Foundations of Urban and Regional Information Systems and Geographic Information Systems and Science
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Foundations of Urban and Regional Information Systems and Geographic Information Systems and Science Special Publication in Celebration of URISA’s 50th Anniversary Conference 1963-2012 Barry Wellar Editor Urban and Regional Information Systems Association i | Foundations of Urban and Regional Information Systems and Geographic Information Systems and Science 2012 CONTENTS Foreword v Wendy Nelson Preface vi Barry Wellar Acknowledgements viii Barry Wellar 1 Introduction to Foundations of Urban and Regional Information 1 Systems and Geographic Information Systems and Science Barry Wellar Part I TRIBUTE TO EDGAR HORWOOD 2 Bill Garrison Tells Us a Bit about His Friend and Colleague, Ed 16 Horwood (Reprinted from URISA News, Issue 223, September/October 2009, pp. 8-9.) Barry Wellar 3 Perspectives on URISA’s origin and on the emergence of a theory of 20 urban and regional information systems (Reprinted from Information System Inputs to Policies, Plans, and Programs. Volume 1, Plenary Papers. Barry Wellar, editor. Chicago, IL: Urban and Regional Information Systems Association, 1977, pp.2-19.) Edgar Horwood 4 Origin and Evolution of URISA 39 Ken Dueker Part II FORCES AND IDEAS THAT SPAWNED THE FIELD 5 Five Major, Early Contributors to the Foundations of Information 52 Systems Education, Training, Research, and Applications Barry Wellar ii | Foundations of Urban and Regional Information Systems and Geographic Information Systems and Science 6 More Early Contributors to the Launch of the Urban Information Field 63 Mike Kevany 7 1964-1967 Proceedings: Setting the Stage 76 Ken Dueker 8 URISA Proceedings, 1968-1978: A Defining Contribution to Urban and 80 Regional Information Systems and Geographic Information Systems and Science Barry Wellar Part III PREVIOUS BENCHMARKING EXPERIENCE 9 IS/GIS/LIS and Public Policies, Plans, and Programs: Thirty Years in 115 Perspective – Recalling a Major Benchmarking Project Barry Wellar Part IV INSTITUTIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL FOUNDATIONS 10 Special Interest Groups (SIGs) 126 Peter Van Demark 11 Workshops and Workbooks: Leading the Way in Education and 133 Training Based on Research and Applications Support Barry Wellar 12 The URISA Exemplary Systems in Government (ESIG) Awards; 154 Recognizing Information Systems Delivering Value Gary Hunter and Dianne Haley 13 A Research Agenda Focused on Institutional Issues 175 Will Craig 14 URISA’s GISCorps: GIS Professionals Volunteering for a Better World 188 Shoreh Elhami and Dianne Haley 15 NCGIA: Its Origins and Impacts 195 Mike Goodchild iii | Foundations of Urban and Regional Information Systems and Geographic Information Systems and Science 16 GIS Management: Major Initiatives and Lessons Learned 203 Pete Croswell Part V TOPICAL AND VISIONARY FOUNDATIONS 17 Connecting Research Methodology and the Reality-Data-Information- 223 Knowledge Transform Process Barry Wellar 18 Fundamentals of Geospatial Algorithm Design 236 Dana Tomlin 19 Street Addressing: From AdMatch to a National Standard 253 Martha Wells 20 Public Access, Privacy and Security Protection, and Cost Recovery 262 Policies for Government Geographic Data Ed Wells 21 GIS and the City 2.0 270 Jack Dangermond 22 GIS in Australia and New Zealand 274 Penny Baldock, Gary Maguire, Nick Lawrence, Gary Hunter, and Chris Pettit Part VI CONCLUDING REMARKS 23 Reflecting Upon the Foundations Project and Its Implications 289 Barry Wellar Contributors’ Bio-Notes 295 iv | Foundations of Urban and Regional Information Systems and Geographic Information Systems and Science Foreword Welcome to Foundations of Urban and Regional Information Systems and Geographic Information Systems and Science, a special publication celebrating 50 years of URISA. The Urban and Regional Information Systems Association has been blessed with devoted volunteer leaders since its inception. Hundreds, no thousands, of individuals have freely given their time and expertise as committee members, chapter leaders, board members and officers, all to support URISA and its mission. Take a look at the list of international contributors to this publication. Bringing their experiences from governments at all levels, private sector firms, research institutes, and universities, they represent the ‘Who’s Who’ of influencers in the field of urban and regional information systems and geographic information systems and science. Years ago they chose to be involved with URISA, and they continue to contribute their enthusiasm and energy. URISA is one of the very few organizations which can boast of this unparalleled level of commitment. Dr. Barry Wellar, editor of this book of celebration, became a URISA member in 1967, is a URISA past president (1978), a