest let cars destroy our cities

•• NeighboursNeighbours fight towering developmentfight towering development


B. Wellar 2006



•• New JerseyNew Jersey’’s folly could teach us a lessons folly could teach us a lesson

•• LA pays price for poor planningLA pays price for poor planning

•• City plan called recipe for disasterCity plan called recipe for disaster

•• GroupGroup’’s plan Ottawas plan Ottawa’’s new official plans new official plan

•• Battle looms over future of downtownBattle looms over future of downtown

•• Development in state carefully plannedDevelopment in state carefully planned


B. Wellar 2006



B. Wellar 2006


The Geographer’s Lament

With too many wrong things In too many wrong places, We have just about ________All our life support spaces


B. Wellar 2006

Geography and

Geographic Information Systems:

Combining to Create a

Spatially-Aware Information Society


B. Wellar 2006

CURIOSITY-DRIVENDATA, INFORMATION,

KNOWLEDGE ACTIVITIES

DescriptionExplanationPrediction

CLIENT-DRIVENDATA, INFORMATION,


Impact AssessmentPrescriptionForecasting

EvaluationDesign

MEDIA

PrintRadio

TelevisionInternet

GEOGRAPHY

HumanPhysical

MethodologyTechnology

Figure 1. Geography, the Media, and the Pursuit and Application of

Data, Information and Knowledge to Create a Spatially-Aware Information Society (1): Components


B. Wellar 2006

Figure 2. Geography, the Media, and the Pursuit and Application of

Data, Information and Knowledge to Create a Spatially-Aware Information Society (2): Connections

CURIOSITY-DRIVENDATA, INFORMATION,


DescriptionExplanationPrediction

CLIENT-DRIVENDATA, INFORMATION,

KNOWLEDGE ACTIVITIESImpact Assessment

PrescriptionForecastingEvaluation

Design

MEDIA

PrintRadio

TelevisionInternet

GEOGRAPHY

HumanPhysical

MethodologyTechnology


B. Wellar 2006

Figure 3.Geography, the Media, and the Pursuit and Application of Data,

Information and Knowledge to Create a Spatially-Aware Information Society (3): The Typology of Stories


B. Wellar 2006

Table 1. Terms and Concepts Which Underlie the Work of the Geographic

Community, and Indicate the Potential for Creating A Spatially-Aware Information Society

ConcentricConnect (ion/ivity)ContiguousContinent(al)ConurbationCoordinates CoreCorrelationCountrysideDensityDiffusionDimensionDisperse(ion)DistanceDistributionEdgeEffectElevationEncroach(ment)EnvironmentEverywhereExtrusionFarFieldFjord

Flow(s)FormFringeFunction(al/ity)GeocodeGeodeticGeofactorGeographicGeomaticGeometricGeopoliticalGeoreferenceGeospatialGIS/GISScGlobal(ization)GridGridlockHabitatHinterlandInteractionIntersectionIntrusionIslandIsolate(ion)Land

LandscapeLatitudeLineLinkLocalityLocationLocal(ization) LongitudeMapMargin(al)MeridianMigrationMorphologyMovementNation(al/ization)Near(ness)NeighborNetworkNIMBYNodeNowhereObjectOrientationOriginOverlay

ParcelPartitionPathPatternPedshedPerimeterPeripheryPlacePlainPlanePointPole(ar/ity)Polygon(al)ProximityQuadrangleQuadrantRegionRelation(ship)Right-of-wayRouteRuralScaleSegregate(ion)ShapeShed

SiteSituationSlopeSomewhereSpaceSpatialSphereSprawlSpreadStripStructureSurfaceSystemTerritoryTopographicTopology(ic)Urban(ex/sub)VectorWalkshedWardWarrenWatershedWhereYIMBYZone

Accessible (ity)Adjacent(cy)Agglomerate (ion)Aggregate(ion)Along(side)Amalgamate(ion)AnywhereArcArea(polygon)AroundAssociationBlockBorderBoundaryBufferCause(al/ity)CenterCentralityCircleClose(ness)ClumpClusterCoastalCommutershedConcentrate(ion)


B. Wellar 2006

Table 2. Ten of the Most Critical Geographic Terms and Concepts

Underlying GIS Applications that Advance Canada as a Spatially-Aware Information Society

InteractionLinkagePatternRelationshipSystem

AccessibilityCausalityConnectionDensityFunctionality


B. Wellar 2006

Figure 4.The Data-Information-KnowledgeTransform Process: Simple Model

ExistingReality Data Information Knowledge Preferred

Reality

Transforms

States


B. Wellar 2006

How Are Geographers and

the GIS Community Helping

Canada to Advance as a

Spatially-Aware

Information Society?


B. Wellar 2006

http://www.cag-acg.ca/en/

www.gisday.com

www.geomatics.uottawa.ca/gisday

http://www.ccge.org/ccge/english/Newsletter/symposium_june 2005.asp

Check Out theFollowing Sources

References

For information about the sources used for this presentation contact B. Wellar at [email protected]


geography and geographic information systems (gis): new

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