Spatial Data Modeling: Issues and Implications on Geographic Information Systems

Even though the potential ability of Geographic Information System (GIS) as decision support for business activities has been widely recognized, the topic of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has received little attention in the business literature. Spatial database systems provide the underlying database technology for Geographic Information Systems and other applications. Modeling spatial objects and their operations in spatial databases is a relatively new research area. Spatial data models should include constructs of high-level abstractions, spatial entities, relationships, operators and a query language, which provides rich concepts to efficiently and effectively handle spatial data. We present a comprehensive survey of the current state-of-the-art in spatial databases. This paper also examines issues related with modeling spatial complexity. We conclude the paper with directions for future research in spatial databases. Working Paper Last revised on September 2000