Horwood Award recipient (1985), and was inducted into the GIS Hall of Fame in 2011. We are indebted to him for completing this important project to the benefit of URISA’s past, present, and future members. No doubt URISA would have disappeared long ago if it weren’t for the passion of its members. URISA is a professional home, a family, a support system, and we look forward to the next 50 years together! Wendy Nelson, Executive Director, URISA v | Foundations of Urban and Regional Information Systems and Geographic Information Systems and Science Preface In their roles as conference program chairs and committee members, workshop instructors, board members, conference presenters, paper reviewers, proceedings and journal editors, and other activities, URISA past presidents have made many significant original and fundamental contributions to urban and regional information systems and geographic information systems and science. I am therefore very pleased to serve as the editor for Foundations of Urban and Regional Information Systems and Geographic Information Systems and Science, which is sponsored by the past presidents to mark their participation in URISA’s 50th annual conference. To date, URISA has produced more than 35,000 pages of text in its conference proceedings, journal, workbooks, newsletters, and other publications. As a rough estimate, about two-thirds of that impressive production occurred between 1963 and 1996 when the medium of communication was paper, with 1997 marking the year when URISA began to make much of its material available online through its website, www.urisa.org. In this publication we review and overview some of the research, education, training, and applications foundations that URISA and its members have contributed to urban and regional information systems and geographic information systems and science. There are three primary objectives guiding the design and content of the book. First and foremost, the articles in the book recognize many of the URISA members whose thinking, initiatives, and productions significantly affected and in many cases continue to affect the research, education, training, and applications activities in urban and regional information systems and geographic information systems and science. As noted above and further discussed in objective three below, many of these thoughts and associated initiatives and productions were in articles, reports, workbooks, etc., that were published in the “print medium era”. Consequently, due to their relatively limited distribution, important articles published as recently as the mid-1990s may not be widely known among current contributors to and users of urban and regional information systems and geographic information systems and science literature. The occasion of the 50th annual conference is a timely opportunity to remind or inform readers of some of the numerous significant contributions made by URISA members to the foundations of urban and regional information systems and geographic information systems and science. Second, URISA sponsored and supported many original research, education, training, and applications activities in urban and regional information systems and geographic information systems and science. vi | Foundations of Urban and Regional Information Systems and Geographic Information Systems and Science Indeed, since its initial conference in 1963 URISA has been and remains a leading innovator among international professional organizations involved with urban and regional information systems and geographic information systems and science, and many associated fields or sub-fields. The 50th annual conference is therefore a timely opportunity to remind or inform readers of the original contributions which have been made by URISA members, and of the debt which is owed to them for the derivative works that were spawned as a result of their thoughts and initiatives. Third, URISA has been a sharing and inclusive organization beginning with its first conference in 1963. A hallmark of URISA has been an abiding interest in sharing what has been learned and is being learned about urban and regional information systems and geographic information systems and science, with an emphasis on inviting newcomers to actively participate in an exciting and rewarding search for new ways to acquire and use new knowledge about urban and regional information systems and geographic information systems and science. This book seeks to perpetuate that tradition by encouraging extensions of the research, education, training, and applications foundations that are outlined in these pages. And, as a closing note, this book also seeks to give readers reason for taking a life’s lesson from the URISA experience. That is, URISA flourished over the past 50 years by welcoming and sharing new ideas, directions, and initiatives. It is therefore