This thesis addresses the pressing need for an efficient public transport system in response to increasing urban population and rising fossil fuel costs. The research aims to satisfy that need by answering the research question guiding this study is: "How can developing an SDI-based conceptual model, leveraging cloud computing, optimize public transport by integrating multiple travel data sources and overcoming data fragmentation and interoperability challenges?". The thesis adopts a design science research methodology. The research strategy employed is theoretical research, utilizing various methods such as literature review, theoretical sampling, theory testing survey research, brainstorming, prototyping, cognitive walkthrough, and expert opinion. The outcome of this study is the development of an integrated conceptual model that leverages SDI and digitalization to optimize public transport systems. The model offers a comprehensive solution by addressing the limitations of traditional transport planning methods, integrating multiple data sources, technologies, and stakeholders within an SDI framework. The model demonstrates efficacy, efficiency, and practical significance, setting the stage for further research and advancements in transport planning and optimization. Limitations of the study include the absence of detailed technical specifications, the confinement to a conceptual model without implementation, and the need for further adaptation and validation in different contexts. In conclusion, this thesis offers a valuable contribution by providing a holistic solution that integrates multiple data sources and technologies within an SDI framework. Stakeholders such as PTAs, planners, and researchers can utilize the findings to enhance transport planning and address data and interoperability challenges.

No description available.

A falta de padronização de dados pode resultar em perda de informações de suma importância nas diversas áreas do conhecimento, impossibilitando a integração de dados entre diferentes sistemas ou de diferentes bancos de dados, ou seja, os dados podem não ser interoperáveis. A solução para a integração de dados pode ser chamada de interoperabilidade, que são convenções e normas de formatos (extensões) e ontologias (padrões comuns) instituídos para que os sistemas possam dialogar. Um banco de dados de biodiversidade é um instrumento muito importante para as iniciativas de sua conservação, sendo útil para o seu conhecimento, registro histórico entre outros. Este trabalho desenvolveu uma metodologia para interoperar dados modelados no padrão Taxonomic Data Working Group (TDWG) e tags do OpenStreetMap (OSM) sobre a espécie Sotalia guianensis, conhecida como Boto Cinza. Dentro deste escopo, este trabalho se justifica pelo cenário de ameaça de extinção do Boto Cinza, pela necessidade no desenvolvimento de metodologias para a disponibilização de dados de ocorrência de Boto Cinza em bancos de dados de biodiversidade e pela necessidade de se desenvolver metodologia que permita a interoperabilidade entre bancos de dados de biodiversidade e outros Sistemas de Informação Geográfica (SIG). Este estudo propõe uma metodologia de baixo custo, com a utilização de plataformas livres, para que dados espaciais de Biodiversidade sejam modelados de maneira a evitar problemas taxonômicos, além de serem disponibilizados para conhecimento geral da população. O trabalho se mostra inovador por integrar dados do Global Diversity Information Facility (GBIF) com as Tags do OSM, possibilitando o cadastro padronizado e gratuito em uma plataforma livre e de alcance mundial através da criação de uma etiqueta interoperável de equivalência entre o padrão TDWG e as etiquetas do OSM. O resultado deste trabalho é a metodologia para a modelagem e publicação de dados de Boto Cinza no GBIF e OSM de forma interoperável, que foi implementada, testada e cujos resultados são positivos / The absence of data standardization may result in loss of information of major importance through several areas of knowledge, hindering data integration among different information systems or databases, that is, the data may not be interoperable. The solution for data integration may be called interoperability, which is comprised of conventions, data format standards (file extensions) and ontologies (standards), empowering the communication among information systems. A biodiversity database is a very important tool for biodiversity conservation initiatives, being useful for knowledge transfer, historical data storage among other activities. This work developed a methodology for interoperate data between the Taxonomic Data Working Group (TWDG) standard and OpenStreetMap (OSM) tags on Sotalia guianensis species, as known as Guiana dolphin. This work has its motivation scenario on the fact that the Guiana dolphin is under threat of extinction. This scenario demands the development of methodologies for the publication of the locations where the Guiana dolphin is being spotted over the biodiversity databases and the development of a methodology for interoperability among biodiversity databases as well as Geographic Information Systems (SIG). This study proposes a low cost methodology, which uses open-source platforms and focuses on two main goals: avoidance of taxonomical problems on biodiversity spatial data modelling and to provide the biodiversity spatial data to the population in general. This work proves itself innovative by integrating Global Diversity Information Facility (GBIF) data with OSM tags, allowing a free and standardized registry of data in an open-source global-scale platform by using an interoperable tag of equivalence data between the TDWG standard and OSM tags. The result of this study is the methodology for data modelling and publication of the Guiana dolphin on GBIF and OSM in an interoperable manner, which has been implemented, tested and gave positive results

Esse trabalho apresenta uma proposta de Infraestrutura de Dados Espaciais de nível organizacional para o Parque Estadual de Intervales-SP, que visa compartilhar suas informações geográficas com a sociedade em geral. Nos processos de elaboração da IDE são discutidas questões como interoperabilidade, padronização, metadados, especificação de serviços geográficos e o relacionamento dos nós das Infraestrutura de Dados Espaciais que vão permitir a disseminação da informação geográfica de fácil acesso a usuários externos. Os procedimentos, benefícios e limitações são listados e problematizados de forma que demonstrem as etapas necessárias na elaboração da Infraestrutura de Dados Espaciais de nível organizacional para uma Unidade de Conservação. Conclui-se que uma Infraestrutura de Dados Espaciais depende de variáveis administrativas, culturais, técnicas e financeiras, o que leva a uma proposta de implementação por estágios. Também são elaboradas críticas aos recursos existentes e sugestões para melhorias e estudos futuros. / This paper presents a proposal about Spatial Data Infrastructure in organizational level to the Parque Estadual de Intervales-SP, in order to promote the sharing of geographic information with the society. In the elaboration process of the SDI are discussed issues such as interoperability, standardization, metadata, specifying geographic services and relationship of the Spatial Data Infrastructure nodes that will enable the dissemination of geographic information easily and accessible to external users. The process steps, benefits and limitations are listed and discussed in order to demonstrate the necessary steps to prepare the Spatial Data Infrastructure in organizational level to a protected area. As results we observe a spatial data infrastructure that depends of others variables like management, culture, technical and financial company aspects, which leads to a proposal of implementation in stages, as well as discussions about the capabilities and suggestions for improvements and future studies.

Over the past decade, the public awareness and availability as well as methods for the creation and use of spatial data on the Web have steadily increased. Besides the establishment of governmental Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs), numerous volunteered and commercial initiatives had a major impact on that development. Nevertheless, data isolation still poses a major challenge. Whereas the majority of approaches focuses on data provision, means to dynamically link and combine spatial data from distributed, often heterogeneous data sources in an ad hoc manner are still very limited. However, such capabilities are essential to support and enhance information retrieval for comprehensive spatial decision making. To facilitate spatial data fusion in current SDIs, this thesis has two main objectives. First, it focuses on the conceptualization of a service-based fusion process to functionally extend current SDI and to allow for the combination of spatial data from different spatial data services. It mainly addresses the decomposition of the fusion process into well-defined and reusable functional building blocks and their implementation as services, which can be used to dynamically compose meaningful application-specific processing workflows. Moreover, geoprocessing patterns, i.e. service chains that are commonly used to solve certain fusion subtasks, are designed to simplify and automate