Extending geographical representation to include fields of spatial objects

In the last ten years, field and object models have emerged as two opposing approaches for conceptualizing and modeling geographic phenomena. In the context of a field perspective, each point in space is mapped to a value selected from an attribute domain. In this way, geographic space is perceived as 'full', as every location is occupied by a value. In the context of an object perspective, space is perceived as a container populated by any number and type of geo-referenced objects, each with its own properties. Although most geographic phenomena are generally modeled using either a field or object perspective, the approach most suited in a given instance depends on the purpose and context of the modeling exercise. For this reason, the two model classes are best considered conceptual perspectives rather than inherent qualities of geographic phenomena, as any aspect of geographic reality can be modeled using either of these two perspectives.