1. What is GIS? 1-Introduction to GIS 6/24/2018 http://www.popvssoda.com
© J.M. Piwowar
What is GIS?
© J.M. Piwowar

2. Why Does Geography Matter?
1-Introduction to GIS
6/24/2018
Why Does Geography Matter?
Almost everything that happens, happens somewhere. Knowing where something happens can be critically important.
Location is so important that it is a major issue in many of the problems that society must solve
Health care managers solve geographic problems when they decide where to locate new clinics and hospitals
Delivery companies solve geographic problems when they decide the routes, and schedules of their vehicles, often on a continuous basis
Transportation authorities solve geographic problems when they select routes for new highways
Forestry companies solve geographic problems when they determine how best to manage forests, where to cut, where to locate roads, and where to plant new trees
Governments solve geographic problems when they decide how to allocate funds (for disaster assistance, social assistance, etc.)
Travelers solve geographic problems when they find their way through airports, give and receive driving directions, and select hotels in unfamiliar cities
Farmers solve geographic problems when they employ new information technology to make better decisions about the amounts of fertilizer and pesticide to apply to their fields.
© J.M. Piwowar
What is GIS?
© J.M. Piwowar

3. 1-Introduction to GIS
6/24/2018
If so many problems are geographic, how can we distinguish them from each other?
Spatial Scale
Purpose
Practical problems
Theoretical problems
Time Scale
Operational decisions
Tactical decisions
Strategic decisions
Spatial Scale
E.g. site plan for a new building vs. agricultural resources across the Prairies.
Purpose
Practical problems
Must be solved as quickly and cheaply as possible
E.g. plan the route for a new highway
Theoretical problems
Used to advance human understanding of the world
E.g. verify the theory of continental drift
Time Scale
Operational decisions
required for the smooth running of an operation; immediate
Tactical decisions
medium term; e.g. where to cut trees in next year’s forest harvesting plan
Strategic decisions
long-term direction
© J.M. Piwowar
What is GIS?
© J.M. Piwowar

4. GIScience and Problem Solving
1-Introduction to GIS
6/24/2018
GIScience and Problem Solving
Knowledge about how the world works is more valuable than knowledge about how it looks.
GIS solves the ancient problem of combining general scientific knowledge with specific information, and gives practical value to both.
Many geographic problems involve multiple goals and objectives, which are often contradictory in nature.
Knowledge about how the world works is more valuable than knowledge about how it looks
Because such knowledge can be used to predict.
GIS solves the ancient problem of combining general scientific knowledge with specific information, and gives practical value to both.
E.g. assessing the impact of soil erosion on agriculture in Saskatchewan requires knowledge of how soil erosion is generally affected by such factors as the sustained maximum wind speeds, and specifically where are the strongest winds in Saskatchewan.
Many geographic problems involve multiple goals and objectives, which are often contradictory in nature.
E.g. an agency charged with locating a new gas pipeline may decide to try and minimize environmental damage and cost.
© J.M. Piwowar
What is GIS?
© J.M. Piwowar

5. 1-Introduction to GIS
6/24/2018
GIScience
Set of basic research issues raised by the handling of geographic data (Goodchild, 1992):
Unique characteristics of geographic data
Distinct nature of geographic problem solving
Interaction between geographic information research and related disciplines
Societal benefits / impacts of using geographic information
encompasses both research on GIS and research with GIS
© J.M. Piwowar
What is GIS?
© J.M. Piwowar

6. 1-Introduction to GIS
6/24/2018
GISystem
A computer-based system capable of assembling, storing, manipulating, and displaying georeferenced data.
Aronoff, 1989
A computer-based system for managing geographic data and using these data to solve spatial problems.
Lo & Yeung, 2002
Managing geographic data & solving spatial problems are 2 key features that set GIS apart from other information systems.
Distinguishing Features of GIS
* use of spatially referenced data
* graphical and attribute data input and editing
* selective spatial and attribute query specialized spatial analysis tools
* map and report generation
© J.M. Piwowar
What is GIS?
© J.M. Piwowar

7. Questions a GIS can Answer
1-Introduction to GIS
6/24/2018
Questions a GIS can Answer
Questions a GIS can answer
Location: What is at...?
Condition: Where is it?
Trends: What has changed since...?
Patterns: What spatial patterns exist?
Modelling: What if...?
© J.M. Piwowar
What is GIS?
© J.M. Piwowar

8. The Geographic Approach
By combining the science of Geography with the technology of GIS, we can:
Collect and organize data to better understand the Earth;
Analyze data to create geographic knowledge;
Apply geographic knowledge to find solutions.
© J.M. Piwowar
What is GIS?

9. Some Applications Environmental Park Management Agriculture
1-Introduction to GIS
6/24/2018
Some Applications
Environmental
Park Management
Agriculture
Public Utilities
Health Care
Emergency 911
Real Estate
Marketing
GIS is used in many different organizations for a whole variety of purposes. The following is an outline of some of the different ways that people use GIS to solve complicated spatial relalated problems. There are obviously hundreds of other uses but we are only going to look at some of the more popular ones.
© J.M. Piwowar
What is GIS?
© J.M. Piwowar

10. What is GIS? http://www.esri.com/what-is-gis/index.html © J.M. Piwowar