Geographic Information System System Research Articles

Innovative Approach to Convert Geographic Information System-Based Highway Models into Multidimensional Building Information Modeling Platforms Using Dynamo

This study proposes an innovative process of transforming a geographic information system (GIS)-based highway model into a robust building information modeling (BIM) platform using Dynamo visual programming tool. The existing GIS system used by the Indiana Department of Transportation for highway network representation has significant limitations of data storage and handling capacity, representation of complex entities, and inclusion of crucial traffic data from weigh-in-motion and automatic traffic recorder stations. The developed process involves converting poly-curves from the GIS model into model-curves compatible with BIM, classifying attributes into shape families, and integrating traffic data from traffic recorder stations. The resulting multidimensional BIM platform, extending from three to eight dimensions, encompasses essential project details and traffic data. To ensure interoperability, an Open BIM process involving the generation of an industry foundation classes (IFC) file is utilized, allowing efficient data exchange among different software platforms and stakeholders.

The role of BIM and GIS in HS2 historic environment data management, an overview of HS2 Phase 1, UK

The HS2 historic environment programme undertaken for Phase One of HS2 between London and the West Midlands has resulted in a substantial digital archive, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data. According to the BIM (Building Information Modelling) approach, HS2 historic environment assets are considered as part of the construction assets, alongside the other disciplines assets such as highways, bridges, tunnels, and fencing. The GIS and spatial data play the role of a glue to demonstrate the interrelationship and hierarchy between archaeological assets, recording their location and geometry. Designating a unique asset ID (UAID) to each archaeological asset, and joining them to their attributes table and relating documents, creates a relationship between historic environment assets GIS data and their respective non-GIS data. According to HS2 digital engineering with BIM approach, HS2 historic environment core and primary assets have been identified, which the hierarchical order of them is as follows: Location Specific Written Scheme of Investigation (LS-WSI) and Project Plans (PPs) as core assets, and Written Scheme of Investigation Interventions (WSI-Interventions), Archaeological Features, and Archaeological Objects as historic environment primary assets. Such an efficient, transparent, and readable asset data structure provides a lasting and valuable legacy for the lifecycle of the project digital data. Four different systems combine to form the digital legacy of the project, which complement the physical archive. These four systems are: HS2 Asset Information Management System (AIMS) and GIS systems, as well as Online Access to the Index of Archaeological Investigations (OASIS), and supporting digital data curated with the Archaeological Data Service (ADS) systems. As significant parts of the programme legacy, HS2's historic environment physical and digital archive establish an unprecedented opportunity for knowledge creation.

A GIS-based approach for improving urban sanitation planning and services delivery: A case study from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Spatial planning and resource allocation are decisive factors in the effective delivery of sanitation services, especially in urban contexts. In low-income countries, the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the design and decision-making process in the delivery of such services is still very limited. This study, conducted in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, designs a GIS system with a data-oriented modelling infrastructure to assist and improve faecal sludge management (FSM) in the urban context. The estimation of faecal sludge (FS) daily production is achieved through field surveys and direct observations. The spatial planning system is further used to map and analyse the spatial distribution of existing FSM infrastructure, district-wise, address the inadequate distribution of emptying trucks parking lots within the city and therefore propose suitable sites for the establishment of new faecal sludge treatment plants (FSTPs). Moreover, an optimal path planning circuit for faecal sludge collection, transport and evacuation is designed based on the minimization of travel distance to the nearest FSTP. The proposed framework leverages GIS in city-wide FSM, virtually appealing to all urban contexts across sub-Saharan Africa, and sheds light on urban planners and managers on the need to incorporate GIS infrastructure within urban services delivery.

