M-SGWR: Multiscale Similarity and Geographically Weighted Regression

The first law of geography is a cornerstone of spatial analysis, emphasizing that nearby and related locations tend to be more similar, however, defining what constitutes "near" and "related" remains challenging, as different phenomena exhibit distinct spatial patterns. Traditional local regression models, such as Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) and Multiscale GWR (MGWR), quantify spatial relationships solely through geographic proximity. In an era of globalization and digital connectivity, however, geographic proximity alone may be insufficient to capture how locations are interconnected. To address this limitation, we propose a new multiscale local regression framework, termed M-SGWR, which characterizes spatial interaction across two dimensions: geographic proximity and attribute (variable) similarity. For each predictor, geographic and attribute-based weight matrices are constructed separately and then combined using an optimized parameter, alpha, which governs their relative contribution to local model fitting. Analogous to variable-specific bandwidths in MGWR, the optimal alpha varies by predictor, allowing the model to flexibly account for geographic, mixed, or non-spatial (remote similarity) effects. Results from two simulation experiments and one empirical application demonstrate that M-SGWR consistently outperforms GWR, SGWR, and MGWR across all goodness-of-fit metrics.

GIS Copilot: Towards an Autonomous GIS Agent for Spatial Analysis

Recent advancements in Generative AI offer promising capabilities for spatial analysis. Despite their potential, the integration of generative AI with established GIS platforms remains underexplored. In this study, we propose a framework for integrating LLMs directly into existing GIS platforms, using QGIS as an example. Our approach leverages the reasoning and programming capabilities of LLMs to autonomously generate spatial analysis workflows and code through an informed agent that has comprehensive documentation of key GIS tools and parameters. The implementation of this framework resulted in the development of a "GIS Copilot" that allows GIS users to interact with QGIS using natural language commands for spatial analysis. The GIS Copilot was evaluated based on three complexity levels: basic tasks that require one GIS tool and typically involve one data layer to perform simple operations; intermediate tasks involving multi-step processes with multiple tools, guided by user instructions; and advanced tasks which involve multi-step processes that require multiple tools but not guided by user instructions, necessitating the agent to independently decide on and executes the necessary steps. The evaluation reveals that the GIS Copilot demonstrates strong potential in automating foundational GIS operations, with a high success rate in tool selection and code generation for basic and intermediate tasks, while challenges remain in achieving full autonomy for more complex tasks. This study contributes to the emerging vision of Autonomous GIS, providing a pathway for non-experts to engage with geospatial analysis with minimal prior expertise. While full autonomy is yet to be achieved, the GIS Copilot demonstrates significant potential for simplifying GIS workflows and enhancing decision-making processes.

Automated Floodwater Depth Estimation Using Large Multimodal Model for Rapid Flood Mapping

Information on the depth of floodwater is crucial for rapid mapping of areas affected by floods. However, previous approaches for estimating floodwater depth, including field surveys, remote sensing, and machine learning techniques, can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. This paper presents an automated and fast approach for estimating floodwater depth from on-site flood photos. A pre-trained large multimodal model, GPT-4 Vision, was used specifically for estimating floodwater. The input data were flooding photos that contained referenced objects, such as street signs, cars, people, and buildings. Using the heights of the common objects as references, the model returned the floodwater depth as the output. Results show that the proposed approach can rapidly provide a consistent and reliable estimation of floodwater depth from flood photos. Such rapid estimation is transformative in flood inundation mapping and assessing the severity of the flood in near-real time, which is essential for effective flood response strategies.