Geographic information systems for urban applications: problems and solutions'

Abstract. Geographic information systems (GIS) are designed as general-purpose systems to manage spatial information. They are similar to commercial database management systems except for their strong spatial context. This recent technology has inspired many users who have, for generations, been faced with the difficult task of making decisions based on spatial information. The development, design, and functions of GIS are reviewed. Then effectiveness of contemporary GIS in managing spatial information in an urban environment is evaluated. In particular, special problems caused by high data density and multilayer organisation are examined. A solution to these problems demands special display, database query, and data-organisation components of a GIS. An application using CARIS (Computer Aided Resource Information System), a GIS developed in Frcdericton, New Brunswick, is presented. This application illustrates the concept of a multilayered GIS with which databases of progressive detail can be vertically linked to facilitate data query