Activity Theory Approach and Geographic Information Systems Affordance for Effective Land Management and Administration Actualization

This research explores the challenges and drivers of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) affordance actualization within the Ministry of Land and Survey, Yola, Nigeria. The problem at hand is the underutilization of GIS technology in many public organizations, often resulting in failed projects and misfit due to cultural inclinations. To address this issue, Activity Theory was employed as a theoretical framework, innovatively applying it to the interpretation of human-technology interactions within a public sector setting. An in-depth interpretive research study at the Ministry of Land and Survey (MLS) was conducted, focusing on the sub-unit triangular and subject-cascaded models guided by integrated nested Activity Theory. The research reveals novel insights into the application of GIS in public organizations. The findings underscore the critical role of factors such as funding, legitimization, technology (tools), user cognition, geo-visualization, spatial infrastructure, and outcomes in facilitating GIS affordance actualization. These elements have been redefined within the context of land administration in public organizations. The research introduces two new theoretical constructs, "Spatial Data Infrastructure" and "Geo-visualization," further extending the integrated Activity Theory constructs. The importance of this study lies in its potential to inform GIS professionals, developers, and policymakers. The newly developed mid-level theoretical model, Spatial Information Affording Approach (SISAA) offers a comprehensive framework for designing effective GIS systems that streamline land transactions, enhance revenue generation, reduce land disputes, and bolster the overall integrity of land administration in public sectors. This research contributes not only to the Nigerian context but also holds relevance for public organizations worldwide that use GIS in land management. In conclusion, this study bridges a significant gap in the current body of knowledge by providing a spatially enabled theoretical framework for GIS applications in culturally organized public organizations. It has the potential to drive improvements in land administration and promote the successful implementation of GIS in the public sector, aligning with global agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Groundwater recharge assessment using GIS approach in Chiang Mai basin

The geographic information system (GIS) techniques were used to groundwater recharge estimation and groundwater recharge potential map in Chiang Mai Basin. The groundwater recharge estimation use slope, rainfall and infiltration factor for calculation. Amount of groundwater recharge are 597.20 – 896.19 m3/year. The study used lithology, land use, lineaments, drainage and slope gradient as influence factors to the groundwater recharge potential. The groundwater potentiality was integrated from thematic maps and derived from the sum of the weighted factor using weight overlay method in the GIS system. Almost of the study area is classified as the high groundwater recharge potential zone. The moderate groundwater recharge potential zone is located in the western part of study area and along with the Ping River.

An ontology-based framework for semantic geographic information systems development and understanding

Geographic information systems (GIS) are a widely used approach for geodata manipulation, analysis, and geoinformation visualization. Although the issue of semantic heterogeneity for GIS applications has been widely addressed, the development of flexible semantic GIS systems can still be improved, and GIS interfaces can be further unified to enhance system understanding among users of various GIS systems. This study proposes an ontology-based semantic GIS conceptual framework that can seamlessly combine ontology models, GIS elements and user actions for semantic GIS application development. In addition, a GIS components ontology that encompasses the five fundamental components of GIS is proposed to integrate GIS elements that can perceive GIS operations and processes semantically and to support customized GIS system designs. Moreover, a semantic WebGIS implementation framework is designed on the basis of the proposed conceptual framework to facilitate semantic WebGIS development. The implementation uses two common application scenarios regarding urban change analysis and user interaction. The former performs semantic retrieval for urban change analysis with system understanding, whereas the latter conducts online thematic mapping with semantic interpretation. The study contributes in terms of innovation in the design of a unified GIS components ontology and successful implementation of a semantic GIS system using the ontology-driven approach, thereby providing a convincing demonstration of the latter and showing the potential for semantic GIS application paradigms.

Functional analysis of soil chemical attributes using Geographic Information Systems to assess nutrient deficiencies

Information on soil fertility is essential to determine the need for correcting measures. However, the use of appropriate techniques to provide information on the specific potential of each soil in many agricultural areas is scarce. Soil fertility in an area with family farming was evaluated based on spatialization of soil chemical attributes to indicate their usage limitations. The study area was on the water basin of the Natuba River, in the Mata Centro Zone, Pernambuco state, Brazil. Samples were taken from soils under the most representative agricultural uses and under native vegetation following a slope gradient (top, middle and bottom). Samples were analyzed for their base saturation, cation exchange capacity, aluminum saturation and phosphorus concentration. These parameters were used to indicate their degree of limitation to agricultural use in order to create a georeferenced database and were mapped using a Geographic Information System (GIS). The cultivated Rhodic Acrisol and Eutric Gleisol had the highest fertility, while the Xanthic Acrisol, Chromic Acrisol and Xanthic Ferralsol had the highest usage limitations. Areas used to grow vegetables had higher nutrient availability than those cropped to sugarcane. Spatialization in the GIS system contributed to the overall fertility analysis, allowing a clear visualization of areas that need soil improvement.

