Geospatial Analysis: A Comprehensive Guide to Principles Techniques and Software Tools

Dr Michael J de Smith · Professor Michael F Goodchild · Professor Paul A Longley

Jan 2018 · The Winchelsea Press

About this ebook

Geospatial Analysis: A Comprehensive Guide to Principles, Techniques and Software Tools originated as material to accompany the spatial analysis module of MSc programmes at University College London delivered by the principal author, Dr Mike de Smith. The project was discussed with Professors Longley and Goodchild. They kindly agreed to contribute to the contents of the Guide itself. As such, this Guide may be seen as a companion to the pioneering book on Geographic Information Systems and Science (now changed to Science and Systems) by Longley, Goodchild, Maguire and Rhind, particularly the chapters that deal with spatial analysis and modeling. Their participation has also facilitated links with broader “spatial literacy” and spatial analysis programmes. Notable amongst these are the GIS&T Body of Knowledge materials provided by the Association of American Geographers together with the spatial educational programmes provided through UCL and UCSB. The formats in which this Guide has been published have proved to be extremely popular, encouraging us to seek to improve and extend the material and associated resources further. Many academics and industry professionals have provided helpful comments on previous editions, and universities in several parts of the world have now developed courses which make use of the Guide and the accompanying resources. Workshops based on these materials have been run in Ireland, the USA, East Africa, Italy and Japan, and a Chinese version of the Guide (2nd ed.) has been published by the Publishing House of Electronics Industry, Beijing, PRC, www.phei.com.cn in 2009. A Chinese version of this 6th edition is due to be published in 2021 by Science Press.

About the author

Dr Michael de Smith studied at universities in the UK and Canada where he gained BSc degrees in both Mathematics and Geography, followed by an MA and PhD, both in spatial analysis. Dr de Smith is a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society and a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society. In addition to his academic work Dr de Smith is a software designer and has been CEO of several commercial software engineering and services companies

Michael F. Goodchild is Emeritus Professor of Geography at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he also holds the title of Research Professor. He is also Distinguished Chair Professor at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Research Professor at Arizona State University, and holds many other affiliate, adjunct, and honorary positions at universities around the world. Until his retirement in June 2012 he was Jack and Laura Dangermond Professor of Geography, and Director of UCSB’s Center for Spatial Studies. He received his BA degree from Cambridge University in Physics in 1965 and his PhD in geography from McMaster University in 1969, and has received five honorary doctorates. He was elected member of the National Academy of Sciences and Foreign Member of the Royal Society of Canada in 2002, member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2006, and Foreign Member of the Royal Society and Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy in 2010; and in 2007 he received the Prix Vautrin Lud. He was editor of Geographical Analysis between 1987 and 1990 and editor of the Methods, Models, and Geographic Information Sciences section of the Annals of the Association of American Geographers from 2000 to 2006. He serves on the editorial boards of ten other journals and book series, and has published over 15 books and 500 articles. He was Chair of the National Research Council’s Mapping Science Committee from 1997 to 1999, and of the Advisory Committee on Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences of the National Science Foundation from 2008 to 2010. His research interests center on geographic information science, spatial analysis, and uncertainty in geographic data.

Paul Longley is Professor of Geographic Information Science at UCL, where he also directs the ESRC Consumer Data Research Centre. He is a GIScientist and Quantitative Human Geographer with substantive interests in the human dynamics of urban systems. His published work includes three books (two in multiple and foreign language editions), 12 edited collections and more than 175 refereed journal articles and contributions to edited collections. He has supervised more than 60 intending Ph.D. students (43 Ph.D. and four Masters completions to date), many of whom have progressed to academic positions worldwide. His research has developed through more than 50 research grants (totalling more than £20 million). He is a past Editor-in-Chief of Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, past Co-Editor of Environment and Planning B, and is an editorial board member of a number of international journals.