Spatial Thinking

1
Spatial Thinking

• Understanding
• Problems, Process, Data, Variables, and Models

2
Overview

• Administrative Stuff
• Problem Definition Purpose
• Key part of GIS process
• Spatial Data and Variables

3
Administrative

• Labs
• ALL HELP SESSION WILL BE IN 149 Baker
• Monday evening 6-8pm
• Tuesday evening 6-8pm
• Wednesday 1245 to 345pm
• Thursday 4-7pm
• 75 to 80 students in class
• My office hours Probably Wednesday and Thursday
  mornings
• Butclasses in 12 Bray so.
• Use email egreenfield_at_esf.edu not phone
• Also TAs mhbunny_at_syr.edu, kegunson_at_syr.edu
• Labs due in 410 Bray Hall on 9/15 at 5pm
• Late ones will be penalized
• Issues? Contact the TAs
• Software
• Check out www.esri.com
• Youll need the ArcView license and the Spatial
  Analyst license
• Textbook
• Reference!

4
Problem Solving

• Problem solving, research, and decision support
  with spatial focus
• Location, Location, Location
• Review Problem Solving and Decision Making
• Ref Miller, Shinn, Bentley Rural Resources
  Management 1994
• GIS is JUST A TOOL!!!!

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Problem Solving

• Problem detection and definition
• Have to define it first
• Symptoms? Who is affected?
• Value-laden process!
• Understand cause and effect
• A scientific method
• Modeling, testing, analyzing, validating,
  refining
• Iterative, Learning

6
Science

• Inductive or Deductive (Creswell 1994)
• Inductive
• Developing theory from observation
• Can be called constructivist
• Many times qualitative, but not always
• Deductive
• Testing theory falsification
• Can be called positivist
• Many times quantitative, but not always
• Generally seek predictability and control
• Generally narrow single discipline, focused on
  detail

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Science

• Mode II or Post-Normal (Kuhn 1970)
• Paradigm Shift
• Mode II and Post-Normal assume values inherent in
  process
• Focused on problem solving
• Generally, inter, multi, and transdisciplinary
• Coevolutionary Paradigm (Norgaard 1994)
• Assumes uncertainty, cannot easily predict
• Not focused on deterministic models
• Holistic
• Focuses on coevolution of Values, Knowledge,
  Organization, Technology and Environment through
  positive feedbacks

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Problem Solving

• Decision Making
• What are you going to do?
• Develop Alternatives
• Cost/Benefit
• Based on your analysis, findings, testing
• Develop Objectives and Measurement of Outcomes
• How are those objectives met?
• Clarity of purpose and outcomes expected

9
Problem Solving

• Planning
• The how to with timelines and outcomes
• Responsibility and accountability
• Who is involved and who has to do what?
• Implementation
• Then monitor/assess/evaluate progress and modify
• Where does GIS fit?
• Throughout!!!
• The Spatial Model

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GIS Process

• Purpose and Objectives
• From any point in the process
• In GIS we also have to think about
• Space and Time and especially scale!
• Build Database
• Data acquisition
• Creation, using existing data, data entry,
  editing
• Data management
• Data Processing
• Analysis, Manipulation, Query
• Output/Deliverables
• Maps, tables, graphs, charts, reports, other media

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Problem Solving

• Requires rich understanding of human and nature
  systems
• Knowledge/facts
• Information processing
• Comprehension
• Critical thinking
• Application
• Skill sets
• Analysis
• Problem solving
• Synthesis
• Research and new knowledge
• Evaluation
• Peer review, acceptance
• TRUTH
• Refs Apple and Krumsieg, Norgaard, H.T. Odum,
  Ravetz, Kuhn

13
GIS Information System

• Were at the gate
• It is an INFORMATION SYSTEM
• We need good information
• Good information requires good data
• In GIS good spatial data
• Good? Precision toward accuracy
• GIS like any information system, subject to
  garbage-in and garbage-out

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Data to Understanding

• Data Raw, facts, symbols, numbers, text,
  observations with NO meaning by themselves e.g.
  101oF
• Information Meaning in context of purpose,
  organized, selected e.g. Temperature range of a
  day
• Knowledge Interpretation of information in
  context e.g. Using temperature to determine fever
• Understanding Use of knowledge in other
  applications based on expectations of results
  e.g. Implications of fever or search for causes

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Need for Good Information

• Relevance To YOUR purpose and within your
  limits
• Where described in GIS data sets?
• Accuracy Precision, valid, reliable, quality
• Where described in GIS data sets?
• Understandable and Transferable
• Good Data and Information is expensive!
• Big issue for GIS database creation
• Power and Advantage
• Cost/benefit
• Expandable?
• Time?

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Spatial Data

• Link space, time and some description
• A.k.a. attribute, characteristic
• Data collected about spatial variables
• Variables
• General
• Brief discussion of digital vs. analog
  representation
• Quantitative vs. Qualitative
• Discrete vs. Continuous
• Spatial variable and data attributes

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Variable

• What is variable
• Quantity that can take any set of values -
  dictionary
• Item, concept, phenomena of interest for which
  more than one characteristic or value may be
  substituted - Hopkins
• Can vary in time, space, attribute or in terms of
  other variables
• Spatial variable
• Variable with spatial component
• Tied to location (explicitly, or implicitly)
• Degree of variability dependent on time and space
  scale and purpose
• What is a non-spatial variable
• Variability NOT tied to location
• If you think about it, more spatial variables
  than non-spatial

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Spatial Data Format

• Analog
• Representation of information through
  continuously varying form
• Something that bears an analogy to something else
• For our purposes held in contrast to digital
• E.g. Manuscript maps, analog tapes,
  verbal/written communication
• Digital
• Representation of information in discrete units,
  or digits
• Binary system of 0s, and 1s, only two options
  for a single digit computer based on powers of
  two from units, twos, fours, eights, etc from
  right to left

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Two Categories of Variable

• Qualitative
• Provides information about essential character of
  something
• One of several mutually exclusive values
• For our purposes held in contrast to quantitative
  
• Who, what (where, and when without quantity
  measured)
• Quantitative
• Provides information about magnitude of something
• Measurable, countable
• How much or many, where and when with quantity
  measured

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Two Categories of Variable

• Discrete
• Limited to a set of certain possibilities,
  boundaries
• One thing is discrete from another
• May still have infinite range within the limits
• Discrete Objects
• Represent geography and spatial variable,
  features
• Points (no area), lines or arcs, polygons or
  areas
• For our purposes held in contrast to continuous
  variable
• Continuous
• Not limited to boundaries
• May have restricted or infinite range or
  boundaries
• Extending without cessation or interruption
• Take any value to infinite number of decimal
  places
• Fields
• Represent geography and spatial variable
• Limited by measurement ability
• Cant have it all, we actually represent
  discretely, with sampling