Gazi University Campus Information System Design and Integration with GIS

Üniversiteler bilginin üretilmesinde, paylaşılmasında ve yayılmasında önemli rol üstlenmektedirler. Farklı disiplinlerin bir arada bulunduğu bu kurumlar, eğitim-öğretim faaliyetlerinin yanı sıra, araştırma- geliştirme, yönetim, barınma, bakım onarım vb. birimleri yapısında bulunduran sosyal ve kültürel merkezlerdir. Tüm faaliyetlerin sürdürülebilir olması düzenli bir sistem alt yapısına ihtiyaç duymaktadır. Bu çalışma Coğrafi Bilgi sistemleri (CBS) alt yapısı kullanılarak hâlihazırda bulunan mekânsal bilgilerin, ulaşılabilir ve sorgulanabilir olması için gerekli sözel, sayısal, grafik vb. verilerin toplanarak sistem alt yapısında birleştirilmesinden oluşmaktadır. Gazi Üniversitesi Beşevler kampüsü üzerinde gerçekleştirilen bu çalışmada kampüs alanı içine poligon ağı kurularak her bir nokta (binalar, ağaçlar, yollar, sosyal donatılar vb.) koordinatlı olarak ölçülmüştür. Ölçüm işlemleri sonrasında oluşturulan sayısal haritalar ve araştırma alanından toplanan tüm veriler tematik haritalarla ilişkilendirilerek CBS sistem alt yapısı oluşturulmuştur. Sonuç olarak Üniversitenin geleceğe yönelik yapacağı düzenlemelerde, bilgi ve belgelerin sorgulanmasına, mevcut bilgilere tek noktadan ulaşılmasına, istenilen sorgulama ve analizlerin yapılmasına imkan verecek bir CBS tabanlı kampüs bilgi sistemi alt yapı oluşturulması amaçlanmıştır.

Design and implementation of geographic information system with mobile terminal and 5G network

AbstractRemote insurance mainly completes quotation, insurance application and payment through the PC terminal and mobile terminal, and the premium directly enters the insurance account. This article takes remote insurance as an example. First, it analyses the requirements of the remote insurance and insurance system, and then collects data from the mobile terminal. The system geographic information system (GIS) server subsystem and GIS information management subsystem are designed in three aspects. GPS data and video image data are collected and processed in the data acquisition subsystem, forwarded by the GIS server, and sent to the GIS information management subsystem. Geographic information system information management realises online loss determination through basic information query, geographic location identification, scheduling, path planning, real‐time tracking, image information etc. on the mobile terminal, combined with insurance and insurance business. In terms of implementation, the GIS information management platform and Google Maps are used to realise the monitoring, scheduling and path planning of the mobile terminal GIS online platform. And conduct experimental research on the content‐centric 5G structure. The results show that the transmission interference time of the content‐centric network‐based 5G structure is 390 ms, which is much lower than the 800 ms demanded for GSM‐R system. It proves that the content‐centric network‐based 5G structure has good mobile performance; the test of the content‐centric network verifies that the content‐centric network has the advantages of balancing network load and preventing network congestion; meanwhile, the test of the proposed The functions and performance of the GIS system proposed in this paper are tested. The results meet the user requirements.

