Gregory Bowie

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and web-based GIS platforms are typically used by large organizations and government agencies for the purposes of data storage, query, analysis, and for the delivery of spatial data to a user in the form of a map. Google Fusion Tables Application Programming Interface (API) seeks to change this trend by providing cloud-based computing services for data management and for easy user collaboration through the Google Maps interface. The Fusion Tables API is oriented toward smaller organizations that previously were unable to publish spatial data online due to limitations of database knowledge, start-up costs and implementation restrictions. In this research project, we test the functionality and limitations of the Fusion Tables API as a spatial data management system by programming an interactive web-based mapping platform, the CityTrees.ca Project, designed to showcase the benefits of trees growing on the campus of Ryerson University, Toronto. Specifically, the Fusion Tables API functionality, such as data storage and manipulation, is used to build a query interface (both attribute and spatial) that permits users of CityTrees.ca to search for and map trees by species, diameter, height and location. Query results are delivered for selected trees in the form of a table that includes species, physical characteristics, replacement value, as well as ecological benefits such as air pollution removal, energy conservation and stormwater mitigation. We found that Fusion Tables API performed well as a storage
medium for our campus tree data, which could be easily explored through our creation of a Java coded query tool. However, the weak integration of Fusion Tables with Google’s Visualization API limited our ability to deliver graphical data summaries to the user.