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

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

• Oil’s black death takes terrible tollOil’s 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 PCB-laced oil spills in river fearedMore PCB-laced oil spills in river feared

• It’s not cool to kill the ozoneIt’s 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

• Here’s a crash course on the Greenhouse effectHere’s 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



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• 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 ‘irreversible’Mexico City population now ‘irreversible’

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


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

• State looking for ‘candidates’ to store toxicsState looking for ‘candidates’ to 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


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• 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

• Auto-maker: don’t let cars destroy our citiesAuto-maker: don’t let cars destroy our cities

• Neighbours fight towering developmentNeighbours fight towering development


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• New Jersey’s folly could teach us a lessonNew Jersey’s 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

• Group’s pan Ottawa’s new official planGroup’s pan Ottawa’s new official plan

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

• Development in state carefully plannedDevelopment in state carefully planned


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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

GEOGRAPHYHuman

PhysicalMethodologyTechnology

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

Accessibility Causality Connection Density Functionality

Interaction Linkage Pattern Relationship System


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 Realities of Canada as An Emerging...

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