|
What is
GIS?
Simply
put, a GIS combines
layers of
information about a
place to give
you a better
understanding of that
place. What layers of
information you
combine depends on
your purpose—finding
the best location for
a new store, finding
homeowner information,
analyzing
environmental damage,
viewing similar crimes
in a city to detect a
pattern, and so on.
Mapping
Where Things Are
GIS
let's people map where
things are and
lets you find places
that have the features
you are looking for
and to see where to
take action.
- Find
a feature—People use
maps to see where or
what an individual
feature is.
- Finding
patterns—By looking
at the distribution
of features on the
map instead of just
an individual
feature, you can see
patterns emerge.
 |
This map shows the location of man-made objects such as
buildings,
antennas, and
towers, as
well as
landscape
features that
can pose
dangers to
aircraft
leaving or
approaching
airfields.
|
|
Frame the Question
Start your GIS analysis by figuring out what information
you need. This
is most often
in the form of
a question:
- Where
were most of
the burglaries
last month?
- How
much forest is
in each
watershed?
- Which
parcels are
within 500
feet of this
liquor store?
- How
close a drug
arrest was to
a school
property?
- How
many and what
kind of crimes
occured in
your
neighborhood?
Be as specific as possible about the question you want
to answer.
This will help
you decide how
to approach
the analysis,
which method
to use, and
how to present
the results.
|
|
This map shows the Riverboat at Casino Aztar. The green
outlines are
property
boundaries
which contain
information
like address,
lot size,
owner name,
etc.
|
- Improve
organizational
integration.
- Make
better decisions.
- Make
maps.
Real-world
examples:
Evansville/Vanderburgh
County
Improve Organizational
Integration
One of
the main benefits of
GIS is improved
management of your
organization and
resources. A GIS can
link data sets
together by common
locational data, such
as addresses, which
helps departments and
agencies share their
data. By creating a
shared database, one
department can benefit
from the work of
another—data can be
collected once and
used many times.
top
Make
Better
Decisions
The
old adage "better
information leads to
better decisions" is
true for GIS. A GIS is
not just an automated
decision making system
but a tool to query,
analyze, and map data
in support of the
decision making
process.
For
example, GIS can be
used to help reach a
decision about the
location of a new
housing development
that has minimal
environmental impact,
is located in a
low-risk area, and is
close to a population
center. The
information can be
presented succinctly
and clearly in the
form of a map and
accompanying report,
allowing decision
makers to focus on the
real issues rather
than trying to
understand the data.
Because GIS products
can be produced
quickly, multiple
scenarios can be
evaluated efficiently
and effectively.
top
Make
Maps
 For
simplicity's sake we
often call GIS
"mapping software." We
most often associate
maps with physical
geography, but the map
to the right
demonstrates that GIS
is flexible enough to
map any kind of
terrain, even the
human body. GIS can
map any data you wish.
Making
maps with GIS is much
more flexible than
traditional manual or
automated cartography
approaches. A GIS
creates maps from data
pulled from databases.
Existing paper maps
can be digitized and
translated into the
GIS as well.
The
GIS-based cartographic
database can be both
continuous and scale
free. Map products can
then be created
centered on any
location, at any
scale, and showing
selected information
symbolized effectively
to highlight specific
characteristics. A map
can be created anytime
to any scale for
anyone, as long as you
have the data.
This
is important because
often we say "I see"
to mean "I
understand." Pattern
recognition is
something human beings
excel at. There is a
vast difference
between seeing data in
a table of rows and
columns and seeing it
presented in the form
of a map. The
difference is not
simply aesthetic, it
is conceptual—it turns
out that the way you
see your data has a
profound effect on the
connections you make
and the conclusions
you draw from it. GIS
gives you the layout
and drawing tools that
help present facts
with clear, compelling
documents.
Source:
GIS.com and Evansville
GIS Department
|