workflow composition. Second, the thesis deals with the determination, description and exploitation of spatial data relations, which play a decisive role for spatial data fusion. The approach adopted is based on the Linked Data paradigm and therefore bridges SDI and Semantic Web developments. Whereas the original spatial data remains within SDI structures, relations between those sources can be used to infer spatial information by means of Semantic Web standards and software tools. A number of use cases were developed, implemented and evaluated to underpin the proposed concepts. Particular emphasis was put on the use of established open standards to realize an interoperable, transparent and extensible spatial data fusion process and to support the formalized description of spatial data relations. The developed software, which is based on a modular architecture, is available online as open source. It allows for the development and seamless integration of new functionality as well as the use of external data and processing services during workflow composition on the Web. / Die Entwicklung des Internet im Laufe des letzten Jahrzehnts hat die Verfügbarkeit und öffentliche Wahrnehmung von Geodaten, sowie Möglichkeiten zu deren Erfassung und Nutzung, wesentlich verbessert. Dies liegt sowohl an der Etablierung amtlicher Geodateninfrastrukturen (GDI), als auch an der steigenden Anzahl Communitybasierter und kommerzieller Angebote. Da der Fokus zumeist auf der Bereitstellung von Geodaten liegt, gibt es jedoch kaum Möglichkeiten die Menge an, über das Internet verteilten, Datensätzen ad hoc zu verlinken und zusammenzuführen, was mitunter zur Isolation von Geodatenbeständen führt. Möglichkeiten zu deren Fusion sind allerdings essentiell, um Informationen zur Entscheidungsunterstützung in Bezug auf raum-zeitliche Fragestellungen zu extrahieren. Um eine ad hoc Fusion von Geodaten im Internet zu ermöglichen, behandelt diese Arbeit zwei Themenschwerpunkte. Zunächst wird eine dienstebasierten Umsetzung des Fusionsprozesses konzipiert, um bestehende GDI funktional zu erweitern. Dafür werden wohldefinierte, wiederverwendbare Funktionsblöcke beschrieben und über standardisierte Diensteschnittstellen bereitgestellt. Dies ermöglicht eine dynamische Komposition anwendungsbezogener Fusionsprozesse über das Internet. Des weiteren werden Geoprozessierungspatterns definiert, um populäre und häufig eingesetzte Diensteketten zur Bewältigung bestimmter Teilaufgaben der Geodatenfusion zu beschreiben und die Komposition und Automatisierung von Fusionsprozessen zu vereinfachen. Als zweiten Schwerpunkt beschäftigt sich die Arbeit mit der Frage, wie Relationen zwischen Geodatenbeständen im Internet erstellt, beschrieben und genutzt werden können. Der gewählte Ansatz basiert auf Linked Data Prinzipien und schlägt eine Brücke zwischen diensteorientierten GDI und dem Semantic Web. Während somit Geodaten in bestehenden GDI verbleiben, können Werkzeuge und Standards des Semantic Web genutzt werden, um Informationen aus den ermittelten Geodatenrelationen abzuleiten. Zur Überprüfung der entwickelten Konzepte wurde eine Reihe von Anwendungsfällen konzipiert und mit Hilfe einer prototypischen Implementierung umgesetzt und anschließend evaluiert. Der Schwerpunkt lag dabei auf einer interoperablen, transparenten und erweiterbaren Umsetzung dienstebasierter Fusionsprozesse, sowie einer formalisierten Beschreibung von Datenrelationen, unter Nutzung offener und etablierter Standards. Die Software folgt einer modularen Struktur und ist als Open Source frei verfügbar. Sie erlaubt sowohl die Entwicklung neuer Funktionalität durch Entwickler als auch die Einbindung existierender Daten- und Prozessierungsdienste während der Komposition eines Fusionsprozesses.

A falta de padronização de dados pode resultar em perda de informações de suma importância nas diversas áreas do conhecimento, impossibilitando a integração de dados entre diferentes sistemas ou de diferentes bancos de dados, ou seja, os dados podem não ser interoperáveis. A solução para a integração de dados pode ser chamada de interoperabilidade, que são convenções e normas de formatos (extensões) e ontologias (padrões comuns) instituídos para que os sistemas possam dialogar. Um banco de dados de biodiversidade é um instrumento muito importante para as iniciativas de sua conservação, sendo útil para o seu conhecimento, registro histórico entre outros. Este trabalho desenvolveu uma metodologia para interoperar dados modelados no padrão Taxonomic Data Working Group (TDWG) e tags do OpenStreetMap (OSM) sobre a espécie Sotalia guianensis, conhecida como Boto Cinza. Dentro deste escopo, este trabalho se justifica pelo cenário de