Tony H. Grubesic

This book aims to provide a wide range of real-world applications in using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for geographic observation, spatial modeling, and urban informatics. Specifically, UAVs are incredibly effective platforms for connecting people, places, and technology. This book explores the utility of UAVs for monitoring, measuring, and improving urban infrastructure systems, urban sustainability, and the urban environment. The dynamism of cities provides opportunities for economic, social, and environmental change, but benchmarking and measuring cities continues to be challenging. This challenge is due, at least in part, to a lack of monitoring systems that can collect and analyze data at a granular enough scale to capture the nuance of local phenomena. UAVs offer a promising mechanism to fill this niche, serving as a measurement platform that can rapidly and inexpensively collect data and monitor change in cities. However, their use is fraught with social, operational, regulatory, and technical challenges for successful deployments. This book provides a resource for urbanists (e.g., planners, geographers, sociologists, epidemiologists, engineers), educators, and students who work with geographic information and seek to enhance these data using data and information from unmanned aerial vehicles. At the same time, we provide operational and methodological frameworks for carrying out these advanced analyses in a manner that considers the challenges of incorporating UAVs in research within the urban environment. We provide six unique applications of UAVs for urban analysis, detailing relevant policy and empirical questions, UAV mission parameters, data collection, spatial modeling, and the associated empirical results. Further, we discuss how best to integrate these results into actionable geospatial intelligence and policy development to improve city infrastructure systems, sustainability, the environment, and neighborhood quality.

This book aims to provide a wide range of real-world applications in using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for geographic observation, spatial modeling, and urban informatics. Specifically, UAVs are incredibly effective platforms for connecting people, places, and technology. This book explores the utility of UAVs for monitoring, measuring, and improving urban infrastructure systems, urban sustainability, and the urban environment. The dynamism of cities provides opportunities for economic, social, and environmental change, but benchmarking and measuring cities continues to be challenging. This challenge is due, at least in part, to a lack of monitoring systems that can collect and analyze data at a granular enough scale to capture the nuance of local phenomena. UAVs offer a promising mechanism to fill this niche, serving as a measurement platform that can rapidly and inexpensively collect data and monitor change in cities. However, their use is fraught with social, operational, regulatory, and technical challenges for successful deployments. This book provides a resource for urbanists (e.g., planners, geographers, sociologists, epidemiologists, engineers), educators, and students who work with geographic information and seek to enhance these data using data and information from unmanned aerial vehicles. At the same time, we provide operational and methodological frameworks for carrying out these advanced analyses in a manner that considers the challenges of incorporating UAVs in research within the urban environment. We provide six unique applications of UAVs for urban analysis, detailing relevant policy and empirical questions, UAV mission parameters, data collection, spatial modeling, and the associated empirical results. Further, we discuss how best to integrate these results into actionable geospatial intelligence and policy development to improve city infrastructure systems, sustainability, the environment, and neighborhood quality.

This book provides an introduction to the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the geographic observation and spatial analysis of urban areas. The velocity of urban change necessitates observation platforms that not only enhance situational awareness for planning and allied analytical efforts, but also provide the ability to rapidly and inexpensively collect data and monitor change. UAVs can accomplish both of these tasks, but their use in urban environments is loaded with social, operational, regulatory and technical challenges that must be addressed for successful deployments. The book provides a resource for educators and students who work with geographic information and are seeking to enhance these data with the use of unmanned aerial vehicles. Topics covered include, 1) a primer on UAVs and the many different ways they can be used for geographic observation, 2) a detailed overview on the use of aviation maps and charts for operating UAVs in complex urban airspace, 3) techniques for integrating UAV-derived data with more traditional geographic information, 4) application of spatial analytical tools for urban and environmental planning, and 5) an exploration of privacy and public safety issues associated with UAV operation.

This book provides an introduction to the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the geographic observation and spatial analysis of urban areas. The velocity of urban change necessitates observation platforms that not only enhance situational awareness for planning and allied analytical efforts, but also provide the ability to rapidly and inexpensively collect data and monitor change. UAVs can accomplish both of these tasks, but their use in urban environments is loaded with social, operational, regulatory and technical challenges that must be addressed for successful deployments. The book provides a resource for educators and students who work with geographic information and are seeking to enhance these data with the use of unmanned aerial vehicles. Topics covered include, 1) a primer on UAVs and the many different ways they can be used for geographic observation, 2) a detailed overview on the use of aviation maps and charts for operating UAVs in complex urban airspace, 3) techniques for integrating UAV-derived data with more traditional geographic information, 4) application of spatial analytical tools for urban and environmental planning, and 5) an exploration of privacy and public safety issues associated with UAV operation.

The history and future of geographic information (GI) in the context of big data creates new avenues of concern over its organization, access and use. In this book the authors explore both the background and present challenges facing the preservation of GI, focusing on the roles of librarians, archivists, data scientists, and other information professionals in the creation of GI records for its organization, access, and use.

Broadband is one of the most transformative technologies of the 21st century, yet our understanding of its regional impacts remains somewhat rudimentary. Not only are issues of broadband pricing and speed relevant in this context, but the overall quality of service for broadband can often dictate its impacts on regional development. This book illuminates the regional impacts of this pervasive and important technology. The principle aim of this book is to deepen our understanding of broadband and its connections to regional development. First, it uses a geospatial lens to explore how the relationship between broadband and regional development influences access to technology platforms, dictates provision patterns, and facilitates the shrinkage of space and time in non-uniform and sometimes unexpected ways. Second, it book provides a comprehensive guide that details the strengths and weaknesses of publically available broadband data and their associated uncertainties, allowing regional development professionals and researchers to make more informed decisions regarding data use, analytical models and policy recommendations. Finally, this book is the first to detail the growing importance of broadband to digital innovation and entrepreneurship in regions. This book will be of interest to regional development professionals and researchers in economics, public policy, geography, regional science and planning.

The history and future of geographic information (GI) in the context of big data creates new avenues of concern over its organization, access and use. In this book the authors explore both the background and present challenges facing the preservation of GI, focusing on the roles of librarians, archivists, data scientists, and other information professionals in the creation of GI records for its organization, access, and use.

Broadband is one of the most transformative technologies of the 21st century, yet our understanding of its regional impacts remains somewhat rudimentary. Not only are issues of broadband pricing and speed relevant in this context, but the overall quality of service for broadband can often dictate its impacts on regional development. This book illuminates the regional impacts of this pervasive and important technology. The principle aim of this book is to deepen our understanding of broadband and its connections to regional development. First, it uses a geospatial lens to explore how the relationship between broadband and regional development influences access to technology platforms, dictates provision patterns, and facilitates the shrinkage of space and time in non-uniform and sometimes unexpected ways. Second, it book provides a comprehensive guide that details the strengths and weaknesses of publically available broadband data and their associated uncertainties, allowing regional development professionals and researchers to make more informed decisions regarding data use, analytical models and policy recommendations. Finally, this book is the first to detail the growing importance of broadband to digital innovation and entrepreneurship in regions. This book will be of interest to regional development professionals and researchers in economics, public policy, geography, regional science and planning.