Geographic visualization : concepts, tools and applications

Geographic Visualization: Concepts, Tools and Applications is a 'state-of-the-art' review of the latest developments in the subject. It examines how new concepts, methods and tools can be creatively applied to solve problems relevant to a wide range of topics. The text covers the impact of three-dimensional displays on user interaction along with the potentialities in animation and clearly explains how to create temporally sensitive visualizations. It also explores the potential for handling mobile data and representing uncertainty; as well as the role of participatory visualization systems and exploratory methods.

Hallmark Features:

An introduction to the diverse forms of geographic visualization which draws upon a number of theoretical perspectives and disciplines to provide an insightful commentary on new methods, techniques and tools. Richly illustrated in full colour throughout, including numerous relevant case studies and accessible discussions of important visualization concepts to enable clearer understanding for non-technical audiences. Chapters are written by leading scholars and researchers in a range of cognate fields, including, cartography, GIScience, architecture, art, urban planning and computer graphics with case studies drawn from Europe, North America and Australia

This book is an invaluable resource for all graduate students, researchers and professionals working in the geographic information sector, computer graphics and cartography.

Author Notes

Martin Dodge
Lecturer in Human Geography
School of Environment and Development, University of Manchester, UK
Martin Dodge works at the University of Manchester as a Lecturer in Human Geography. His research focuses primarily on the geography of cyberspace, particularly ways to map and visualize the Internet and the Web. He is the curator of a web-based Atlas of Cyberspace (www.cybergeography.org / atlas) and has co-authored two books, Mapping Cyberspace (Routledge, 2000) and Atlas of Cyberspace (Addison-Wesley 2001), both with Rob Kitchin.

Mary McDerby
Visualization Support Officer
Research Computing Services, University of Manchester, UK
Mary McDerby is visualization support officer in Research Computing Services providing visualization, computer graphics, multimedia and image processing services to the University of Manchester. Her research is in the visualization of complex datasets within a virtual reality environment, as well as medical visualization. She is active in both national and international computer graphics/visualization communities such as Eurographics, and has been a co-editor of the proceedings of the UK chapter for the past three years.

Martin Turner
Visualization Team Leader
Research Computing Services, University of Manchester, UK
Martin Turner is the Visualization Team Leader within Research Computing Services at the University of Manchester. He gained his PhD in the Computer Laboratory, at Cambridge University. His research in visualization and image processing has resulted in a Fellowship with British Telecom, a published book, Fractal Geometry in Digital Imaging (Academic Press, 1998) as well as over 50 other publications, and he has supervised to completion seven successful MPhil/PhD students. Key activities and grants cover both local and nationally funded high-end visualization services as well as commercial contracts.

Martin Dodge and Mary McDerby and Martin TurnerMichael F. GoodchildJonathan C. RobertsMark Harrower and Sara FabrikantAnna Barford and Danny DorlingWilliam CartwrightScott OrfordAndre Skupin and Aude EsperbeAndy Hudson-SmithIfan D. H. ShepherdMartin Turner and Mary McDerbyGary Priestnal and Derek HampsonHumphrey SouthallStephanie Deitrick and Robert EdsallMenno-Jan KraakMichael A. E. Wright and Leif Oppermann and Mauricio Capra

