Collaborative GIS

Significant challenges remain for scholars and practitioners’’ thinking towards a new style of environmental and resource management. In an effort to work for economic, social and ecological balance, these parties have resort to collaboration with technical, scientific and business experts (along with many other experts) in order to reach this goal. GIS has become a “way to help bridge these divides” within the world. Specifically Collaborative GIS (CGIS), a networked collection of computer technology that allows participants to share information in an institutional setting that can help serve the purpose of managing resources and environmental issues efficiently.

CGIS can be very helpful in numerous ways, whether it is to provide information to another expert or scholar, or to help out someone in need of information for another project, it is like a huge network that everyone contributes to in order to help each other out. In many cases, CGIS can provide useful information; however on occasions, the information may not be as helpful as it seems. Based on who uses it, and how well the information’s validity and reliability is, will determine how well it is. It is important not to abuse CGIS by not providing inaccurate information and only providing useful, reliable information for others to use.

Ramsey, K. (2009). GIS, modeling, and politics: On the tensions of collaborative decision support. Journal of Environmental Management, 90(6), 1972-1980.

Teaching GeoDesign: A Campus-Wide Initiative

GeoDesign, a GIS component that dates back to 1452, have become the latest news of GIS in the 20^th century. Through studying GeoDesign, GIS has brought the idea of Ecology and Technology together in a way that we can discover any “hidden patterns beneath [the] surface” of nature. Before GeoDesign, abstraction of the world has been present. Before this helpful tool that connects design with geography, we could not understand the multi-surfaces of the world so easily. Now with Geodesign present, we can comprehend the geographical aspects of the world with less difficulty.  

How GeoDesign works is it brings ‘geospatial computing capacity into the process of design,” meaning it enables the creative thoughts of designers in order to translate geographic analysis into built forms using geospatial data. Geodesign can be used to project something that could happen in the near future by connecting different layers of the relevant problem together and may project possible ways to change it. Geodesign has the power to bring institutions together through shared visions, technology, and a shared goal.

Lee, M.C. (2012), Teaching GeoDesign: A Campus-Wide Initiative, Sustainability on the UT Campus: A Symposium.

Brief description of Land-Change Science and Political Ecology

        Land change science and political ecology are different ideas that have evolved over time but share similarities at the same time. Although they are different and similar at the same time, they have grown to support one another. Land-change science(LCS) and political ecology (PE) are both relevant to sustainability of the environment. LCS and PE have emerged through a series of anthropological and cultural beliefs that reside upon consideration of the environment and have developed  over time to become useful within GIS.

Land change science, as well as Political Ecology are connected to cultural and human ecology, however LCS focuses more within international science research framework that questions. Political Ecology, on the other hand, focuses on a range of human environment problems beyond land-change. SO in other words, Land change science is the first step in handling spatial themes such as change in land, and the Political Ecology goes beyond the environment and handles the social aspects and changes that land change causes.

Political Ecology and Land change science are important to GIS because they work together to focus of social changes that are caused because of changes within the environment.



Turner, B. L., & Robbins, P. (2008). Land-change science and political ecology: similarities, differences, and implications for sustainability science. Annual review of environment and resources, 33, 295-316.

Spatial analysis on neighborhood effects and voter turn-out in College Station, Texas

     Through a spatial analysis of voter turnout and the " neighborhood effect" within College Station, TX, draws a relationship between voting at a precinct level with voters and nonvoters in three locations and the outcomes within their communities. The purpose of this spatial analysis is to examine the outcome of what happens within a local community (whether it be negative or positive) based on how socio-politically participatory the residents are. When analyzing three past referendums that were voted on within College Station, one in 1995 regarding a $10 million issuance for infrastructure in order to "reconstruct" the community, another in 1997 that initiated a prevention of construction of a City Convention Center, and one more in 1999 that was initiated in order to reopen a city street that was closed due to "the high nuisance through traffic."

           In 1995, the referendum initiated by the city council of College Station was the least cared about since it was the least controversial. Since it is completely appropriate to spend tax dollars on improvements around the city, there was no controversy. The referendum would be an overall improvement for everyone within the community making  a clear impact upon the voter turnout. Since the neighborhood effects would be an improvement overall, the voter turnout for the referendum to pass was the obvious winner.

                The results of the referendum initiated by voters in 1997 provide a more controversial argument due to a skeptical community regarding tax dollars going to a city convention center. Although the creation of the city convention center would stimulate economic growth and create new jobs, many residents argued against the city council. Many people opposed the convention center however; an equal amount of people favored as well. The referendum was passed as well but with a slimmer margin due to people being split upon the decision.

                The most controversial referendum in College Station was initiated in 1999 to force the city to reopen Munson Avenue. In order to greatly increase traffic on a street in one of the city's most attractive neighborhoods, many people argued back and forth opposing and in favor for the opening of the street Residents of Munson even being attacked by being called elitists by voters. Strong advertisement and media coverage opened this referendum to be a significance among all people within the community. The referendum, however, was passed "by a near 2-1 ratio" due to the strong media interest showing that Munson Avenue was perpendicular to the TAMU campus's south side. People in the voting precincts south of TAMU saw closing of Munson Avenue as a restriction of their traveling routes to TAMU. The voter turnout of this referendum was scattered and cluster which makes the effects of the neighborhood scattered and clustered as well.

                In conclusion, neighborhood effects in local politics are heavily influences by distribution of actual voters. The outcome among the community will be based on how many people oppose or favor what they want due each individual's self-interest.

Source:  A GIS-based spatial analysis on neighborhood effects and voter turn-out: a case study in College Station, Texas, Danile Z. Sui*, Peter J. Hugill, Department of Geography, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845-3147, USA (Political Geography 21, 2991, 159-173).