A Generic Framework for GIS Applications

For many years, modeling and GIS applications have been used as separate systems for planning, design and operation of water distribution systems. As digital information becomes increasingly available, the potential benefits of an integrated model and GIS system become more obvious. These benefits of integration and resulting automation include: better service to internal and external customers, improved work processes and higher productivity, reduced data entry errors and duplication, improved data security and reliability, and improved emergency response. Las Vegas Valley Water District (LVVWD) is developing an integrated system that includes a hydraulic and water quality model. Geographic Information System (GIS), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), and other database systems. Model data is dynamically linked to the GIS information with unique identification features. The model utilizes GIS and other linked data to compute hydraulic and water quality results for master planning, operational planning, facility outage scenarios, and other what-if scenarios. The integrated system enables the data process to be automated to the maximum extent possible so that manpower and time is saved. This paper describes the significance of such integration and demonstrates its value with example applications. The examples encompass master planning, water quality planning and operational planning for rapid-growing communities. This paper was presented at the 8th Annual Water Distribution Systems Analysis Symposium which was held with the generous support of Awwa Research Foundation (AwwaRF).

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is one of the modern methods that contributed extensively to facilitating the tasks and performance of planners during decisions related to the development or analysis of a particular problem with a spatial dimension, and this technique has been used in many different scientific fields such as the study of the distribution of services, analysis of land uses, or the division of transportation. The paper aims to highlight the benefits of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in tourism planning, identify the basic stages of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications in tourism planning, and to identify the importance of using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the tourism planning of archaeological sites in Fatimid Cairo. This study was based on a descriptive analytical approach and the field survey method was applied in the sample method to reach conclusions that serve the objectives of the study. This study was finalized by several results, most notably: The need to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in documenting the monuments by transferring all images, data and written inscriptions on them and illustrating them through pictures and videos, to form a database to be available to the tourist, researcher and planner. The planning of archaeological sites using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the study area (Fatimid Cairo), saves time and effort by relying on aerial and space images and topographic maps with high accuracy and conducting analysis and reaching accurate results in a very short period, compared to the time required using traditional methods.

The application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the work of government bodies, economic subjects and units of regional and local self-government presents the real situation today in every European country, as well as in its regions. The organisation of collecting, storing, distribution and usage of spatial data, in accordance with the principals of spatial data infrastructure (SDI) presents the next (higher) level in the application of spatial data and GIS. Rapid development of GIS application in the last decade highlights two problems in the efficient usage of GIS technologies, entailing the usage of spatial data in general. The first problem is the lack of the concept in organising the spatial data that has been solved basically through the development of IPP concept. The other problem lies in the fact that the subjects and the users do not have enough knowledge of GIS and IPP. Therefore, special attention has been paid within the frame of INSPIRE project to the development of education concept for the subjects and users of IPP, in order to provide the possibility for them to use the advantages offered by the concept of enhanced technologies and IPP itself. The paper presents the current situation in the education referring to GIS and IPP, and describes the activities carried out for the purpose of creating the environment that would provide quicker and more efficient implementation of National SDI (NSDI) based on better information given to the subjects and users.

Objective Through the application of geographic information system in Sanjiangyuan Region to observe the epidemic trend of brucellosis and do prevention and control study. Methods Brucellosis epidemiological investigation data of 9 counties and Tanggula Town from 2011 to 2013 from Qinghai Institute for Endemic Diseases Prevention and Control were collected. The information of Brucella strains separated from people, animals and wild animals from 1958 to 2013 in Sanjiangyuan Region were collected, too. Geographical information technology software was applied to build database information system for brucellosis and to retrieve the time and spatial distribution. Results A total of 6 310 people from 2011 to 2013 were investigated, patients with brucellosis were 33, and prevalence was 0.52%. Twenty-seven strains were separated which distributed in 10 counties of Sanjiangyuan Region. These strains contained 3 species (22 Brucella melitensis strains, 4 Brucella abortus strains and 1 Brucella suis strains). Database for brucellosis was successfully built which was used to query brucellosis' time and spatial distribution of this area and other information such as infection and prevalence. Conclusion Through the application of geographic information system, the informationization degree of brucellosis prevention and control has been improved, so as to formulate effective prevention and treatment measures. Key words: Brucellosis; Preventive medicine; Geographic information system

