GIScience

Abstracts are invited for a session at the annual conference of the the Royal Geographical Society – Institute of British Geographers in 2010 on the spatial dimensions of health. The session is jointly sponsored by the Quantitative Methods Research Group (QMRG) as well as the Health geography research group (HGRG) of the RGS. Details are as follows:

The Spatial Dimensions of Health

Session abstract

There is little doubt that geography and health are linked. Whether geography is considered in terms of the ‘geographies’ of individuals; communities and neighbourhoods; services and resources; or diseases- the linkage persists. In light of this, Gatrell and Elliot (2009) state ‘the subject of “health” is a rich source of material that bears study by the geographer’ (p.3). The importance of such study is highlighted by the steadfast presence of spatial disparities in health and healthcare nationally. The intention of this session is to bring together research on the spatial dimensions of health, for the purpose of highlighting ongoing and nascent challenges within the diverse spectrum of health and health geography. The session organisers invite proposals for papers that present empirical contributions within the spatial dimensions of health, ideally with focus on the UK. We welcome proposals that explore:

• The spatial dimensions of health inequalities and health behaviours

• Place, community and neighbourhood health and healthcare

• Spatial methods for developing health statistics

• Web 2.0 and health mapping

Reference

Gatrell, A. C. and Elliot, S. J. (2009) “Geographies of Health: An Introduction”, 2nd Edition, Wiley-Blackwell, Chicester

Keywords: Health, behaviour, inequality, quantitative, space.

Deadline for submitting abstracts is Monday 1st February 2010. Please send abstracts up to a maximum of 250 words and proposed titles (clearly stating name, institution, and contact details) to Daniel Lewis (d.lewis@ucl.ac.uk) and/or Catherine Jones (kate-emma.jones@ucl.ac.uk)

Details of other calls by the GHRG can be found here.

Governance and the Geoweb

Convenors: Dr. Hanif Rahemtulla (hanif.rahemtulla@mail.mcgill.ca) and Dr. Muki Haklay (m.haklay@ucl.ac.uk)

This session will examine the participatory governance potential of the Geoweb and, in particular, its capacity to enable a two-way dialogue between government officials and the public. From a practical perspective, we will explore how different levels of governments can use the Geoweb as a platform that could build upon current PPGIS/PGIS practices and broaden public engagement. From a theoretical standpoint, we propose to address the scientific, technical, and participatory issues that challenge the accomplishment of this vision.

Please contact convenors for more information.

The 2010 RGS-IBG Annual Conference will take place from the 1st to 3rd September 2010 at the Royal Geographical Society,  London.

The GIScRG is pleased to announce the following sessions:

(click on the titles for more details. Please contact the session conveners with any questions)

Enhancing Complex Social Simulations with Automata Systems

Conveners: Dr Alison Heppenstall (a.j.heppenstall@leeds.ac.uk), Dr Linda See, (l.m.see@leeds.ac.uk).

This session aims to bring together researchers to report on progress in diverse types of automata systems in social simulation. We encourage the submission of theoretical, experimental, methodological and application papers related to Cellular Automata (CA) and Agent-Based Modelling (ABM).

GIS for Environmental Modelling

Convener: Dr Katherine Arrell (k.arrell@leeds.ac.uk).

This session aims to bring together researchers to report on state of the art environmental modelling applications. This session seeks to attract papers reporting GIS modelling applications for environmental sciences.

Postgraduate Session: Analysing and Visualising Social Change

Conveners: James Cheshire (james.cheshire@ucl.ac.uk), Dr Muki Haklay (m.haklay@ucl.ac.uk).

The data and tools that are used for analysing, visualising and understanding social change have become increasingly accessible and sophisticated in recent years. GIScience has been at the forefront of these advances, developing tools, providing new visualisations and communicating the results to wider audiences. This session seeks to attract postgraduate researchers from all areas of GIScience, Geovisualisation and wider geography who are concerned with monitoring and visualising social change. Submissions are especially welcome from those researching geovisualisation, modeling, geodemographics, migration and other aspects of social change.

Details of online submission can be found at:

http://www.rgs.org/AC2010

Important Dates

Deadline for abstracts:  5 February 2010

Notification of Acceptance: 26 February 2010

For any questions related to this session, please contact any of the conveners.

We have uploaded the presentations from the “Enhancing Complex Social Simulations with Automata Systems” held at the 2009 RGS Annual Conference. This session aimed to bring together researchers to report on progress in diverse types of automata systems in social simulation.

Session 1

Title: MEME: An Integrated Tool For Advanced Computational Experiments
Author(s): Rajmund Bocsi (AITIA International Inc) Gabor Ferschl (AITIA International Inc) László Gulyás (AITIA International Inc / Loránd Eötvös University) Attila Szabó (AITIA International Inc / Loránd Eötvös University, Hungary)
Presenter: László Gulyás (Loránd Eötvös University, Hungary)

Title: Creating an Agent-Based Model of Consumer Behaviour
Author(s): Alison Heppenstall (University of Leeds) and Kirk Harland (University of Leeds)
Presenter: Kirk Harland (University of Leeds)

Title: An agent-based framework for modelling social activities and travel
Author(s): Nicole Ronald (Einhoven University of Technology, Holland), Theo Arentze (Einhoven University of Technology, Holland), Harry Timmermans (Eindhoven University of Technology, Holland)
Presenter: Nicole Ronald (Eindhoven University of Technology, Holland)

Title: Impacts of Network Topology on Tax Evasion in a Complex Artificial Social System
Author(s): Attila Szabó (AITIA International Inc / Loránd Eötvös University, Hungary), László Gulyás (AITIA International Inc / Loránd Eötvös University, Hungary), István János Tóth (Hungarian Chamber of Commerce)
Presenter: Atilla Szabo (AITIA International Inc / Loránd Eötvös University, Hungary)

Title:Agent-based simulation of the spatial evolution of the historical population in China
Author(s): Jing Wu (Chinese Academy of Sciences) and Zheng Wang (Chinese Academy of Sciences)
Presenter: Jing Wu (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Session 2

Title: Modelling the role of neighbourhood support in regional climate change adaptation
Author(s): Friedrich Krebs (University of Kassel, Germany), Sascha Holzhauer (University of Kassel, Germany) and Andreas Ernst (University of Kassel, Germany)
Presenter: Friedrich Krebs (University of Kassel, Germany)

Title: Validation of an Agent-based Model of Shifting Agriculture
Author(s): The An Ngo (University of Leeds), Linda See (University of Leeds), Frances Drake (University of Leeds)
Presenter: The An Ngo (University of Leeds)

Title: Cellular automata with non-linear transition rules for simulating land cover change
Author(s): Katarzyna Ostapowicz (Jagiellonian University, Poland)
Presenter: Katarzyna Ostapowicz (Jagiellonian University, Poland)

Title: Waves of Change – Modelling the Nicobars in the after-math of the 2004 Tsunami and beyond
Author(s): Martin Wildenberg (University of Klagenfurt, Austria)Simron Singh (University of Klagenfurt, Austria)
Presenter: Martin Wildenberg ( University of Klagenfurt, Austria)