Understanding GIS in visualization and evaluation of construction schedule

Economically successful available scheduling tools such as Primavera and Microsoft Project fail to provide information about the geographical aspects of a construction project. A methodology using geographical information systems (GIS) is developed to represent the geographical aspects of the construction progress graphically by accompanying and linking it with the construction schedule. The spatial or geographical aspects are illustrated by the 3D model developed in AutoCAD and the construction schedule is generated via MS Excel sheets and linking it to ArcVIEW. Spatial and scheduling information are linked together into the GIS environment (ArcGIS) With a GIS, we can identify and analyze the land features, climate, boundaries, population, resources, and many other things about places that interest you. In the past, you needed to use paper maps, globes, and a variety of hard-copy data sources to perform these analyses. The main purpose of the research is to discover a simple and perceptive way of assigning the essential project information from a constructional CAD model to scheduling software and streamlining sequencing and organizing project activities. In achieving this goal, one of the most exhausting and time-consuming steps in producing a construction project schedule will be removed. By the end of this project, we will be able to understand the GIS system, and how to visualize it while scheduling the project and its uses. Keywords- Geographical Information System, spatial information, scheduling, visualization

CREATING AN INFORMATION SYSTEM REGARDING TO THE CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF ROADS: THE CASE OF MANISA – SARUHANLI

Bu çalışmada Manisa İli Saruhanlı ilçesi sınırları dahilinde yer alan yolları kapsayan bir Coğrafi Bilgi Sistemi (CBS) oluşturulup CBS’den alınan veriler analiz edilerek yolların bakım ve onarımları ile ilgili ön çalışma yapılabilirliğinin ortaya konması hedeflenmiştedir. İlçe sınırları içerisinde bulunan yolların konumları, nazım imar planı ve uygulama imar planı çalışmaları ile ve uydu görüntülerinden faydalanılarak CBS sistemine aktarılmıştır. Yollar ve yollarda bulunan köprü ve menfezlerle ilgili, bakım ve onarımla ilgili ön çalışma esnasında gerekli olacak çeşitli veriler mevcut projelerden ve yerinde yapılan saha incelemelerinin ardından programa girilmiştir. Oluşturulan CBS sisteminin isteğe bağlı sorgulanması ile, bakım ve onarım çalışmaları sırasında ihtiyaç duyulabilecek bilgilere rahatça erişildiği ve istenen şekil ve formatta sonuçların alınabildiği görülmüştür.

GEOINFORMATION SYSTEMS BASED ON CARTOGRAPHIC AND GEODESIC SURVEYS FOR PLANNING INVESTMENT PROCESSES IN CITIES

The use of GIS (Geographic Information System) systems to administration investment in cities is becoming increasingly popular. Modern technologies allow the use of GIS system based on geodetic surveys of the same area, over time, with the introduction of characteristically attributive information. The obtained data can characterize both the most up-to-date spatial information and be used in the process of territory analysis. Thus, the same map can be used by users of different fields of activity, for example, to characterize the investment attractiveness of cities administration in connection with relevant, specialized information about the territory of cities. Making investments in cities often requires cooperation between different institutions, offices and other structures. To do this, it is possible to create electronic systems that can be implemented through electronic channels. This concept is called the Regional Business Spatial System. GIS tools can be considered as an integrating element between the subjects of the environment. GIS tools can be an element that integrates the environment in which investments are made. Not only existing objects can be marked on joint maps, but also implemented, planned or even postulated projects thanks to up-to-date geodetic survey materials. The aim of the work is a conceptual analysis conducted to determine whether at a certain stage the use of GIS technologies in cities can serve as a platform conducive to the creation of regional electronic systems to promote investment in the city, based on current geodetic and cartographic data.