The importance of geographic information system (GIS) in daily life is well known as it is really helpful and eases the user. GIS is basically a database system with software that can analyse and display data using digitized maps and tables for planning and decision-making. Unfortunately, there are people in rural area that far from unreachable to apply this GIS tool in life. Thus, this reviewed study aimed to provide further understanding of the application of GIS in emergency preparedness for rural areas. It also will be able to recognize a management information system for rural planning. This systematic literature review concentrates on previous research starting from 2015 to 2020 to evaluate the application of GIS in mapping, transportation planning and network service. From 24 papers that have been analysed under eligibility test, 37.5% of them reviewed on the application of GIS, another 37.5% on emergency preparedness and 25% for rural area. The result shows there is a common type of knowledge and the way it can respond to emergency preparedness. Nevertheless, there are fewer cases related to rural areas and it shows the need for more case studies and experimental research to support this promising field. In conclusion, to meet present day and future information needs for emergency preparedness, more attention needs to be given to evaluate the effectiveness of GIS in rural areas.

The role of environmental management is extremely important in human life because of its contribution to environmental protection and strategies. In modern society, nevertheless, facing the challenges in land, water, and air quality management in reality is unavoidable. Understanding the information on variability and features of environmental issues is necessary to support decision-makers in establishing environmental management planning. Spatial information and data should be considered as basic initial knowledge of environmental management. Among various technologies, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is known as one of the most popular tools to store, analyze, and visualize data relating to geographically referenced information which can mitigate these challenges more effectively and accurately. The main purpose of this paper is to emphasize how GIS applications in environmental management, discuss the challenges of GIS technology in environmental management, and provide recommendations for future research directions. Many articles over the last decades were reviewed to highlight the application of GIS in environmental management. These results indicated GIS applications support land, water, air quality, and waste management. Moreover, it is a useful tool to monitor and assess environmental quality and in environmental planning and decision-making. For the limitation of GIS application, it is obvious that accuracy assessment and sensitivity analysis should be noticed and assessed although GIS application may strongly support decision-making in environmental management. Emerging GIS technologies and tendencies could help address these challenges. In future, GIS should be integrated along with new technologies and different decision-making algorithms in further steps for developing and supporting spatial decision-support systems more efficiently.

The article presents the results of the application of geographic information systems for environmental auditing, which allows you to monitor the ecological situation on the objects, food and chemical industries and to ensure environmental safety of natural and industrial areas. The authors propose a mathematical model that performs monitoring of environmental objects. The computational experiment is performed in Matlab for classifying the soil measurement conditions. The results of the analysis and the electronic cartograms constructed on their basis are used to predict the location of the points exceeding the parasitological indices in the soil. The assessment of the condition of the soil in different districts of the Voronezh city is made with the help of the created neural networks. The results are compared with the same indicators, measured in 2017. Data is taken from the information Bulletin «Evaluation of the influence of environmental factors on the health of the population of the Voronezh region on indicators of socio-hygienic monitoring». Information was prepared by the Office of Rospotrebnadzor in the Voronezh region. A study cited in the article was conducted at the Department of information and control systems of the Voronezh state University of engineering technologies. Geographic information system was built with the help of MapInfo software product. It can be used to simulate the environmental situation and to inform about its current state with the help of cartography. Thus, the geoinformation research method reviewed in this article allows predicting the emission of harmful substances into the environment and it can be used by regulatory agencies of the state authorities to control the environmental state of the territory.

