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Computing Geographically: Bridging Giscience and Geography
Geographic information science (GISc) and systems (GIS) have grown rapidly in recent decades, increasingly on a separate track from geographic thought. As geography's "big ideas"--such as space, place, boundaries, scale, process, and relationality--have evolved, what does this mean for their computational representation? This book considers how key concepts have developed in geography and are represented (or not) in GISc, with a view to bridging gaps between the two. David O'Sullivan shows how revisiting the theoretical underpinnings of geography offers insights on enduring GIS challenges--including map projections, the modifiable areal unit problem, scale and map generalization, and the nature of space and place--while also enriching geographic thought. The book uses examples from across geography's subdisciplines to promote understanding. Chapters are self-contained essays that can easily form the basis of classroom discussions. The companion website provides the figures, code to produce versions of selected figures, updated web links, and other resources.
Kindle Edition
Published January 12, 2024
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April 13, 2025
Declaration: I know David and regardless of distance (and time) he is a friend and colleague (and a co-author).
Consistently with David’s other works he has written a clear and impressive book that invites a bridging of GIScience and Geography. As a geographer, witnessing its evolution across the last 40+ years and seeing its strength as an integrative science, it has been odd to see differential levels of academic amnesia failing to recognize (or discover) areas of common ground as GIS and GIScience emerged as a new technology/data/science with potential applications in many areas of social, health, behavioral, physical science. Here David highlights for the reader the opportunities for integration, drawing on a very impressive use of both classics (looking back) and new material (looking forward) coupled with the continual promoting of theory/concepts and method … and, thinking geographically. As with the classics in geography I grew up with and read across my career (Haggett [and w/ Chorley, w/ Cliff et al], Lynch, Unwin [and Unwin & OSullivan], Crowley & McLafferty, etc.) the structure of the book - and its flexibility - is key. The clarity of figures and description of them adds strength to the message. I, for one, appreciate the focus of each chapter on core/foundational concepts in geography and the reinforced argument on how they are all interconnected.
Borrowed from Penn State Libraries - where David and I first met.
Consistently with David’s other works he has written a clear and impressive book that invites a bridging of GIScience and Geography. As a geographer, witnessing its evolution across the last 40+ years and seeing its strength as an integrative science, it has been odd to see differential levels of academic amnesia failing to recognize (or discover) areas of common ground as GIS and GIScience emerged as a new technology/data/science with potential applications in many areas of social, health, behavioral, physical science. Here David highlights for the reader the opportunities for integration, drawing on a very impressive use of both classics (looking back) and new material (looking forward) coupled with the continual promoting of theory/concepts and method … and, thinking geographically. As with the classics in geography I grew up with and read across my career (Haggett [and w/ Chorley, w/ Cliff et al], Lynch, Unwin [and Unwin & OSullivan], Crowley & McLafferty, etc.) the structure of the book - and its flexibility - is key. The clarity of figures and description of them adds strength to the message. I, for one, appreciate the focus of each chapter on core/foundational concepts in geography and the reinforced argument on how they are all interconnected.
Borrowed from Penn State Libraries - where David and I first met.
Displaying 1 of 1 review