Cities over space and time : Historical GIS for Urban History

The study of urban history is increasingly dependent on new communication and representation techniques. The use of GIS (Geographical Information System) makes it possible to account for the factors of space and time, allowing scholars to further develop and communicate research. The ability to manage both spatial and non-spatial data through relational databases with GIS increases scholars’ potential in mapping urban phenomena, by allowing different historical maps and sequential phases of change and adaptation to be compared. This data can then be visualized in thematic maps that can highlight changes such as, for example, property income or building use allocations. The possibility of representing change over space and time is a critical step forward in the discipline of urban history. With GIS, every aspect of a city’s buildings, roads, or rivers can be rendered in three dimensions and localized with extreme precision. By adding chronological data to engage with the issue of change over time, historical GIS lets scholars trace and visualize the development of a city as a process inflected by social and economic transformation, showing patterns and dynamics of spatial objects that cannot be represented with other tools.