Integration of GIS, Hypertext and Multimedia-Elements for
Spatial Planning Purposes

Peter FERSCHIN, Manfred SCHRENK
Vienna University of Technology
IEMAR / CAPA - Departement for Computer-Aided Planning and Architecture
Floragasse 7/E272, A-1040 Wien;
e-mail:
ferschin@osiris.iemar.tuwien.ac.at; schrenk@osiris.iemar.tuwien.ac.at;
WWW:
http://osiris.iemar.tuwien.ac.at

Abstract

As a wide range of planning-relevant datasources get available in digital form as well at the local as on the regional scale, GIS has become a widely used tool for urban and spatial planning, and more and more communities use GIS for planning and administrative purposes. Although the advantages are obvious, the problem persists, that potentially everyone is influenced by the results of spatial planning, but the presented maps and plans are hard to understand for non-experts.

The integration of internet-technology and multimedia-elements into GIS-applications is a very promising way of improving the possibilities for constructive communication between ordinary citizens, politicians, and planning experts. Furthermore it is a chance for using once created (relatively expensive) planning data for multiple purposes, for example as the basis of buisness or tourist information systems.

Examples for the integration of GIS, Websites and Multimedia-Elements will be given during the presentation, with a special focus on Quicktime-Virtual-Reality-Scenes (QT-VR) and streaming video sequences.

1. Introduction

The fast development of internet technologies during the last years created the demand to expand traditional GIS systems into several directions. The first attempt was to provide geographical data to a wider audience so different methods of Internet publishing were introduced. Although there exist current solutions for commercial GIS systems, Internet publishing of large datasets remains a problem as current browser technology only accepts raster graphics and there are yet no standards for publishing vector data sets together with navigational map control systems. So a GIS-Internet engine has to convert vector data to raster images in the publishing process or special plugins for the different browser systems have to be supported.

Furthermore internet technology has grown to incorporate multimedia technology as audio, video and 3d-graphics. These new media technologies can result into new representation and presentation methods that can enrich traditional GIS systems and create new aspects of reusing of geographical data in the planning process.

Furthermore the traditional planning process might generate new directions of planning in regions and geographical environments.

This paper will introduce two multimedia technologies that have the ability to create new GIS applications and planning purposes.

2. Traditional Regional Planning using GIS Systems

The "first step" of GIS-usage in spatial planning was to transfer "traditional" planning methods into the computer, hoping for faster and more exact results, but not changing the planning process.

 

Fig.1: ”Traditional” Informationflow in planning processes

Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of informationflow in such a planning process: A lot of information is collected from different sources, analyzed by the planner and as the "final result" plans are created.

Although the analytical tools of GIS opened new opportunities for planners, the "products" of planning stayed the same, namely plans, that are hard to understand for non-experts.

As the participation and integration of citizens into the planning process becomes more and more important, it is necessary to find ways of communication between experts and non-experts. The integration of internet-technology and multimedia-elements into GIS-applications is a very promising way of improving the possibilities for constructive communication between ordinary citizens, politicians, and planning experts.

Fig. 2: ”Conventional” Spatial Planning, creating one ”End-Product” vs. ”Process Planning”

Furthermore it is a chance for planners to create "new products" and use once created (relatively expensive) planning data for multiple purposes, for example as the basis of buisness or tourist information systems.

Beyond that internet-technology allows the integration of decentralized datasources into the information system, so it opens up the possibility for permanent data-updates directly at the source of information. These updates can be done by authorized persons or automatically, for example from satellite images or automated traffic counts.

Planning databases and GIS can become a central part of integrated, communal and regional multimedia-information-systems, and planners can be consultants for all actors dealing with spatial developement, making spatial planning to a permanent process.

Fig. 2 shows a scheme of "traditional" planning vs. "process planning", in Fig. 3 a scheme for data- and informationflow in such integrated, communal and regional multimedia-information-systems is shown.

Fig. 3: Scheme of data- and informationflow in ”integrated multimedia planning information systems”

Regional Marketing Concepts using Multimedia GIS Systems

To create multimedia presentations for planning purposes can be seen only as a first step in the integration of multipurpose-information-system. Expanding traditional planning with new methods of regional marketing concepts will be a future add-on to regional planning. This will be not only a chance to planners to provide new services to their customers. It might also be a necessity to adopt to this new planning concepts as govermental planning will certainly reduce in the future and planners have to coorperate with private investors.

In the following chapters two examples of multimedia content (Quicktime VR and Live Streaming Video) will be presented with their methods of data collecting, editing and presentation abilities.

QuickTime VR

The concept of this technology, that was developed by Apple Computers, consists of interactive digital movies with the possibilty to branch into several directions at certain camera positions. A defined camera position allows the view of 360° panorama scene. Thereby the viewport and the zoom factor into a viewing direction can be manipulated continuously, which creates a realistic impression to the observer.

Panorama scenes can either be created by computer renderings of 3d-environments or with photographic techniques. The last method offers the fast and cheap possibility to create a spacial representation of complex environments. This can be done with normal photo-equipment, where panorama scenes are generated with a collection of single images.

Fig. 4: creating 12 images around a 360° circle

The illustration above demonstrates the generation process of a panorama scene. Hereby 12 images have been taken each with a different viewing direction seperated by 30°. So the complete surrounding of 360° at a constant camera position can be generated. The examples show a part of the Karlsplatz in Vienna.

Fig 5: combined panaroma image

To create a complex spatial environment several panorama movies can be linked together with the possibilty to branch into different directions. Furthermore special links allow the integration of WWW-sites into a QuickTime VR scenery.

Fig. 6: illustration of the cennected panoramascenes and links to the Internet

The illustration above visualizes several camera positions on the Karlsplatz in Vienna that have been linked together to allow navigation between the selected camera positions. Additionally a link from the position of the Kunsthalle to their WWW-page has been created.

 

Fig. 7: navigation inside a QuickTime VR movie

The images above demonstrate the impressions of a virtual observer on the Karlsplatz in Vienna. Navigation is done very directly by dragging the mouse across the presented image and with clicking at so called "hot spots" that lead to further camera positions or to WWW-pages.

Streaming Digital Video

A very interesting part of Internet multimedia technology is the possibilty to integrate live video into WWW-pages. Although digital video demands a very high bandwidth on the internet - the recent developments of video compression technology and the concept of streaming media create the possibility to observe live video on the internet. Reduction of bandwidth can be achieved by reducing the resolution and framerate of video data together with lossy compression techniques. Streaming media allows media to be observed while the rest of data is transferred over the net - so immediate viewing of video is possible as it is possible with broadcast systems.

Fig. 8: viewing streaming videos on the Internet

A video camera is connected to an Internet Server that transfers the captured images into the net. The live images can be integrated into WWW-pages which can be viewed at client side with a typical WWW-browser.

Fig. 9: Image of the Mozartplatz in Vienna

The illustration above demonstrates the use off live digital video to observe the neighbouring Mozartplatz in Vienna.

Conclusion

Two methods of integration of multimedia data for planning purposes have been demonstrated. QuickTime VR enables the fast and efficient virtualization of complex environments that can be interactively explored. This technology can be used to visualize the current state of the environment as well as possible future developments.

Streaming live video on the other hand enables the observation of live conditions at different places. It might be used for weather observation, traffic control, tourist information, etc.

Both new technologies create new opportunities for spatial planning and the possibility of selling a "complete" regional planning package to the customer.

This options can create new cooperations with industry, tourism, traffic providers, etc. where planning in regional context is a desired know how.