1. Introduction to GIS
Basic overview: What is GIS, what types of data, what applications?

2. Topics GIS part of course
Basic knowledge geography, cartography
GIS data and representation
GIS data sources and acquisition
GIS data structures
GIS analysis
GIS visualization (cartography) algorithms

3. 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

4. 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)

5. 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)

6. 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

9. 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

10. 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
...

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Data is unreliable, expensive to get, sometimes outdated, sometimes only partially relevant, difficult to integrate, ...

13. Firsts of data storage, I
Geometric and attribute data
Geometry: several map layers
Attribute: as in normal databases
municipality Zierikzee
population
…..

14. Firsts of data storage, II
Geometry: vector and raster representation
(4.237 Lon, Lat)
(4.234 Lon, Lat)

15. 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)

16. Another example use and output

17. More examples Pollution Natural disasters Management (road, water,...)
Planning
outcome of air pollution analysis
earthquakes and break lines

18. 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)

19. Actueel Hoogtebestand
Data comes with metadata
Average error 5 cm
Standard deviation 15 cm
Filtering of houses, trees, cars, ...
Price: ,- for the original data points; ,- for the 5m grid

20. Cadastre/Topographic Service
TOP10vector
TOP10roads
Subscription per 1 km2: 13,32
For all of NL: ,- ,-

21. Cadastre/Topographic Service
TOP10raster
without text
TOP10raster
with text
TOP50raster
TOP250raster

22. GIS in the Netherlands: users
RIVM
Cadastre
TNO (defense, security and safety; built environment and geosciences)
Alterra (agricultural research)
Rijkswaterstaat (ministery of VROM)
Companies
Universities (research): physical and human geography, cartography, archeology, biology, meteorology, geophysics, geology, ….

23. Application areas: general
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
Socio-economic/ government
Health
Local government
Transport planning
Service planning
Urban management
Utilities
Network management
Service provision
Telecommunications
Emergency repairs

24. GIS in the Netherlands: research
ITC: International Institute for Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences (Enschede)
Universities (e.g., Delft, Utrecht, Wageningen)

25. GIS: types of companies
GIS, general software (ESRI, Intergraph, MapInfo, Oracle, Tensing)
Route planners (TomTom, Garmin, Magellan)
Internet (geographic search engines/geographic IR, Google Maps/Earth, MapQuest, ...)
Data services, training, consultancy, applications

26. Main GIS company: ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute)
Since 1969 (!)
70th largest software company (in 2008)

27. 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)

28. 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

29. 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)

30. Computer science issues of GIS
Databases
(Geometric) algorithms
Graphics, scientific visualization
Knowledge technology, decision support systems
Combinatorial optimization
Interface design