The application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in green project management has gained significant attention due to its potential to support sustainable construction. This review explored the application of GIS in green project management practices, focusing on the challenges and opportunities involved to propose a future research agenda for advancing the use of GIS. A systematic literature review of publications from 2000 to 2024 was conducted, focusing on the role of GIS in promoting sustainable construction and energy-efficient project management. The review used specific keywords, including "Geographic Information Systems (GIS)," "Green Projects," "Energy Optimization," "Sustainability Reporting," and "Waste Management." These terms were combined with Boolean operators (AND, OR) to refine and enhance search results, ensuring the inclusion of relevant studies related to GIS applications in sustainability and resource management within construction projects. The findings revealed that GIS enhances energy optimization by analyzing consumption patterns, guiding interventions like retrofitting and renewable energy integration. In water and waste management, GIS helps detect inefficiencies and optimize collection routes, although challenges remain in acquiring high-resolution data. GIS also supports real-time monitoring, providing continuous insights into energy and resource usage, though integration with advanced systems and infrastructure is essential. In sustainability reporting, GIS aids in visualizing indicators like carbon footprints and conducting Lifecycle Assessments (LCA), providing an in-depth evaluation of environmental impacts throughout a project’s lifecycle. This review recommends integrating GIS with real-time monitoring systems and standardized sustainability metrics to enhance its effectiveness in optimizing energy use, waste management, and sustainability reporting in green projects.

Principles of stereoscopic vision have long been used in geographic data processing and visualization, e.g. Laussedat created what he called metrophotography in 1895 [2][3] and a stereoautograph for plotting from terrestrial photographs was produced in 1911 [2]. Today, a common and established use of stereoscopy in geographic domain is three-dimensional (3D) modeling of terrains and cities based on aerial, satellite and/or terrestrial imagery with photogrammetric techniques. In these systems, commonly, stereoscopic imagery is used as an input and a vector 3D representation of the terrain or city is obtained as an output. Stereoscopy has also been used for close-range photogrammetry, however within the scope of this paper the focus is on the cartographic use of stereoscopic visualizations. In recent years, a number of mainstream digital devices with stereoscopic capabilities are marketed (e.g. [4], [5], [6]), which indicates that we can expect to see more stereoscopic content in the near future [1]. In anticipation of such a development, it is also plausible to expect that stereoscopic geo-data will become more available for everyday use. It is, therefore, interesting to document which stereoscopic visualization features are supported by mainstream geographic information systems (GIS) software and whether these features can be improved. This work presents a survey on current stereoscopic visualization support in geographic information (GI) systems. The underlying objective is to outline future research needs by examining current stereoscopic 3D visualization techniques and tools in current GISs. This paper focuses on visualization modules of GIS software, and tries to answer the question “How commonly is stereoscopic visualization supported in GIS?" To achieve this, first whether such support exits or not in GIS software is documented, then supported types of stereoscopic operations and viewing methods are reported. Motivated by improving efficiency of stereoscopic visualizations in cartographic domain, within this survey, it is also examined whether these software offer level of detail (LOD) management support for stereoscopic datasets. Findings from the study are meant as a guide to researchers and practitioners to assess the current state of True 3D support in widely used GIS software.

