Modeling Cities as Spatio-Temporal Places

Abstract

A place exists in a space (footprint) which evolves over a temporal extent (lifeline). This study focuses on those places such as cities or component places within cities (hereafter referred to as city places or simply places). It concerns the modeling and analysis of places from the integrative spatio-temporal perspective. Drawing on recent research development related to spatio-temporal ontology, this study discusses a spatio-temporal ontology specific to city places. The ontology distinguishes between the static view of places (Static-Place) and the dynamic view of spatial-temporal regions led by spatio-temporal processes (ST-Place). The study considers places as spatio-temporal constructs. It proposes the concept of primitive ST region for the construction of spatio-temporal regions and ultimately spatio-temporal places. The study then presents a spatio-temporal data model to link spatial features and the spatio-temporal processes. In this way, the study models an ST-place from a spatio-temporal perspective by forming high dimensional spatio-temporal regions. Based on this conceptual data model, the study further discusses the potential use of this model in spatio-temporal analysis in general and in reasoning spatio-temporal topological relations in particular.