ameaça de extinção do Boto Cinza, pela necessidade no desenvolvimento de metodologias para a disponibilização de dados de ocorrência de Boto Cinza em bancos de dados de biodiversidade e pela necessidade de se desenvolver metodologia que permita a interoperabilidade entre bancos de dados de biodiversidade e outros Sistemas de Informação Geográfica (SIG). Este estudo propõe uma metodologia de baixo custo, com a utilização de plataformas livres, para que dados espaciais de Biodiversidade sejam modelados de maneira a evitar problemas taxonômicos, além de serem disponibilizados para conhecimento geral da população. O trabalho se mostra inovador por integrar dados do Global Diversity Information Facility (GBIF) com as Tags do OSM, possibilitando o cadastro padronizado e gratuito em uma plataforma livre e de alcance mundial através da criação de uma etiqueta interoperável de equivalência entre o padrão TDWG e as etiquetas do OSM. O resultado deste trabalho é a metodologia para a modelagem e publicação de dados de Boto Cinza no GBIF e OSM de forma interoperável, que foi implementada, testada e cujos resultados são positivos / The absence of data standardization may result in loss of information of major importance through several areas of knowledge, hindering data integration among different information systems or databases, that is, the data may not be interoperable. The solution for data integration may be called interoperability, which is comprised of conventions, data format standards (file extensions) and ontologies (standards), empowering the communication among information systems. A biodiversity database is a very important tool for biodiversity conservation initiatives, being useful for knowledge transfer, historical data storage among other activities. This work developed a methodology for interoperate data between the Taxonomic Data Working Group (TWDG) standard and OpenStreetMap (OSM) tags on Sotalia guianensis species, as known as Guiana dolphin. This work has its motivation scenario on the fact that the Guiana dolphin is under threat of extinction. This scenario demands the development of methodologies for the publication of the locations where the Guiana dolphin is being spotted over the biodiversity databases and the development of a methodology for interoperability among biodiversity databases as well as Geographic Information Systems (SIG). This study proposes a low cost methodology, which uses open-source platforms and focuses on two main goals: avoidance of taxonomical problems on biodiversity spatial data modelling and to provide the biodiversity spatial data to the population in general. This work proves itself innovative by integrating Global Diversity Information Facility (GBIF) data with OSM tags, allowing a free and standardized registry of data in an open-source global-scale platform by using an interoperable tag of equivalence data between the TDWG standard and OSM tags. The result of this study is the methodology for data modelling and publication of the Guiana dolphin on GBIF and OSM in an interoperable manner, which has been implemented, tested and gave positive results

The ever increasing demand of our information society for reliable Geographic Information (GI) is the moving power for the development and maintenance of Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI). Consequently, an SDI works to full benefit of its users if the SDI data collection is accessible and can be efficiently used by all users in spatial problem solving and decision-making. Current development and use of SDI focuses on handling geospatial data entirely by means of information technology. Thereby, low awareness seems to be paid to a user-friendly and understandable presentation of geospatial data. Based on the understanding that GI is the result of human geospatial information processing, it is argued that cartography is essential in the SDI context in order to achieve the objectives of SDI. Specifically, the thesis aimed at exploring the concept of user-oriented map design in relation to SDI and elaborating a methodology for creating effective cartographic representations for SDI relevant user types. First of all, the SDI concept, its objectives and principles are explored using the example of the current European SDI initiatives as to the human aspect of an SDI. Secondly, in order to determine the role and task of cartography in the SDI context, the conceptual framework of contemporary cartography is reviewed to provide the theoretical and technological framework for a user-oriented map design. Given this, the SDI environment is assessed in relation to cartography with respect to the services providing access to the SDI