Abstract—To date, the knowledge regarding the potential uses of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in Supply Chain Management (SCM) and how GIS applications can deliver business benefits are limited. To explore the current uses of GIS in SCM, a systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted. Three databases (Web of Science, ProQuest, and Business Source Premier) were explored using the PreferredReporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses(PRISMA) methodology. A total of 79 papers were included in the literature review. The combined findings showed that the GIS applications in SCM were a) network/transportation analysis/ routing algorithms (53 papers), b) Location-Allocation Site Search/ Selection (using multiple-criteria decision analysis [MCDA]) (45 papers), c) spatial analysis(people or land) (34 papers), d) connection with optimisation tools (32 papers) and e) visualisation/ monitoring or BuildingInformation Modelling (BIM) (8 papers). The industries and related Supply Chain (SC) domains that used GIS were a)Biomass Biofuel/Wood (33), b) Logistics (22), c)Humanitarian/ Emergency/ Healthcare (10), d) Food/ Agro-Industry (5), e) Petroleum/ Coal/ Shale Gas (3), f) FaecalSludge (2), g) Recycle & product footprint (2) and h)Construction (2). The research case studies took place in 26 countries, and the most prominent GIS software provider wasEsri’s ArcGIS. The findings of the first literature review ofthe GIS applications in SCM showed that many businessindustries have not utilised the GIS capabilities, such asvisualisation, spatial analysis, optimisation, and site research. However, GIS can significantly contribute to SCM decisionmaking by providing answers to cost minimisation, supplierselection, facility location, SC network configuration andasset management. Keywords— Supply Chain Management, Logistics, SystematicLiterature Review, GIS

In recent years, GIS(Geographic Information System) develops rapidly, and it is applied in various industries. But the application of GIS in electronic commerce is far behind its application in other areas. Using the programmable interfaces provided by Google Maps, we created an online shopping system which has the map functions to probe the application of GIS in electronic commerce. The system adopts the B / S three-tier architecture model and uses the Google Maps API to embed the Google Maps into the system website. It uses Oracle database to save the system data, and the spatial data is used the data of Google maps. The data of the system Oracle database and the spatial data of Google maps are connected through the latitude and longitude. These can improve the system's extensibility greatly and reduce the developing difficulty and cost remarkably.

For the performance of geographic information systems, it has been widely recognized that efficient data structures and algorithms supporting proximity based access to spatial data are a crucial ingredient. Because of that, in the last years, a lot of data structures for storage of multidimensional non-point objects have been proposed in the literature (for an overview see our tutorial introduction in this volume). Almost all of these approaches are made to support queries based on spatial neighborhood of objects, so-called proximity queries. Common examples of such proximity queries are range queries, returning all objects intersecting a given (rectangular) region, or nearest neighbor queries, determining the object nearest to a given point. But a geographic or cartographic information system should also support queries that do not exclusively refer to the spatial neighborhood of objects. For example, different versions of spatial data must be organized such that proximity queries to any version of the data can be answered efficiently. Or, given a set of object classes, a spatial query that involves an arbitrary combination of these classes should also be supported. Because of the growing size of data sets to be handled in geographic information systems, an appropriate data organisation to support such and several other application-specific queries becomes more and more important. In this paper, we will present two approaches for access structures supporting the two types of queries mentioned above. Handling of versioned, spatial data is the topic of Section 2, while Section 3 discusses queries on some classes selected from the set of object classes stored in a geographic information system.

