GI_Forum 2019, Volume 7, Issue 2

This paper discusses a research-in-progress project engaging citizens in the collaborative 3D reconstruction of special urban features (SUFs) – visual works of art located in urban public spaces. While most artists modelling urban public spaces use basic 3D building models, these models do not include visual artworks. Because urban planners use artists’ models when designing urban public spaces, we believe it is necessary to incorporate SUFs into 3D city models to help urban planners and artists visualize urban spaces more effectively. To achieve this goal, we propose a bottom-up approach to the geographic visualization of SUF cultural assets (i.e. cultural mapping) which so far has not been undertaken as a citizen science project. The main aims of this project are to engage citizens in contributing to 3D SUF models and to familiarize them with citizen science. The method includes crowdsourcing SUF data and analysing it using ‘structure from motion’ (SfM) algorithms. After a 6-month campaign in Lublin, Poland, this project has so far resulted in 271 observations and 144 collaborative 3D models, creating a 3D open-data product which can be used for further culturally sensitive urban planning purposes.

Schlagworte: cultural mapping, citizen science, 3D city models, Anecdata

This paper identifies spatial patterns of body mass index (BMI) and obesity in the Metropolitan District of Quito, Ecuador, by applying spatial autocorrelation. We identified BMI hotspots in western rural parishes, and hotspots of obesity in northern urban parishes. We then explored associations between distances to food outlets, physical activity and smoking (independent variables), and BMI and obesity (BMI > 30) (dependent variables) by applying global regressions (GR) and geographical weighted regressions (GWR). Smoking was found to be significantly negatively associated with BMI and obesity. Distance to supermarkets was found to be negatively associated with obesity.

Schlagworte: BMI, obesity, smoking, physical activity, food outlets

Web-based participation has received growing interest over recent years. Such participation includes both profit- and non-profit-oriented sharing-economy initiatives. Not-for-profit sharing-economy initiatives focus less on economic aspects and more on awareness-raising in society regarding sustainability objectives (e.g. sustainable production and consumption of goods). In the current discussions around climate change and sustainable lifestyles, awareness-raising is important and new ways of reaching the public are attracting more interest. The question now is not simply to what extent non-profit sharing-initiatives achieve their goals, but how to assess any achievement as, due to the nature of these projects, little information on the participants’ background, perspectives and behaviour is available. These questions are discussed with reference to the Mundraub project, which allows people to share information on plants (e.g. fruit and nut trees, berry bushes and herbs) in public urban spaces (primarily German cities) so that others can harvest the plants for free. To learn about how sustainability objectives are achieved, data for the sites where the plants that have been mapped to Mundraub are located were analysed statistically. The results indicate that the people who are reached by the Mundraub project are mostly those who are already interested and aware of sustainability-related topics. The assessment approach used is a first attempt towards a better understanding of the extent to which the sustainability objectives of non-profit sharing-economy activities have been reached and towards identifying how the achievement of objectives might be improved on.

Schlagworte: sharing economy, non-profit sharing-activities, sustainability, participation, food

The effects of digitization on social coexistence have been a subject of controversy not only since the increased use of social media for political campaigns. Digital platforms are also being developed which, from the perspective of spatial planning and geography, enhance communication between administrations and citizens at the local municipal level. These applications are being developed in relation to three areas: (1) the everyday experiences and competences of citizens in dealing with geomedia, especially the use of smartphones; (2) the individual process design for a particular participatory case; (3) the desired societal or local political benefit. This paper deals with these three aspects and discusses five selected examples of how digital participation platforms can be designed to include the use of geomedia. Based on experiences with the proprietary development of the web application PUBinPLAN in particular and on its comparison with other platforms, insights can be derived with regard to success factors as well as to opportunities and risks.

Schlagworte: geomedia, participation, digitization, success factors

The aim of this study was to develop an easily applicable, cost-efficient workflow for tree height estimation in remote, inaccessible rainforest areas in Ecuador and Brazil. Structure from Motion (SfM) was combined with a digital terrain model (DTM) from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) to complement relief information from photogrammetric point clouds (PPC) which represent the upper canopy layers. Based on ground points extracted from a 3D model, a vertical shift of the model was applied to adjust the ellipsoid level of the PPC. Digital surface models (DSM) of 22 research plots were normalized to canopy height models (CHM) to allow the estimation of relative tree heights in all research plots without using ground control points (GCP). The calculated tree height values indicate the applicability of the proposed workflow even in tropical rainforests with dense canopies. This approach allows the classification of canopy structures for identifying forest succession and other ecological forest monitoring purposes. The results highlight the potential of 3D models for tree height estimation derived from PPCs based on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery in rainforest research.