data collection. Further, an SDI map production framework is elaborated utilising Spiess’ concept of the graphic filter as a model for the transformation of SDI data into useful cartographic representations. Besides, the map design strategy by Grünreich provides the starting point for developing the process of map production. The main tasks are detailed and justified taking into consideration the semiotic-cognitive and action-related concepts underpinning contemporary cartography. The applied research encompasses a case study which is performed to implement and, thus, evaluate the proposed methodology. It starts from a use case scenario where an international spatial planning team requires getting familiar with the overall geographic characteristics of a European cross-border area. Following the process steps of user-oriented map design in the SDI environment, a map design specification is elaborated and implemented under real world conditions. The elaborated methodology for creating user-friendly and understandable cartographic representations of geospatial data in the SDI environment is based on theoretical and technological foundation of contemporary cartography. Map design in the SDI context, first of all, means to establish a graphic filter that determines the parameters and rules of the cartographic transformation process to be applied. As both an applied art and engineering the design of the graphic filter is a creative process developing a map design solution which enables SDI users to easily produce their map. It requires on the one hand an understanding of map use, map user and map use situation, and on the other hand insight into the data used as the source. The case study proves that the elaborated methodology is practicable and functional. Cartographic reverse engineering provides a systematic and pragmatic approach to the cartographic design task. This way, map design solutions can be built upon existing cartographic experience and common traditions as suggested by the INSPIRE recommendation for portrayal. The resulting design solution constitutes a prototype of a European Reference Map at medium scale built upon existing cartographic experience and common traditions. A user-friendly, understandable and comparable presentation of geospatial data in Europe would support the human and institutional potential for cross-border cooperation and collaboration. Besides that, the test implementation shows that tools are available which make it technically feasible and viable to produce a map from geospatial data in the SDI data collection. The research project raises awareness to the human aspect of SDI inherit in its objective to support end users to derive GI and knowledge from the geospatial data gathered in the SDI data collection. The role and task of cartography in the SDI context is to contribute to the initiation, creation, and maintenance of portrayal services to facilitate a comprehensive access to the underlying geospatial data by means of a user-friendly and understandable graphic interface. For cartography to take effect in the SDI development and use, cartographic design knowledge has to be made explicit and operational. It is the responsibility of cartographic professionals to prepare the map design. The wide range of map use contexts requires a great flexibility of design variants depending on the dimension of human-map interaction. Therefore, the design of the maps needs to be user-driven to enable an efficient map use in the user’s task. Besides their function as a graphic interface, maps facilitate a common understanding of the depicted geographic features and phenomena when sharing GI between SDI users. In other words, map design can be regarded a measure to establish interoperability of geospatial data beyond the technical level. The research work is in the scope of communication cartography, a research domain seeking to deepen the understanding of the role of cartographic expressions when understanding and communication of GI is involved. / Der wachsende Bedarf unserer Wissensgesellschaft an zuverlässigen Informationen über räumliche Strukturen und Sachverhalte ist die treibende Kraft bei Aufbau und Einsatz von Geodateninfrastrukturen (GDI). Eine Geodateninfrastruktur wirkt zum vollen Nutzen der Gesellschaft, wenn die Daten in der GDI zugänglich sind und effektiv für Erkenntnis- und Entscheidungsprozesse genutzt werden können. Die gegenwärtige Entwicklung von GDI setzt auf moderne Informationstechnologien bei der Geodatenverarbeitung. Dabei, wird einer bedarfsgerechten und nutzerfreundlichen Präsentation von Geodaten in ansprechender visueller Form wenig Aufmerksamkeit zuteil. Da Geoinformation erst durch