Foreword	p. xi
Acknowledgements	p. xvii
Authors' Biographies	p. xix
1 The Power of Geographical Visualizations	p. 1
1.1 Aims	p. 2
1.2 The nature of geographic visualization	p. 2
1.3 The visualization process	p. 4
1.4 Digital transition and geographic visualization	p. 5
1.5 The politics of visualization	p. 6
1.6 The utility of geographic visualization	p. 8
1.7 Conclusions	p. 8
References	p. 9
2 What does Google Earth Mean for the Social Sciences?	p. 11
2.1 Introduction	p. 11
2.2 Major features of Google Earth	p. 12
2.3 Fundamental spatial concepts	p. 15
2.4 The social perspective	p. 18
2.5 Research challenges	p. 20
2.6 Conclusions	p. 22
References	p. 23
3 Coordinated Multiple Views for Exploratory GeoVisualization	p. 25
3.1 Introduction	p. 25
3.2 Data preparation	p. 28
3.3 Informative visualizations	p. 31
3.4 Interaction and manipulation	p. 34
3.5 Tools and toolkits	p. 40
3.6 Conclusions	p. 41
References	p. 42
4 The Role of Map Animation for Geographic Visualization	p. 49
4.1 Introduction	p. 49
4.2 Types of time	p. 52
4.3 The nature of animated maps	p. 53
4.4 Potential pitfalls of map animation	p. 56
4.5 Conclusions	p. 61
References	p. 62
5 Telling an Old Story with New Maps	p. 67
5.1 Introduction: re-visualizing our world	p. 67
5.2 Method and content	p. 68
5.3 The champagne glass of income distribution	p. 105
References	p. 107
6 Re-visiting the Use of Surrogate Walks for Exploring Local Geographies Using Non-immersive Multimedia	p. 109
6.1 Introduction	p. 109
6.2 Queenscliff Video Atlas	p. 111
6.3 GeoExploratorium	p. 113
6.4 Townsville GeoKnowledge Project	p. 118
6.5 Jewell Area prototype	p. 118
6.6 Melbourne Historical Buildings Demonstration Product	p. 122
6.7 Testing the user's perception of space and place	p. 123
6.8 Further development work	p. 137
6.9 Conclusion	p. 138
Acknowledgements	p. 138
References	p. 139
7 Visualization with High-resolution Aerial Photography in Planning-related Property Research	p. 141
7.1 Introduction	p. 141
7.2 Applications of aerial photography in planning-related property research	p. 148
7.3 Aerial photography, property and surveillance	p. 152
7.4 Conclusion	p. 155
References	p. 156
8 Towards High-resolution Self-organizing Maps of Geographic Features	p. 159
8.1 Introduction	p. 159
8.2 Self-organizing maps	p. 160
8.3 High-resolution SOM	p. 162
8.4 High-resolution SOM for Climate Attributes	p. 166
8.5 Summary and outlook	p. 179
Acknowledgements	p. 180
References	p. 180
9 The Visual City	p. 183
9.1 The development of digital space	p. 183
9.2 Creating place and space	p. 184
9.3 Visual cities and the visual Earth	p. 188
9.4 The development of virtual social space	p. 192
9.5 The future: the personal city	p. 196
References	p. 196
10 Travails in the Third Dimension: A Critical Evaluation of Three-dimensional Geographical Visualization	p. 199
10.1 Introduction	p. 199
10.2 What is gained by going from 2D to 3D?	p. 201
10.3 Some problems with 3D views	p. 204
10.4 Conclusions	p. 217
Acknowledgements	p. 218
References	p. 218
11 Experiences of Using State of the Art Immersive Technologies for Geographic Visualization	p. 223
11.1 Introduction	p. 223
11.2 The human visual system	p. 224
11.3 Constructing large-scale visualization systems	p. 232
11.4 Rules and recommendations	p. 236
11.5 The future - a better and cheaper place	p. 238
References	p. 239
12 Landscape Visualization: Science and Art	p. 241
12.1 Landscape visualization: contexts of use	p. 241
12.2 The need for ground truth	p. 242
12.3 Outcomes from fieldwork exercises	p. 244
12.4 Broadening the context	p. 246
12.5 The Chat Moss case study	p. 247
12.6 Discussion	p. 254
12.7 Conclusion	p. 256
Acknowledgements	p. 257
References	p. 257
13 Visualization, Data Sharing and Metadata	p. 259
13.1 Introduction	p. 259
13.2 The data documentation initiative and the aggregate data extension	p. 260
13.3 Implementing the DDI within the GB Historical GIS	p. 262
13.4 Driving visualization in Vision of Britain	p. 267
13.5 Conclusion	p. 273
Acknowledgements	p. 275
References	p. 275
14 Making Uncertainty Usable: Approaches for Visualizing Uncertainty Information	p. 277
14.1 Introduction: the need for representations of uncertainty	p. 277
14.2 The complexity of uncertainty	p. 278
14.3 Uncertainty visualization: a user-centred research agenda	p. 286
14.4 Conclusion	p. 288
References	p. 288
15 Geovisualization and Time - New Opportunities for the Space-Time Cube	p. 293
15.1 Introduction	p. 293
15.2 Hagerstrand's time geography and the space-time cube	p. 295
15.3 Basics of the space-time cube	p. 296
15.4 The space-time cube at work	p. 297
15.5 Discussion	p. 303
References	p. 305
16 Visualizing Data Gathered by Mobile Phones	p. 307
16.1 Introduction	p. 307
16.2 What are we visualizing?	p. 308
16.3 How can we visualize this data?	p. 309
16.4 Case studies	p. 311
16.5 Discussion	p. 314
16.6 Conclusion	p. 316
References	p. 316
Index	p. 319

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Table of Contents