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Spatial Data Design GIS

Image 1: Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) is one of the most common conceptual models used with GIS. Entities, attributes, and relationships are used to represent real-world features, what their properties are and the relationships between the entities.

Image 2: Relational Model (RM) was created using DBDesigner software by transferring the data from the ERD into the RM.

Image 3: Object-Oriented Model (OOM) strength is its ability to represent real world situations. The model assists in visualizing and understanding a real situation.

Image 4: Server database that was created in ArcCatalog.

Skills: Structured Query Language (SQL), Database Design, Data Models and Structures

Data management plays a key role for a city or any agency that wants to improve its efficiency, lower its operating costs and generate accurate analysis. Data must be accurate, up to date, capable of being queried and intuitive for its users.

 

The objective of this course was to design a database for a fictional city that was struggling with its database management. The instructor played the role of the elected government officials. These officials gave specific requirements in each of our database meetings. As in real life, there were changes that needed to be made to the database, as officials updated their plans.

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The spatial database was made of points, lines and polygons along with non-spatial data (citizens and staff members' information). The following steps were used to create the database:

  1. The database was first drafted with the relationships of each data into an entity relationship diagram (ERD).

  2. The ERD was then converted into a Relational Model.

  3. Discovering that the simple Relational Model is not adequate the database was revised to an Object-Oriented Model. 

  4. Lastly after approval from the city, the model was implemented to a Server Database in ArcCatalog.

  5. A Structured Query Language (SQL) was used to query the database both spatial and non-spatial data.

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The cardinality of the relationships has been included in the model schema as well as identifying primary and foreign keys. The last step was normalizing the database to eliminate redundancies,  non-unique keys and ensuring the data fields are complete and can be queried.

Image 5: Structured Query Language (SQL) is designed to manage and query data in a relational database.

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