die Interaktion des Nutzers mit den Geodaten entsteht, ist es Aufgabe der Kartographie, bedarfsgerechte Kartendarstellungen zu gestalten und an der Schnittstelle zwischen einer Geodateninfrastruktur und ihren Nutzern bereitzustellen. Ziel der vorliegenden Dissertation ist es, eine Methodik für den Kartenherstellungsprozess in einer GDI-Umgebung zu entwickeln und beispielhaft zu erproben. Zunächst, werden Konzept, Ziele und Prinzipien von Geodateninfrastruktur beispielhaft anhand der Europäischen GDI-Initiativen dargestellt und hinsichtlich des Bedarfs an kartographischen Darstellungen untersucht. Danach wird, ausgehend von der Forderung nach verständlichen und gut interpretierbaren Geoinformationen, die Rolle der Kartographie im GDI-Kontext bestimmt. Dabei werden zunächst Funktion und Aufgaben der Kartographie sowie die tragenden Konzepte und Grundlagen einer nutzerorientierten Kartengestaltung dargelegt. Der Vergleich der bestehenden Geodatenzugangsdienste zur Funktion der Kartographie ergibt eine Lücke, die es zu schließen gilt, um den Nutzeranforderungen gerecht zu werden. Dazu wird der Gesamtprozess für die Herstellung von Karten im GDI-Kontext beschrieben. In diesem Prozess kommt dem Graphikfilter von Spiess (2003) besondere Bedeutung als Modell eines wissensbasierten Systems zur Aufstellung und Umsetzung von kartographischen Gestaltungsregeln zu. Den Ausgangspunkt für die Ausarbeitung der Teilprozesse bieten die von Grünreich (2008) vorgeschlagenen Teilaufgaben der Kartographie im Rahmen der GDI. Mittels eines Anwendungsfalls im Europäischen Kontext wird der vorgeschlagene Gesamtprozess erprobt. Dieses Beispiel geht davon aus, dass eine internationale Planungsgruppe im Zuge der Konzeption einer grenzüberschreitenden Verkehrsverbindung eine anschauliche Beschreibung der Landschaft in Form einer einheitlich gestalteten und flächendeckenden Karte benötigt. Durch Anwendung des kartographischen Reverse Engineering anerkannt gut gestalteter Karten werden die Vorgaben für die Kartengestaltung ermittelt. Einschließlich der Anwendung auf konkrete GDI-Daten wird der zuvor entwickelte Herstellungsprozess ausgeführt und diskutiert. Die entwickelte Methodik für den Kartenherstellungsprozess in der GDI-Umgebung basiert auf den semiotisch-kognitiven und handlungstheoretischen Konzepten der modernen Kartographie. Kartengestaltung im Kontext von Geodateninfrastrukturen bedeutet die Entwicklung eines Graphikfilters, der eine optimale bedarfsgerechte Visualisierung der Geodaten mittels nutzerspezifischer Parameter und Gestaltungsregeln ermöglicht. Wie das Fallbeispiel zeigt, ist es die durch die entwickelte Methodik möglich, brauchbare und nützliche Kartendarstellungen zu gestalten. Die Anwendung des kartographischen Reverse Engineering erlaubt es, Kartendarstellungen zu entwickeln, die - wie von INSPIRE empfohlen - bewährten kartographischen Erfahrungen und allgemeinen Traditionen entsprechen. Das Ergebnis des Anwendungsfalls ist ein Prototyp einer Europäischen Referenzkarte im Maßstab 1: 250,000. Die einheitliche und somit vergleichbare Darstellung über Grenzen hinweg unterstützt das Planungsteam in seiner Arbeit. Die praktische Umsetzung der Karte zeigt zudem, dass funktionsfähige Werkzeuge und Technologien für die regelbasierte Kartenherstellung aus GDI-Daten vorhanden sind. Die Dissertation trägt dazu bei, das Bewusstsein für den menschlichen Aspekt der Nutzung einer Geodateninfrastruktur zu schärfen. Der Beitrag der Kartographie zur Nutzung der Geodaten einer GDI besteht in der Initiierung, Gestaltung und Pflege von Darstellungsdiensten, da die Nutzbarkeit der Geodaten am besten gewährleistet ist, wenn die Gestaltungsmethoden der Kartographie angewendet werden. Dabei liegt es in der Verantwortung der Kartographen, die nutzerseitigen Aspekte dieser graphischen Schnittstelle unter Berücksichtigung der modernen kartographischen Konzepte zu betreuen. Gemäß INSPIRE-Richtlinie werden auf Karten gestützte Informationen bei zahlreichen Tätigkeiten verwendet. Für eine effektive visuelle Informationsverarbeitung durch den Nutzer ist daher eine nutzerorientierte Kartengestaltung in Abhängigkeit von der geplanten Interaktion (z.B. Kommunikation oder Analyse) unerlässlich. Neben der Funktion als Schnittstelle machen kartographische Darstellungen räumliche Strukturen verständlich. Daher ist die Kartenherstellung im GDI-Kontext eine Maßnahme, um Interoperabilität von Geodaten über die technische Ebene hinaus auf menschlicher Ebene zu ermöglichen. Die Relevanz dieser Forschungsarbeit liegt im Bereich der Kommunikationskartographie, die die Effektivität und Verbindlichkeit der Kommunikation über räumliche Strukturen und Sachverhalte zu vertiefen sucht.

