The right tools for the job: The case for spatial science tool‐building

摘要: Author(s): Boeing, Geoff | Abstract: This paper was presented as the 8th annual Transactions in GIS plenary address at American Association of Geographers meeting Washington, DC. The spatial sciences have recently seen growing calls for more accessible software and tools that better embody geographic science theory. Urban network offers one clear opportunity: from multiple perspectives, to model analyze nonplanar urban networks traditionally been inaccessible, atheoretical, or otherwise limiting. reflects on this state field. Then it discusses motivation, experience, outcomes developing OSMnx, a tool intended help this, then reviews literature multidisciplinary empirical conducted using highlight upstream downstream benefits open-source development. Tool-building is an essential but poorly incentivized component academic geography social broadly. To conduct science, we need build tools. concludes with paths forward, emphasizing reusable computational data beyond mere reproducibility replicability.