Spatial data acquisition for traffic lights intersections as a basis for GIS development in Timisoara, Romania

The continuous development and the rapid economic growth of Timisoara municipality (western Romania) have contributed to the increase in transport needs. The number of motor vehicles registered by natural persons (125195), and the number of motor vehicles registered by legal entities (35303), results in one motor vehicle per two persons. To these figures are added the commuters, students and tourists who come by car to the city. Thus, the main cause of road traffic is the increasing number of vehicles, day by day. In order to maximize road capacity and speed up the pedestrians’ flow, traffic lights are used at approximately every intersection. As such, the proper use of traffic signals can lead to more efficient traffic management. Due to the evolution in time, technology comes to aid precisely to solve such problems and especially to streamline road traffic issues. Thus, the article presents the workflow that includes identifying the elements of a traffic light intersection, measuring, and processing them, in order to realize a layout plan that can be introduced into a GIS system to manage traffic lights in an intelligent manner. Using GIS (Geographical Information System) technology, the problem of road traffic can be solved appropriately and efficiently. Based on the main characteristics of urban traffic and the efficient, appropriate use of traffic lights, approaching, and treating the information according to the area, its spatial and geographical location through coordinates, GIS technology can be used to solve problems given by the zonal agglomeration of heavy traffic centres, or areas with peak hours. The fluidization of the traffic can ensure better circulation and aeration of the crowded areas and the avoidance of the congestion of some central arteries, especially during rush hours.

One4all—A New SCADA Approach

The main purpose of this paper is to introduce a new concept, named “one4all” in the realm of SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems, used by a regional company (particularly a water supplying company) for managing the different views of its users. As a secondary purpose, the paper presents an integration of such an SCADA system with a GIS (Geographical Information System) system. All the regional water supply companies in Romania manage water and wastewater networks, many sensors and actuators, dozens of water pump plants, several water treatment and wastewater plants, tanks and many hydrophores in different parts of their operating range. Due to the wide geographical operating range, an SCADA system needs to be put in place, but the management of such a system in a traditional way is hard to implement, especially when the human resource is low. The methodology presented in this paper, involving adding helper tables and dynamic template windows within an SCADA tool (“one4all” tool), will show how efficiently the human resource can be used. Additionally, the paper shows that companies as described above, can use a single SCADA system that generates different views for all the managed sub regions instead of different systems for every sub region. Implementing only one SCADA system built with the concept “one4all” in mind, and integrating it with a GIS system that is built on the same principle, represents a new approach that will bring value to any organization willing to adopt it. The concept of “one4all”, implemented as a software tool for an SCADA system, is a new concept that will help any developer to easily build applications that generate different views for different users based on their permissions and their operating range. Finally, the paper presents some examples of the same concept, implemented in a different vertical (GIS) and programming language, thus presenting that a “one4all” concept is viable and helpful, bringing value to the information technology industry.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as Supporting Tools in the Monitoring and Water Management of Lakes in Poland: A Review

Abstract A multitude of spatial relations between the lake and its catchment prompts both water managers and scientists to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The paper presents the possibility of using GIS systems in the monitoring and management of Polish lakes, taking advantage of the dynamic development of geoinformatics. The focus is on the possibility of using GIS systems when creating documents necessary for the implementation of subsequent water management plans, as required by the Water Framework Directive. This review presents the currently existing spatial databases of Polish lakes and discusses the impact of the use of morphometric data of lakes on the process of water monitoring. Attention was paid to the problem of delimiting the catchment areas of lakes and the legal consequences of determining their boundaries. Tools used in the interpolation of limnological parameters and the models most often used in GIS software for water quality prediction are discussed.

GIS-Based Approach for the Analysis of Geographical Education Paths

This paper presents a new geospatial approach, and a proposal to study the geographic educational path of individuals or social groups identified by researchers using a Geographic Information System (GIS) and spatial statistics. A scheme of research proceedings has been proposed, including obtaining data from various sources (including surveys and other sources, e.g., from the university and OpenStreetMap), their proper preparation and categorisation into one geodatabase on the GIS system, followed by visualisation and the calculation of statistics. The whole research procedure was carried out in GIS. The results can be useful for detecting patterns of educational paths in different countries and social groups, and comparing them. Indirectly, they can be used to study mobility, and to indicate the spatial range of studied schools. The study was carried out among a group of students of geoinformation at the University of Lodz. Visualization and analysis of their geographical educational path showed that most of them attended schools close to where they lived, indicating low mobility during their education. The results obtained may be relevant to the “spatial turn” in education research.

