"Cartographic generalisation means the variety of modifications that can, and must, be made as a result of the reduction of information....at the same time increasing the effectiveness of the information communicated." (Robinson et al., 1978)
The power of a GIS comes from the ability to relate different information in a spatial context and to reach a conclusion about this relationship. Most of the information available about our world contains a location reference, placing that information at some point on the globe - it its therefore very important to communicate the correct message to the map user.
This paper reviews the history, present and future thoughts on generalisation in cartography and modeling, exploring this important process.
Arguments for or against Generalisation.
The modern GIS systems ability to zoom, pan , turn layers of interest on and off has brought about the thought with some users that generalisation is an artifact left over from the days of manual map production. This is a point that can be strongly argued against though as this review will endevour to explain.
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