Landscape design research is important for cultivating spatial intelligence in landscape architecture. This study explores GIS (geographic information systems) as a tool for landscape design research - investigating landscape designs to understand them as architectonic compositions (architectonic plan analysis). The concept ‘composition’ refers to a conceivable arrangement, an architectural expression of a mental construct that is legible and open to interpretation. Landscape architectonic compositions and their representations embody a great wealth of design knowledge as objects of our material culture and reflect the possible treatment of the ground, space, image and program as a characteristic coherence. By exploring landscape architectonic compositions with GIS, design researchers can acquire design knowledge that can be used in the creation and refinement of a design. The research aims to identify and illustrate the potential role of GIS as a tool in landscape design research, so as to provide insight into the possibilities and limitations of using GIS in this capacity. The critical, information-oriented case of Stourhead landscape garden (Wiltshire, UK), an example of a designed landscape that covers the scope and remit of landscape architecture design, forms the heart of the study. The exploration of Stourhead by means of GIS can be understood as a plausibility probe. Here the case study is considered a form of ‘quasi-experiment’, testing the hypothesis and generating a learning process that constitutes a prerequisite for advanced understanding, while using an adjusted version of the framework for landscape design analysis by Steenbergen and Reh (2003). This is a theoretically informed analytical method based on the formal interpretation of the landscape architectonic composition addressing four landscape architectonic categories: the basic, the spatial, the symbolic and the programmatic form. This study includes new aspects to be analysed, such as the visible form and the shape of the walk, and serves as the basis for the landscape architectonic analysis in which GIS is used as the primary analytical tool. GIS-based design research has the possibility to cultivate spatial intelligence in landscape architecture through three fields of operation: GIS-based modelling: description of existing and future landscape architectonic compositions in digital form; GIS-based analysis: exploration, analysis and synthesis of landscape architectonic compositions in order to reveal latent architectonic relationships and principles, while utilizing the processing capacities and possibilities of computers for ex-ante and ex-post simulation and evaluation; GIS-based visual representation: representation of (virtual) landscape architectonic compositions in space and time, in order to retrieve and communicate information and knowledge of the landscape design. Though there are limitations, this study exemplifies that GIS is a powerful instrument to acquire knowledge from landscape architectonic compositions. The study points out that the application of GIS in landscape design research can be seen as an extension of the fundamental cycle of observation, visual representation, analysis and interpretation in the process of knowledge acquisition, with alternative visualisations and digital landscape models as important means for this process. Using the calculating power of computers, combined with inventive modelling, analysis and visualisation concepts in an interactive process, opened up possibilities to reveal new information and knowledge about the basic, spatial, symbolic and programmatic form of Stourhead. GIS extended the design researchers’ perception via measurement, simulation and experimentation, and at the same time offered alternative ways of understanding the landscape architectonic composition. This gave rise to the possibility of exploring new elements in the framework of landscape design research, such as the visible form and kinaesthetic aspects, analysing the composition from eyelevel perspective. Moreover, the case study showcases that GIS has the potential to measure phenomena that are often subject to intuitive and experimental design, combining general scientific knowledge of, for instance, visual perception and way-finding, with the examination of site-specific design applications. GIS also enabled one to understand the landscape architectonic composition of Stourhead as a product of time, via the analysis of its development through reconstruction and evaluation of several crucial time-slice snapshots. The study illustrates that GIS can be regarded an external cognitive tool that facilitates and mediates in design knowledge acquisition. GIS facilitates in the sense that it can address the ‘same types of design-knowledge’ regarding the basic, spatial, symbolic and programmatic form, but in a more precise, systematic, transparent, and quantified manner. GIS mediates in the sense that it influences what and how aspects of the composition can be understood and therefore enables design researchers to generate ‘new types of design-knowledge’ by advanced spatial analysis and the possibility of linking or integrating other information layers, fields of science and data sources. The research contributes to the development and distribution of knowledge of GIS-applications in landscape architecture in two ways: (1) by ‘following’ the discipline and developing aspects of it, and (2) by setting in motion fundamental developments in the field, providing alternative readings of landscape architecture designs.

