This work, part of the "GISDATA" series, focuses on the use of geographical information systems GIS in European local government. It explores the extent to which diffusion of innovations like GIS are sensitive to national issues such as cultural

Series Editors' Preface -- Editors' Preface -- Contributors -- Notes on Contributors -- European Science Foundation -- 1 Introduction /Massimo Craglia and Ian Masser -- PART I Reflections on GIS diffusion research -- 2 Brave new GIS worlds /Michael Wegener and Ian Masser -- 3 Theoretical perspectives of the diffusion of GIS technologies /Heather Campbell -- PART II GIS in local government in five European countries surveyed using a similar methodology -- 4 Great Britain: the dynamics of GIS diffusion /Ian Masser and Heather Campbell -- 5 Germany: a federal approach to land information management /Hartwig Junius, Michael Tabeling and Michael Wegener -- 6 Italy: GIS and administrative decentralization /Luisa Ciancarella, Massimo Craglia, Enzo Ravaglia, Piero Secondini and Edi Valpreda -- 7 Portugal: GIS diffusion and the modernization of local government /Antonio M. Arnaud, Lia T. Vasconcelos and Joao D. Geirinhas -- 8 Denmark: Local autonomy, register based information systems and GIS /Hans Kiib -- PART III GIS in local government in four other European countries -- 9 Greece: the development of a GIS community /Dimitris Assimakopoulos -- 10 France: a historical perspective on GIS diffusion /Philippe Miellet -- 11 Poland: methodological doubts and practical solutions /Malgorzata Bartnicka, Slawomir Bartnicki and Marek Kupiszewski -- 12 Netherlands: the diffusion of graphic information technology /Ad Graafland -- PART IV Evaluation -- 13 A comparative evaluation of GIS diffusion in local government in nine European countries /Ian Masser and Massimo Craglia Index.

Professor Ian Masser is Professor of Town & Regional Planning at the University of Sheffield and is currently the co-director of the European Science Foundation's GISDATA scientific programme. Dr Heather Campbell is a lecturer in the Department of Town & Regional Planning at the University of Sheffield. Dr Massimo Craglia lectures in Information Management and GIS in Planning in the Department of Town & Regional Planning of the University of Sheffield, and is the research co-ordinator of the European Science Foundation GISDATA programme.