What is The Geographic Approach?

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Som GIS nørd tænker man hele tiden spatialt tror jeg og det er svært at forestille sig at man ikke skulle gøre det. Virkeligheden er dog at flertallet af mennesker IKKE tænker spatialt og dermed heller ikke GIS. Ligesom man skal lære at læse skal man også lære at tænke spatialt - for nogen er det let og for de fleste er det noget som kræver en indsats - GIS i højere grad være obligatorisk i skolen ... men det kræver dog lige at skolelærerne lærer at tænke spatialt ...
/Sik

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As a GIS nerd I think spatially all the time and it's hard to image not doing that. A lot of other people share this (you?) but reality is that most people don't. And neither is GIS part of their world. Like you need to learn to read you do need too to learn to think spatially - for some it is easy for most it requires a good deal of work - GIS ought to be a obligatory part of all educations ... it does require however that teachers too learn the spatial language ...

/Sik

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ESRI has been using the phrase “The Geographic Approach” for some time, in several different  contexts. Jack Dangermond has used it to describe his high-level vision for the application of geospatial technology, perhaps best illustrated at the 2007 International User Conference which employed the theme “GIS—The Geographic Approach.”

“Geography, the science of our world, coupled with GIS is helping us understand the Earth and apply geographic knowledge to a host of human activities.

“The outcome is the emergence of ‘The Geographic Approach’—a new way of thinking and problem solving that integrates geographic information into how we understand and manage our planet. This approach allows us to create geographic knowledge by measuring the Earth, organizing this data, and analyzing/modeling various processes and their relationships. The Geographic Approach also allows us to apply this knowledge to the way we design, plan, and change our world.

“The Geographic Approach is not a new idea. It is how geographers study and analyze our world. It was perhaps best articulated by Ian L. McHarg in his book Design with Nature, where he lays out a philosophical context for why and how humans should manage these activities within natural and cultural landscapes.”

—Jack Dangermond, “GIS—The Geographic Approach,” ArcNews, Fall 2007

The Geographic Approach as a methodology consists of a five-step inquiry process: Ask, Acquire, Examine, Analyze, and Act. You might even think of it as sort of like The Scientific Method for GIS professionals.

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Read more: http://gisandscience.com/2008/12/21/what-is-the-geographic-approach/

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