Landscape design research is important for cultivating spatial intelligence in landscape architecture. This study explores GIS (geographic information systems) as a tool for landscape design research - investigating landscape designs to understand them as architectonic compositions (architectonic plan analysis). The concept ‘composition’ refers to a conceivable arrangement, an architectural expression of a mental construct that is legible and open to interpretation. Landscape architectonic compositions and their representations embody a great wealth of design knowledge as objects of our material culture and reflect the possible treatment of the ground, space, image and program as a characteristic coherence. By exploring landscape architectonic compositions with GIS, design researchers can acquire design knowledge that can be used in the creation and refinement of a design. The research aims to identify and illustrate the potential role of GIS as a tool in landscape design research, so as to provide insight into the possibilities and limitations of using GIS in this capacity. The critical, information-oriented case of Stourhead landscape garden (Wiltshire, UK), an example of a designed landscape that covers the scope and remit of landscape architecture design, forms the heart of the study. The exploration of Stourhead by means of GIS can be understood as a plausibility probe. Here the case study is considered a form of ‘quasi-experiment’, testing the hypothesis and generating a learning process that constitutes a prerequisite for advanced understanding, while using an adjusted version of the framework for landscape design analysis by Steenbergen and Reh (2003). This is a theoretically informed analytical method based on the formal interpretation of the landscape architectonic composition addressing four landscape architectonic categories: the basic, the spatial, the symbolic and the programmatic form. This study includes new aspects to be analysed, such as the visible form and the shape of the walk, and serves as the basis for the landscape architectonic analysis in which GIS is used as the primary analytical tool. GIS-based design research has the possibility to cultivate spatial intelligence in landscape architecture through three fields of operation: GIS-based modelling: description of existing and future landscape architectonic compositions in digital form; GIS-based analysis: exploration, analysis and synthesis of landscape architectonic compositions in order to reveal latent architectonic relationships and principles, while utilizing the processing capacities and possibilities of computers for ex-ante and ex-post simulation and evaluation; GIS-based visual representation: representation of (virtual) landscape architectonic compositions in space and time, in order to retrieve and communicate information and knowledge of the landscape design. Though there are limitations, this study exemplifies that GIS is a powerful instrument to acquire knowledge from landscape architectonic compositions. The study points out that the application of GIS in landscape design research can be seen as an extension of the fundamental cycle of observation, visual representation, analysis and interpretation in the process of knowledge acquisition, with alternative visualisations and digital landscape models as important means for this process. Using the calculating power of computers, combined with inventive modelling, analysis and visualisation concepts in an interactive process, opened up possibilities to reveal new information and knowledge about the basic, spatial, symbolic and programmatic form of Stourhead. GIS extended the design researchers’ perception via measurement, simulation and experimentation, and at the same time offered alternative ways of understanding the landscape architectonic composition. This gave rise to the possibility of exploring new elements in the framework of landscape design research, such as the visible form and kinaesthetic aspects, analysing the composition from eyelevel perspective. Moreover, the case study showcases that GIS has the potential to measure phenomena that are often subject to intuitive and experimental design, combining general scientific knowledge of, for instance, visual perception and way-finding, with the examination of site-specific design applications. GIS also enabled one to understand the landscape architectonic composition of Stourhead as a product of time, via the analysis of its development through reconstruction and evaluation of several crucial time-slice snapshots. The study illustrates that GIS can be regarded an external cognitive tool that facilitates and mediates in design knowledge acquisition. GIS facilitates in the sense that it can address the ‘same types of design-knowledge’ regarding the basic, spatial, symbolic and programmatic form, but in a more precise, systematic, transparent, and quantified manner. GIS mediates in the sense that it influences what and how aspects of the composition can be understood and therefore enables design researchers to generate ‘new types of design-knowledge’ by advanced spatial analysis and the possibility of linking or integrating other information layers, fields of science and data sources. The research contributes to the development and distribution of knowledge of GIS-applications in landscape architecture in two ways: (1) by ‘following’ the discipline and developing aspects of it, and (2) by setting in motion fundamental developments in the field, providing alternative readings of landscape architecture designs.

In the 21 century, the construction of oil and gas resources information system has stepped into the mature and development stage, However, it also faces two technical difficulties: multi-data integration and the integration of attribute information and location information. This paper analyzes the technical features and advantages of Geographic Information System (GIS) and lists the application methods of GIS in the construction the oil and gas resources information system. It proposes the classification scheme of oil and gas resources information. By applying GIS spatial database technology, basic oil and gas resources information, including graph and data, can be managed collectively at one database platform. Based on GIS technology, it can provide the diversified information query method between space orientation and attribute data. By using the multi-data integration technology supported by GIS, it realizes the flexible transformation and transfer of spatial data. Based on GIS vector drawing ability, it realizes the flexible geological maps thematic mapping technology.With the help of GIS spatial analysis, it realizes oil and gas decision support functions such as virtual drilling, et al.. And it can be applied to the construction of oil and gas resources information system.