The police disclose crime maps on the Internet to activate preventive actions against crimes. This paper examines the relationships between preventive actions and cognitive appraisals of the snatch occurrence map on the Internet provided by the metropolitan police department. 250 persons answered the questionnaire. Covariance structure analysis supports that cognizance of the map predicts cognitive appraisal and that cognitive appraisal predicts preventive action. Female viewers have more motives of preventive actions than male viewers before inspections of the crime map.

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This paper proposes methods for detecting the changes between spatial tessellations at two different points in time. First, we classify changes of sub-regions into categories and then mathematically formulate the detection of changes of sub-regions. Second, we eliminate systematic positional displacement. Third, we match sub-regions between two tessellations using a representative point of each sub-region. Fourth, we match boundaries between the tessellations and also detect topological errors. Fifth, we judge whether or not matched boundaries should be considered the same. Sixth, we detect the changes of sub-regions by eliminating matched boundaries which are considered different at the previous step. Last, we apply the proposed methods to the U.S. Census data, and conclude with future work.

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Humans' representation in nature language about geographic phenomena is usually qualitative rather than quantitative. Qualitative spatial reasoning provides an approach which is considered to be closer to the representation. Commercial GIS software are confronted with a challenge that the software should be equipped with artificial intelligent functions like qualitative spatial reasoning for more and more users, especially for spatial decision-makers. This paper proposes a framework of field-based fuzzy spatial reasoning through which qualitative description usually encountered in spatial reasoning process can be handled quantitatively. As preconditioning, field-based fuzzy representation structure for qualitative description is put forward, then the methods of constructing membership function are discussed. Standard operations of field-based fuzzy spatial reasoning model in the case of constraint satisfaction problem (CSP) are illustrated. An example explains the implication of the model in spatial decision-making process.

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This paper proposes Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) interpolation on a network for analyzing the phenomena that occur on a network. This method interpolates an unknown attribute value at an arbitrary location on a network using observed values at some other points in its vicinity, which are called sample points. The shortest-path distances from the sample points to the unknown point are used in two separate stages. First, they are used for selecting the fixed number of nearest sample points. Second, the method discretely estimates the attribute value at an unknown point as a weighted mean of a function of their negative power. This is followed by the comparison of the difference in the results derived from the network interpolation and the planar interpolation. Cross validation is applied to the same data set of road networks and elevation data on a network.

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Area cartograms are transformed maps that display data of regions using map area. Since their construction and usage have some difficulties, their simplified form, circle area cartogram, has been proposed. Circle area cartograms omit to represent the shapes and contiguity of regions, and consequently achieve their simple construction method. The simplicity in their construction makes them popular, as some statistical software has adopted them as one of data visualization options. However, their previous solution sometimes outputs cartograms that are difficult to read, since it does not necessarily retain the geographical distribution of regions. Then we propose a new construction method of circle area cartogram that preserves geographical distributions of regions and creates readable cartograms, and show some examples of applications.

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In this research, the possibility of the collection system of the garbage was examined for Chiba city. The amount of garbage discharge was estimated based on Local Mesh-Statistics data. A collection model in consideration of the transportation distance and the garbage distribution was built. Moreover, sensitivity analysis was performed in the cost in the collection stage of garbage, the amount of energy consumption, and the environmental load. Finally, the cost, the amount of energy consumption, CO₂ and NO_x, emissions in the collection stage of garbage were estimated.

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Geographic images and satellite remote sensing images are very helpful teaching aid for environmental studies. End user can observe actual information of the environment by analysis of the images. However, it was difficult to analyze the images using conventional programming method. To solve the problem, we have introduced a new analysis method using spreadsheet. In order to achieve for the analysis effectively, we have developed image dataset and an operation control panel made by VBA. Some image analysis examples for environmental studies were achieved by these products. This paper shows the image analysis using spreadsheet and its application to education of environmental studies.

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Training of engineers is necessary for business process reengineering or creating new industries with Geographic Information System (GIS). This paper investigates preferences for open courses on GIS. As a result of questionnaires to participants in three conferences, many people are highly interested in applications of GIS and related technologies such as the Internet and cellular phones. A conjoint analysis shows that the respondents prefer open courses resulting in certifications for professional engineers held on Saturdays or in the evenings. Four large clusters exist in respondents from cluster analysis. Although professional engineers receive no preferential treatment in Japanese government offices, some public officials belong to clusters which attach great importance to attending the certified GIS course.

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This report presents a system for sharing spatially relevant data among researchers from various academic disciplines. The system was developed for the 21st COE program, "Environmental Risk Management for Bio/Eco-systems", and was designed to assist data sharing efforts by researchers and organizations that are not information science specialist. A series of processes are described such as system design and development, database construction, metadata management, clearinghouse set-up, and spatial data distribution via intranet. Problems related to system management and operation are also explained.

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A new mobile mapping system which efficiently constructs an urban three dimensional model was developed. In this technology, the Hybrid Inertial Surveying System (HISS), which combines an inertial navigation system (INS), a GPS receiver and an odometer, acquires position and attitude data. The laser scanner profiles cross-sectional shape as distance data. In addition, the line sensor camera captures image data. While the vehicle runs, these data are acquired simultaneously. By the geometric image processing based on time information of each data, the automatic construction of the three dimensional model with the texture has been realized on a personal computer. A series of field tests have been carried out experimentally in an urban area. It has been verified that the cost and time to construct the urban three dimensional model were drastically reduced in comparison with the conventional method.

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This paper examines the effectiveness of an electronic conference system with WebGIS in view of citizen participation. Several officials in the Ichikawa City office and citizens have exchanged opinions on roads for 15 days in experimental virtual meeting rooms which were created for every places of their interests on a map using an electronic conference system with WebGIS. Because it is difficult for the chairman to ask citizens' opinions every time by the Internet, it is convenient to keep opinions given by the citizens on a map by the system automatically. The citizens tend to express their opinions for areas related to their daily life in contrast with the city officials, the chairman and a councilman. As a result of a questionnaire, citizens appreciate the system with WebGIS to understand other participants' opinions intelligibly.

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