Geographic information systems (GIS) have been under continuous development for several decades. By now, they are both well known and widely used, and have become integral elements of information technology applications in a wide variety of domains. In its simplest form, GIS software enables users to address a variety of questions that have two root forms: what are the attributes associated with a place and which places have one or more specified attribute(s)? Such systems are particularly helpful when they are used to obtain results for simple queries or to address structured problems that have a well-defined solution process that can be specified and followed as a sequence of steps.

But many problems, particularly those that have a contested public policy component, are neither well structured nor clearly defined. In such cases, different interest groups may not only fail to agree on a solution process for a problem, they may fail to agree on fundamental aspects of its formulation. Consequently, there is no prescriptive process that can be followed to yield a solution. Spatial decision support systems (SDSS) are designed and implemented to address this class of semistructured problems with advanced analytical tools that help people explore a problem, learn about it, and use the information gained to arrive at improved decisions.

This timely book begins with coverage of basic geospatial data handling concepts, methods, and materials. It places the development of SDSS concepts within a historical framework of development and treats important system components with a level of detail that is appropriate for students who may have different backgrounds or be at different stages of intellectual development. Coverage then moves on to demonstrate how these components can be assembled into flexible collections that are used to address particular types of applications. It is here, with the illustration of different component assemblages, that the book coheres by demonstrating how an SDSS can be implemented in the form of a traditional desktop system or using distributed, web-based services. This is done in a way that should prove instructive to both students and their teachers.

I sincerely hope that you enjoy reading and learning from this book and that it will lead you to contribute new insights. I came away from it wishing that the book had been available to me many years ago when I was beginning to struggle with the SDSS concepts that now seem rather straightforward after having read these chapters.