The report discusses issues that may be of interest to Congress-managing, sharing, and coordinating geospatial information-and includes examples of legislation. The report also summarizes a diverse set of recommendations and proposals from different non-governmental organizations for how to improve the coordination and management of geospatial information at the federal and state levels.

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) provides geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) to support national security, both as a national intelligence and a combat support agency. In the post-9/11 world, the need for faster and more accurate geospatial intelligence is increasing. GEOINT uses imagery and geospatial data and information to provide knowledge for planning, decisions, and action. For example, data from satellites, pilotless aircraft and ground sensors are integrated with maps and other intelligence data to provide location information on a potential target. This report defines 12 hard problems in geospatial science that NGA must resolve in order to evolve their capabilities to meet future needs. Many of the hard research problems are related to integration of data collected from an ever-growing variety of sensors and non-spatial data sources, and analysis of spatial data collected during a sequence of time (spatio-temporal data). The report also suggests promising approaches in geospatial science and related disciplines for meeting these challenges. The results of this study are intended to help NGA prioritize geospatial science research directions.

In the past few years the United States has experienced a series of disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which have severely taxed and in many cases overwhelmed responding agencies. In all aspects of emergency management, geospatial data and tools have the potential to help save lives, limit damage, and reduce the costs of dealing with emergencies. Great strides have been made in the past four decades in the development of geospatial data and tools that describe locations of objects on the Earth's surface and make it possible for anyone with access to the Internet to witness the magnitude of a disaster. However, the effectiveness of any technology is as much about the human systems in which it is embedded as about the technology itself. Successful Response Starts with a Map assesses the status of the use of geospatial data, tools, and infrastructure in disaster management, and recommends ways to increase and improve their use. This book explores emergency planning and response; how geospatial data and tools are currently being used in this field; the current policies that govern their use; various issues related to data accessibility and security; training; and funding. Successful Response Starts with a Map recommends significant investments be made in training of personnel, coordination among agencies, sharing of data and tools, planning and preparedness, and the tools themselves.

Land parcel data (also known as cadastral data) provide geographically referenced information about the rights, interests, and ownership of land and are an important part of the financial, legal, and real estate systems of society. The data are used by governments to make decisions about land development, business activities, regulatory compliance, emergency response, and law enforcement. In 1980, a National Research Council book called for nationally integrated land parcel data, but despite major progress in the development of land parcel databases in many local jurisdictions, little progress has been made toward a national system. National Land Parcel Data looks at the current status of land parcel data in the United States. The book concludes that nationally integrated land parcel data is necessary, feasible, and affordable. It provides recommendations for establishing a practical framework for sustained intergovernmental coordination and funding required to overcome the remaining challenges and move forward.

The report describes potential applications of geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial analysis by HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research for understanding housing needs, addressing broader issues of urban poverty and community development, and improving access to information and services by the many users of HUD's data. It offers a vision of HUD as an important player in providing urban data to federal initiatives towards a spatial data infrastructure for the nation.

This book focuses on 21st century geospatial technologies (GT). It highlights their broad range of capabilities and their essential role in effectively addressing and resolving critical everyday issues, such as environment, sustainability, climate change, urban planning, economy, culture and geopolitics. Featuring chapters written by leading international scientists, it discusses the application of GT tools and demonstrates that the problems requiring such tools transcend national boundaries, cultures, political systems and scientific backgrounds on a global scale. In addition, it enhances readers’ spatial understanding of, and geographical reasoning in connection with, societal issues. The book will appeal to scientists, teachers and students of geography, the earth sciences and related areas, as well as decision-makers interested in the application and capabilities of geospatial technologies and new, spatial methods for addressing important issues.

For generations, the map has been central to how societies function all over the world. Cybercartography is a new paradigm for maps and mapping in the information era. Defined as "the organization, presentation, analysis and communication of spatially referenced information on a wide variety of topics of interest to society, cybercartography is presented in an interactive, dynamic, multisensory format with the use of multimedia and multimodal interfaces. Cybercartography: Theory and Practice examines the major elements of cybercartography and emphasizes the importance of interaction between theory and practice in developing a paradigm which moves beyond the concept of Geographic Information Systems and Geographical Information Science. It argues for the centrality of the map as part of an integrated information, communication, and analytical package.This volume is a result of a multidisciplinary team effort and has benefited from the input of partners from government, industry and other organizations. The international team reports on major original cybercartographic research and practice from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, including the humanities, social sciences including human factors psychology, cybernetics, English literature, cultural mediation, cartography, and geography. This new synthesis has intrinsic value for industries, the general public, and the relationships between mapping and the development of user-centered multimedia interfaces.* Discusses the centrality of the map and its importance in the information era * Provides an interdisciplinary approach with contributions from psychology, music, and language and literature * Describes qualitative and quantitative aspects of cybercartography and the importance of societal context in the interaction between theory and practice* Contains an interactive CD-Rom containing color images, links to websites, plus other important information to capture the dynamic and interactive elements of cybercartography