abstract: A major challenge in health-related policy and program evaluation research is attributing underlying causal relationships where complicated processes may exist in natural or quasi-experimental settings. Spatial interaction and heterogeneity between units at individual or group levels can violate both components of the Stable-Unit-Treatment-Value-Assumption (SUTVA) that are core to the counterfactual framework, making treatment effects difficult to assess. New approaches are needed in health studies to develop spatially dynamic causal modeling methods to both derive insights from data that are sensitive to spatial differences and dependencies, and also be able to rely on a more robust, dynamic technical infrastructure needed for decision-making. To address this gap with a focus on causal applications theoretically, methodologically and technologically, I (1) develop a theoretical spatial framework (within single-level panel econometric methodology) that extends existing theories and methods of causal inference, which tend to ignore spatial dynamics; (2) demonstrate how this spatial framework can be applied in empirical research; and (3) implement a new spatial infrastructure framework that integrates and manages the required data for health systems evaluation. The new spatially explicit counterfactual framework considers how spatial effects impact treatment choice, treatment variation, and treatment effects. To illustrate this new methodological framework, I first replicate a classic quasi-experimental study that evaluates the effect of drinking age policy on mortality in the United States from 1970 to 1984, and further extend it with a spatial perspective. In another example, I evaluate food access dynamics in Chicago from 2007 to 2014 by implementing advanced spatial analytics that better account for the complex patterns of food access, and quasi-experimental research design to distill the impact of the Great Recession on the foodscape. Inference interpretation is sensitive to both research design framing and underlying processes that drive geographically distributed relationships. Finally, I advance a new Spatial Data Science Infrastructure to integrate and manage data in dynamic, open environments for public health systems research and decision- making. I demonstrate an infrastructure prototype in a final case study, developed in collaboration with health department officials and community organizations. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Geography 2017

Esse trabalho apresenta uma proposta de Infraestrutura de Dados Espaciais de nível organizacional para o Parque Estadual de Intervales-SP, que visa compartilhar suas informações geográficas com a sociedade em geral. Nos processos de elaboração da IDE são discutidas questões como interoperabilidade, padronização, metadados, especificação de serviços geográficos e o relacionamento dos nós das Infraestrutura de Dados Espaciais que vão permitir a disseminação da informação geográfica de fácil acesso a usuários externos. Os procedimentos, benefícios e limitações são listados e problematizados de forma que demonstrem as etapas necessárias na elaboração da Infraestrutura de Dados Espaciais de nível organizacional para uma Unidade de Conservação. Conclui-se que uma Infraestrutura de Dados Espaciais depende de variáveis administrativas, culturais, técnicas e financeiras, o que leva a uma proposta de implementação por estágios. Também são elaboradas críticas aos recursos existentes e sugestões para melhorias e estudos futuros. / This paper presents a proposal about Spatial Data Infrastructure in organizational level to the Parque Estadual de Intervales-SP, in order to promote the sharing of geographic information with the society. In the elaboration process of the SDI are discussed issues such as interoperability, standardization, metadata, specifying geographic services and relationship of the Spatial Data Infrastructure nodes that will enable the dissemination of geographic information easily and accessible to external users. The process steps, benefits and limitations are listed and discussed in order to demonstrate the necessary steps to prepare the Spatial Data Infrastructure in organizational level to a protected area. As results we observe a spatial data infrastructure that depends of others variables like management, culture, technical and financial company aspects, which leads to a proposal of implementation in stages, as well as discussions about the capabilities and suggestions for improvements and future studies.

Address data within geographic information systems (GIS) is used as reference data to link personal and administrative information, thus making it possible to locate and deliver goods and services to eligible persons. Preferably, every country must develop and maintain a single national address database (NAD) to eliminate data redundancy and provide a common point of reference across the board. In South Africa, the challenge is that there are separate address databases, which are developed and maintained by various public and private organizations – with little or no cooperation on data sharing. Currently, the establishment of a Committee for Spatial Information (CSI) which is tasked with the implementation of the South African Spatial Data Infrastructure (SASDI) and the publication of the South African Address Standard (SANS 1883) offer organizations an opportunity to collaborate towards the creation of a single address dataset. This research posits that the implementation of a successful data sharing initiative depends on the understanding of motivators and barriers of organizations participating in it. The research applied the case study method – with a semi-structured questionnaire – to assess the issues that motivate or obstruct GIS data sharing among three address organizations in South Africa. The results identified significant motivators that underlie the data sharing activities, e.g. reduced cost of data collection, improved data quality; and equally identified significant barriers that make organizations reluctant to enter into a data sharing initiative, e.g. data copyright and ownership, high staff-turnover, and lack of financial and technical resources. Although the case studies focused on address data in South Africa, the research findings can equally apply to other spatial datasets and are relevant for the successful implementation of the South African Spatial Data Infrastructure (SASDI). / Dissertation (MIT)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Computer Science / Unrestricted