Merging GIS and Machine Learning Techniques: A Paper Review

GIS (Geographic Information Systems) data showcase locations of earth observations or features, their associated attributes and spatial relationships that exist between such observations. Analysis of GIS data varies widely and may include some modeling and predictions which are usually computing-intensive and complicated, especially, when large datasets are involved. With advancement in computing technologies, techniques such as Machine learning (ML) are being suggested as a potential game changer in the analysis of GIS data because of their comparative speed, accuracy, automation, and repeatability. Perhaps, the greatest benefit of using both GIS and ML is the ability to transfer results from one database to another. GIS and ML tools have been used extensively in medicine, urban development, and environmental modeling such as landslide susceptibility prediction (LSP). There is also the problem of data loss during conversion between GIS systems in medicine, while in geotechnical areas such as erosion and flood prediction, lack of data and variability in soil has limited the use of GIS and ML techniques. This paper gives an overview of the current ML methods that have been incorporated into the spatial analysis of data obtained from GIS tools for LSP, health, and urban development. The use of Supervised Machine Learning (SML) algorithms such as decision trees, SVM, KNN, and perceptron including Unsupervised Machine Learning algorithms such as k-means, elbow algorithms, and hierarchal algorithm have been discussed. Their benefits, as well as their shortcomings as studied by several researchers have been elucidated in this review. Finally, this review also discusses future optimization techniques.

Mapping the spatial distribution of the dengue vector Aedes aegypti and predicting its abundance in northeastern Thailand using machine-learning approach

BackgroundMapping the spatial distribution of the dengue vector Aedes (Ae.) aegypti and accurately predicting its abundance are crucial for designing effective vector control strategies and early warning tools for dengue epidemic prevention. Socio-ecological and landscape factors influence Ae. aegypti abundance. Therefore, we aimed to map the spatial distribution of female adult Ae. aegypti and predict its abundance in northeastern Thailand based on socioeconomic, climate change, and dengue knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) and/or landscape factors using machine learning (ML)-based system. MethodA total of 1066 females adult Ae. aegypti were collected from four villages in northeastern Thailand during January–December 2019. Information on household socioeconomics, KAP regarding climate change and dengue, and satellite-based landscape data were also acquired. Geographic information systems (GIS) were used to map the household-based spatial distribution of female adult Ae. aegypti abundance (high/low). Five popular supervised learning models, logistic regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), k-nearest neighbor (kNN), artificial neural network (ANN), and random forest (RF), were used to predict females adult Ae. aegypti abundance (high/low). The predictive accuracy of each modeling technique was calculated and evaluated. Important variables for predicting female adult Ae. aegypti abundance were also identified using the best-fitted model. ResultsUrban areas had higher abundance of female adult Ae. aegypti compared to rural areas. Overall, study respondents in both urban and rural areas had inadequate KAP regarding climate change and dengue. The average landscape factors per household in urban areas were rice crop (47.4%), natural tree cover (17.8%), built-up area (13.2%), permanent wetlands (21.2%), and rubber plantation (0%), and the corresponding figures for rural areas were 12.1, 2.0, 38.7, 40.1 and 0.1% respectively. Among all assessed models, RF showed the best prediction performance (socioeconomics: area under curve, AUC = 0.93, classification accuracy, CA = 0.86, F1 score = 0.85; KAP: AUC = 0.95, CA = 0.92, F1 = 0.90; landscape: AUC = 0.96, CA = 0.89, F1 = 0.87) for female adult Ae. aegypti abundance. The combined influences of all factors further improved the predictive accuracy in RF model (socioeconomics + KAP + landscape: AUC = 0.99, CA = 0.96 and F1 = 0.95). Dengue prevention practices were shown to be the most important predictor in the RF model for female adult Ae. aegypti abundance in northeastern Thailand. ConclusionThe RF model is more suitable for the prediction of Ae. aegypti abundance in northeastern Thailand. Our study exemplifies that the application of GIS and machine learning systems has significant potential for understanding the spatial distribution of dengue vectors and predicting its abundance. The study findings might help optimize vector control strategies, future mosquito suppression, prediction and control strategies of epidemic arboviral diseases (dengue, chikungunya, and Zika). Such strategies can be incorporated into One Health approaches applying transdisciplinary approaches considering human-vector and agro-environmental interrelationships.

