Spatial decision support systems: a research agenda

Definitions of geographic information systems often focus on the capture, storage, manipulation, analysis and display of spatial data - implying that geographic information systems implicitly are designed to support spatial decision-making. For many spatial problems, however, geographic information systems do not support decision-making effectively: analytical modelling capabilities are lacking and system designs are not flexible enough to accommodate variations in either the context or the process of spatial decision-making. One response to these needs is the development of spatial decision support systems. We draw a distinction between geographic information systems and spatial decision support systems in terms of system design, the types of problem to which each can be applied, and the decision-making processes supported. We classify the impediments to both the design and implementation of spatial decision support systems and outline a research agenda to address these problems. -Authors