Schlagworte: unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), rainforest, canopy height model (CHM), structure from motion (SfM), forest structure

Remote sensing methods for forest monitoring are evolving rapidly thanks to recent advances in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle technology and digital photogrammetry. Photogrammetric point clouds allow the non-destructive derivation of individual tree parameters at a low cost. The fusion of aerial and terrestrial photogrammetry for creating full-tree point clouds is of utility for forest research, as tree volume could be assessed more economically and efficiently than by traditional methods. However, this is challenging to implement due to difficulties with co-registration and issues of occlusion. This study explores the possibility of using spherical targets typically used for Terrestrial Laser Scanning to accomplish the co-registration of UAV-based and terrestrial photogrammetric datasets. Results show a full-tree point cloud derived from UAV oblique imagery in combination with terrestrial imagery. Despite issues of noise produced from the sky in terrestrial imagery, the methodology is promising for aerial and terrestrial point cloud fusion.

Schlagworte: point cloud fusion, UAV, terrestrial imagery, photogrammetry

The forest area in alpine regions is increasing. Agricultural land is abandoned; shrub and tree encroachment and reforestation are the consequences, with negative impacts on agriculture, biodiversity and tourism. Assessing encroachment on agricultural land from Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) data was tested in three study areas in Switzerland. The results of the data evaluation were compared with those for manually collected data from the interpretation of orthophotos. The evaluation indicated that when a higher point density was available, the detection rate for areas with shrub and tree encroachment was also higher. The workflow using the Vertical Complexity Index (VCI) turned out to be robust for both large areas and large datasets. The accuracy levels achieved in this study for the encroachment index may provide a solid basis for prioritizing certain areas for projects that aim to limit the process of reforestation.

Schlagworte: airborne laser scanning ALS, secondary succession, shrub and tree encroachment, change detection

Over recent years, unprecedented urbanization has fostered the rapid development of multi-storey buildings and infrastructure facilities, resulting in spatial and functional complexities in cities. Land and property information plays a vital role in a wide range of applications in land administration in rapidly growing cities. However, the current fragmented practice relying on 2D representation does not provide a reliable and accurate legal description of underground and aboveground properties as a foundation for evidence-based decisions in support of economic prosperity, human activities and public safety in urban areas. We propose a conceptual framework for 3D digital management of urban land and property information. The framework provides a foundation to federate various 3D models, validate their integrity, and analyse them for land administration. Using a case study of a multi-owned building located in the state of Victoria, Australia, this paper explores the practicality of the framework to support decision-making in building subdivision.

Schlagworte: land and property information, map base, 3D SDI, 3D digital data, 3D data validation

Estimating the value of real estate has applications in fields as diverse as taxation, buying and renting properties, expropriation and urban regeneration. Determining the most objective, accurate and acceptable value for real estate by considering spatial criteria is therefore important. One stochastic method used to determine real estate values is ‘nominal valuation’. In this approach, criteria that may affect land value are subjected to various spatial analyses, and pixel-based value maps can be produced using GIS. Land value maps are in raster data format and need to be compared with the actual market values. Pixel-resolution analyses are required that depend on the selected grid dimensions. First of all, nominal value maps were produced using a nominal valuation model, using criteria for proximity, visibility and terrain. These were weighted in order to produce a nominal asset value-based map according to the ‘Best Worst Method’. Changes in the unit land values were examined for maps at various resolutions; a resolution of 10 metres emerged as the ideal pixel size for valuation maps.

Schlagworte: GIS, real estate valuation, land valuation, nominal valuation

For many years, GIS has been a flexible tool for a wide range of spatial tasks in the spatial planning curriculum of at TU Wien. The steadily increasing number of students, the rising number of participants struggling with solving analytical problems, as well as suboptimal evaluation strategies initiated a total redesign of the course. We have rebuilt the didactic concept to better support the learning process and strengthen the understanding of learned skills, and have automated large parts of the evaluation, which allows for a more thorough assessment of quantitative results.

Schlagworte: GIS education, blended learning, automated evaluation, spatial analytics

Innovative and disruptive technological innovations trigger educational advances. Novel sensor-based distance and height measurement tools or wearable augmented realty (AR) devices and cameras have recently been introduced into several University curricula focusing on the environmental sector. Consumer gadgets and mobile GIS support students during self-organized fieldwork by displaying collected data in an immersive AR. This paper summarizes the authors’ experiences in implementing a module re-design integrating a new didactical approach to teaching empirical data collection for forest inventories with the use of AR tools and mobile data-collection methods. The new module combines blended and mobile learning and state-of-the-art IT in order to address future professional needs of the forestry sector. The piloting of the module from 2016 to 2018 demonstrated the potential for the forestry sector of mobile learning that uses geospatial information and AR technologies.

