What does Analytical Cartography have to do with GIS?

Objectives of lecture:

  1. Definitions of GIS and what makes it different (relationship to maps)
  2. Analytical Cartography as a part of academic cartography [focus on "deep structure"]
  3. Analytical Cartography: transformations of data into information
  4. Geocoding: some practical roots of GIS

GIS definitions:

Covered fully in Geog 460 Lecture 02; definition proposed by Exploring GIS

 

Schools of Thought about Maps and Mapping

Communication School of Cartography: maps transmit messages encoded using a graphical language, decoded by reader; encoding & decoding not free of ambiguity and error... leads towards the critical cartography of Harley (and Dennis Wood)

Prof. C. Board: "maps as models" - selective, simplified and distorted

Prof. B. Harley: deconstruction of maps: maps as instruments of power, create realities

Analytical cartography: Modifies the communication school because Inventory more central than map product - Representation (and management of an inventory) is a goal on its own.

Analytical approach focuses on transformations of information inherent in procedures

Deeper than display - GIS now creates products beyond maps and codifies procedures leading up to the maps (defensibility of product, not relying on decoding process)

"Deep structure" [Nyerges borrowing from Chomsky], not just "surface" display characteristics

Tobler's Analytical Cartography 1976 revisited

Still important to adopt long-run (20 year half life) approach; focus on transformations of information, how content is portrayed despite the limitations of the medium.

cartography (and GIS) still distributed in academic life as "a pancake with a bubble" (basically flat)

Basic content of course is still viable

though lab exercises may have become more demanding than make the computer draw a map...

Tobler's predictions: wrist lat/long; LED hand-held maps almost mundane now.

Geocoding

Origins of much of analytical cartography

Edgar Horwood, UW Civil Engineering and Planning; developed Urban and Regional geocoding for transportation analysis (school busing, etc.)

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Version of 6 January 2003