Geographic Information Systems at the Local Level in Rural Areas

Abstract

Geographical information systems (GIS) emerge as a further methodological revolution for the storage, development and analysis of geographical data bases. Their diffusion in the United States at the beginning of the 1960s and later in Europe has facilitated their use in spatial analysis and in management. This article airns to make some reflexions on both the contradictions and the complementary nature of the use of GIS in management. These uses include the collection of statistics at municipal level; research projects such as territorial systems analysis models in rural areas. Through different contributions and a selection of bibliographic references the so-called local information systems are identified as the GIS which serve as a compatible base for use in both research and management. The collaboration which has existed between researchers on rural topics and specialists in SIS methodology and techniques has obviously been highly positive.