Optimized Land Use through Integrated Land Suitability and GIS Approach in West El-Minia Governorate, Upper Egypt

Land evaluation is imperative for its efficient use in agriculture. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing the suitability of a region in West El-Minia for cultivating some of the major crops using the geographical information system (GIS). The results focus on allocating space for cultivating sugar beet and utilizing the free period of sugar beet in other crops. This exploitation helps to maintain the quality of the land and increase its fertility by using crop rotation with integrated agricultural management. A machine learning technique was implemented using the random forest algorithm (RF) to predict soil suitability classes for sugar beet using geomorphology, terrain attribute and remote sensing data. Fifteen major crops were evaluated using a suitability multicriteria approach in GIS environment for crop rotation decisions. Soil parameters were determined (soil depth, pH, texture, CaCO3, drainage, ECe, and slope) to characterize the land units for soil suitability. Soils of the area were found to be Entisols; Typic Torrifluvents, Typic Torripsamments and Typic Torriorthents and Aridsols; Typic Haplocacids, Calcic Haplosalids and Sodic Haplocalcids. Overall, the studied area was classified into four suitability classes: high “S1”, moderate “S2”, marginal “S3”, and not suitable “N”. The area of each suitability class changed depending on the crop tested. The highest two crops that occupied S1 class were barley with 471.5 ha (representing 6.8% of the total study area) and alfalfa with 157.4 ha (2.3%). In addition, barley, sugar beet, and sorghum occupied the highest areas in S2 class with 6415.3 ha (92.5%), 6111.3 ha (88.11%) and 6111.3 ha (88.1%), respectively. Regarding the S3 class, three different crops (sesame, green pepper, and maize) were the most highly represented by 6151.8 ha (88.7%), 6126.3 ha (88.3%), and 6116.7 ha (88.2%), respectively. In the end, potato and beans occupied the highest areas in N class with 6916.9 ha (99.7%) and 6853.5 ha (98.8%), respectively. The results revealed that the integration of GIS and soil suitability system consists of an appropriate approach for the evaluation of suitable crop rotations for optimized land use planning and to prevent soil degradation. The study recommends using crop rotation, as it contributes to soil sustainability and the control of plant pests and diseases, where the succession of agricultural crops on a scientific basis aims at maintaining the balance of nutrients and fertilizers in the soil.

Participatory process for mapping socio-environmental determinants of health by community agents: Contributions to urban management and planning

Studies about socio-environmental determinants are recognized as important to better understand the factors that influence health and quality of life, and how they operate to generate inequalities. This article reports the mapping of socio-environmental determinants of health, carried out by community health agents from the community of Paraisópolis, the second-largest slum in the city of São Paulo (state of São Paulo), seeking to analyze potential contributions of this participatory process to urban management and planning. As part of an action research study and following the stages of Paulo Freire’s Research Itinerary (Culture Circles), the mapping was carried out by integrating the Talking Map technique with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), in what has been called Participatory GIS or Geographic Information Systems with Social Participation (PGIS). Positive aspects were recognized and addressed by community agents, as well as several situations of socio-environmental vulnerability as a result of the agglomerated nature of the place, directly related to urban management and planning needs. This shows that, through a participatory mapping process, citizens cannot only better identify, but also more effectively communicate their needs and qualify intervention strategies in the territory. Therefore, it is possible to address the residents’ priorities more representatively, especially in places where traditionally marginalized social groups live. And also, community health agents, who play a central role in this research process because they live and work in the same place, are fundamental to boost, mobilize, and support the complex aspects involved, both in Primary Health Care, as well as in urban management and planning.