Schlagworte: GIS, Forest inventories, Augmented Reality, Mobile Learning

Digital geomedia empower students not only to describe features of their environment but also to help change it. Geoscience education may therefore help students claim their rights as citizens for a more sustainable future. This paper shows results from a European project financed through the Erasmus+ funding scheme. It is not designed to contribute to the scientific development within spatial education. Rather, it is meant to serve as a best practice example for teachers in Europe for how to connect different school subject areas within one project, in order to describe, analyse and help promote spatial citizenship, largely through the use of geomedia.

Schlagworte: GIS, Geography, digital maps, sustainability, spatial citizenship

A new elective school subject called ‘Geography-Physics’ was developed by the Universities of Bonn and Bochum in cooperation with a German high school. With a focus on remote sensing, the modules of this STEM subject convey information, and present methodology and applications. There are two main sections: the physics of remote sensing, including both mathematics and computer science, and the geographic applications. GIS is a major part of the exploitation of Earth Observation data, but the use of GIS and EO data is not feasible in school lessons due to financial and time constraints. Instead, small specialized GIS tools with embedded EO imagery are used. The tools were developed by two projects, FIS and Columbus Eye/KEPLER ISS, and evaluation and meetings with experts were conducted in close cooperation with the partner school. The first 2-year course of the new subject was completed in summer 2018. The teachers implementing the course have since re-evaluated their concept and revised the syllabus to enhance applicability in professional contexts, to reduce redundancies with other subjects, and to ensure that the overall content fits into the allotted number of teaching hours. The pupils also evaluated the materials and the subject.

Schlagworte: education, remote sensing, learning environments, ISS, e-learning

Chronic exposure to loud noise has detrimental effects on health, subjective wellbeing and concentration levels of both adults and children. Over two million people in Austria reside in areas where traffic noise surpasses the legal threshold for action. Hundreds of schools are also affected. A similar situation is present throughout large parts of the European Union. Because traffic noise can be heard and measured relatively easily, awareness among the general population is high. Publicly funded data collection has taken place based on EU regulations, and reliable noise maps are available online. This paper aims to provide teachers with multidisciplinary tools to improve their students’ understanding of noise. It suggests project ideas for students to choose depending on their strengths and affinities. The ultimate goal is to enable and motivate students to engage in informed spatial citizenship, notably in taking action to help keep exposure to traffic noise at acceptable levels.

Schlagworte: traffic noise, education, secondary school, spatial citizenship

The approach of an education for innovativeness aims to enable pupils to participate in shaping societies in a mature manner, which includes the appropriation and designing of spaces. This approach is useful for educational and practical concepts such as Spatial Citizenship, which promotes the use of digital geomedia for individual and collective appropriation and re-shaping of spaces. However, encouraging innovativeness may also seem to foster participation in questionable inventing processes with trivial – or even harmful – intentions. Including an ethical meta level in the model design for innovativeness would generate reflection on the purpose of the novelty. In this paper, we look first at theories that address the term ‘problem’, social innovations and applied ethics, in order then to develop a first attempt at creating an ethical meta level in the model design for innovativeness.

Schlagworte: innovativeness, participation, applied ethics, social innovation, appropriation of space

John Brian Harley’s canonical paper ‘Deconstructing the map’ (1989) has been one of the main bases of Critical Cartography, Critical GIScience, and reflexive approaches to working with maps and geomedia in geography education. However, reducing deconstruction mainly to reading the map’s margins is only part of the potential that deconstruction offers. In this paper, following Derrida’s approach of deconstruction more closely, we build on the discussion of Harley’s paper and try to develop a deconstructive practice for reflexive cartography in educational contexts.

Schlagworte: deconstruction, maturity, education, spatial citizenship, map-reading, poststructuralism, critical cartography

In a Digital Humanities context, we give an overview of applications in the field of Linguistic Landscapes. Focusing on basic digital education, which is the first pillar of the digital competency model for ‘School 4.0’ in the Masterplan Digitalisierung in der Schule, a teaching model is currently being developed which focuses on the development and assessment of digital competences and uses various digital learning tools, allowing modern, innovative teaching. The model uses the advantages and possibilities of two subjects, Geography and German, in order to achieve the greatest possible educational value. The topic ‘Linguistic Landscapes’ represents just one of many intersections of the two subjects and, especially in the digital world, has potential for a wide range of applications. Because language takes place in space, it can be argued that language in its visible form in particular – for example on city streets – contributes to the shaping of the landscape. An advantage of this project is that improvements in teaching practices generally can be achieved through the digital humanities.

Schlagworte: education, digital humanities, linguistic landscaping, lesson planning, digitalization in schools