The model, regions with broad boundaries, is used to represent uncertain regions. Then, the topological and direction relations between regions with broad boundaries are represented as the combinations of relations associated with crisp regions. By relating direction-relation matrix, representing direction relations, to the extended 9-intersection model, describing topological relations, three approaches are presented to derive topological relations from direction relations between regions with broad boundaries. These approaches can be used to obtain directly topological relations from direction relations. As the approaches can avoid geometric computation, they can improve the efficiency of computing and storing topological relations.

Using 3S technique, surveying and statistical analysis, this study took landscape pattern changes of Guangzhou City as a case study. The study examined the relationship between the process of a typical rapid urbanization and landscape spatio-temporal patterns during the period from 1985 to 2005, and compared the landscape and class-level pattern indices in Guangzhou City. The results show that the complexity of landscape structure and the fragmentation of the landscape increase from 1985 to 2005, whereas, the intensity and tendency of the landscape changes varied during the four comparative periods: 1985-1990, 1990-1995, 1995-2000, and 2000-2005. It is a rapid development period from 1985 to 2005 in Guangzhou. Spatio-temporal landscape patterns of the ten districts are different due to different development and planning motives. The intensity and extent of disturbance is strong and happen frequently in Urban, Panyu and Huadu districts. Conghua and Zengcheng districts represent slight disturbance, and their urbanization process mainly take place during 1990-2000. Urbanization in urban begin early while it mainly happens after 1990 in Panyu and Huadu districts ,showing the effect of frequent disturbance and severe intensity. The trend of urbanization in urban is similar to total study zone, showing frequent disturbance, multi-period and characteristics of long-term urbanization.

The topological relations between simple regions with broad boundaries (BBRs) can be modeled by the extended 9-intersection model and be computed out easily, while the relations between composite BBRs are more complex than the relations between simple ones. Therefore, in order to query and analyze topological relations between composite BBRs in computer environment, a computational method is needed. Based on the relation of composite BBRs and their simple BBRs, an approach is proposed to compute the topological relations between composite BBRs from the relations between simple ones. The computation approach makes that the extended 9-intersection is no longer a conceptual model, but a computational model, which is helpful to query and analyze the topological relations between BBRs.