The Use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) by Local Governments. Giving municipal decision-makers the power to make better decisions

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "The Use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) by Local Governments. Giving municipal decision-makers the power to make better decisions"

Ann Owen
5 years ago
Views:

1 The Use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) by Local Governments Giving municipal decision-makers the power to make better decisions

2 Case Study: Examples of GIS Usage by Local Governments in North Carolina

3 In municipal offices, GIS is capable of... Rapidly expanding available spatial information bases Enhancing the analysis of available options Streamlining the decision-making process Dramatically improving the ability of elected officials to select the best course of action

4 Legislative Redistricting Traffic Accident Referencing & Analysis Geographic Hurricane Storm Surge Information Inundation Areas WATER SUPPLY WATERSHEDS Systems Swine (GIS) Farm Buffers Road Corridor Selection HOSPITAL MARKET AREAS Statewide Land Cover Data Giving decision-makers Statewide Land the Cover power Data Aerial Photography to make Basemaps better decisions. Water & Sewer Inventory WETLAND PROTECTION Managing Storm Water Runoff

5 Corporate Geographic Database Framework Data Thematic Data Land Ownership Transportation Surface Waters Boundaries Geodetic Control Elevation Aerial Imagery Flood Zones Wetlands Landcover Water Lines Sewer Lines Soils

6 GIS can give elected officials the power to do things that were not feasible or practicable before

7 The power to understand complex relationships Forsyth County: Water Supplies & Water Delivery System

8 The power to plan for the future, based on an accurate picture of the present

9 The power to present data in a clear, compelling way

10 The power to make informed decisions

11 The power to save time, money and even lives

12 GIS can be applied to: Crime reduction Public safety enhancement Siting new schools Redistricting Floodplain mapping Growth management Disaster recovery Tax mapping Economic development School bus routing Fire station location Land conservation Environmental impact studies Water & sewer expansion Superfund cleanup

13 The following provides specific examples of how communities across North Carolina have successfully applied GIS in the solution of real-world problems

14 Situation #1: The City of Wilson needed to locate a new fire station

15 Wilson, N.C. Without GIS: necessary to drive all the roads in the city manually determine times and distances to each household and business allow a year to complete the study

16 Wilson, N.C. With GIS: ran more than 40 computer scenarios in just 3 days analyzed benefits of building a new station versus moving an existing one determined best solution: relocate two existing stations

17 Wilson, N.C. Results: reduced the time required to reach all locations in the city from 7 minutes to 4 minutes over 5 years, the city saved an estimated $2M in building costs, equipment, salaries, etc.

18 Situation #2: Catawba County decided to step up the promotion of economic development in their county

19 Catawba County, N.C. Without GIS: no central source for all of the data that land developers needed not all of the data needed by land developers was even available inefficient, slow data gathering and dissemination process

20 Catawba County, N.C. With GIS: created a "one-stop shop" for developers all relevant data made available in one place increased efficiency & reduced time to deliver data

21 Results: Catawba County, N.C. improved image of county among developers (more attractive to investment) GIS office acted as the point of first contact between developers and the municipality increased job opportunities & expanded tax base

22 Situation #3: The Neuse River Foundation needed to know how to protect this water resource

23 Neuse River Foundation Without GIS: critical data spread among a myriad of manuals & reports in different locations impossible to quickly locate potential sources of water contamination unable to adequately assist & support volunteer water monitors

24 Neuse River Foundation With GIS: brought all relevant data together in a single location added data layers to create a more complete picture greatly reduced time necessary to gather and analyze data

25 Neuse River Foundation Results: better support for volunteer water monitors faster tracking of water contamination sources more comprehensive analysis of complex watershed issues

26 Situation #4: N.C. Department of Public Instruction wanted to manage school buses more efficiently

27 North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Without GIS: hit-or-miss route mapping in 107 school districts huge inefficiencies inability to contain costs efficiently

was mandated by all districts statewide in 1992 state

28 North Carolina Department of Public Instruction With GIS: developed pilot program more than 15 years ago GIS use was mandated by all districts statewide in 1992 state funding incentives reward efficiency (fewer buses, better routes)

29 North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Results: in the school year: - more than 500 fewer buses were needed statewide than originally estimated - 15,000,000 fewer miles were driven than originally estimated between 1990 & 1996: - the state saved over 2,000,000 gallons of fuel

30 Situation #5: The City of Concord wanted to make sure everyone was counted in the census

31 Concord, N.C. Without GIS: manual data collection and entry easy to miss some addresses

32 Concord, N.C. With GIS: new addresses entered directly into the GIS system generate instant lists for multiple uses Address Data in GIS Data File Prepared for U.S. Census

33 Concord, N.C. Results: city will have an estimated 5-10% higher, and more accurate, census count city could qualify for as much as a $1,500,000 increase in state & federal funding

34 GIS has well demonstrated applications at all levels of government (from City Council to Congress)

35 Redistricting

36 Disaster recovery

37 Floodplain mapping 500 year flood Hurricane Floyd 100 year flood Flooding in Greenville

38 Regulation implementation & enforcement 100 year flood Hurricane Floyd Hog lagoons in and out of the floodplain

39 Watershed planning

40 Land zoning

41 Planned growth

42 Police and fire deployment

43 Residential development

44 Economic development

45 Fund allocation Prime Farmland in Johnston County

46 Demographics

47 Citizen access to public data Preserved Lands in North Carolina

48 Any local (municipal) issue that involves spatial information can benefit from the application of GIS The power of GIS is the power of partnership

49 Standards State Governments Local Governments Information Architecture Regional Agencies Data Maintenance Training Federal Government Data Models Utilities Companies Formal Agreements Partnership Organization High-speed Universities Networks Collaboration Non-Profit Organizations Synchronized Schedules

50 FILM GIS: Improving Local Decision Making

Examples of How Aerial Imagery Is Used in North Carolina. October 2007

Examples of How Aerial Imagery Is Used in North Carolina October 2007 Table of Contributors Asheville Stormwater Utility Billing Camden County Tracking Permit Violations on Land Clearings CGIA Delineating