Conference explores geographic information technology

Council is developing tools to better share its substantial data resources

Whether or not you know that MapQuest® relies on a geographic information system (GIS) to work, you probably appreciate its ability to help you get where you want to go.

Likewise for Metro Transit’s trip planning service. You may not understand the technology that puts together the quickest itinerary to get you from Point A to Point B, but you use it just the same.

But some people live and breathe GIS. It has become an indispensable tool for the work of government and private business. In fact, at a recent conference co-sponsored by the Metropolitan Council, Michael Liebhold called GIS experts “the new rock stars.” Liebhold is a senior researcher with Institute for the Future, where he focuses on projects aimed at helping technologists and strategic planners from top-tier companies and the public sector better understand the emerging geospatial information infrastructure.

The auditorium was packed for the “Imagining Possibilities” conference in June, co-sponsored by the Metropolitan Council. Speaking here is Clint Brown, director of software development for ESRI Inc.

What is a GIS?

A geographic information system (GIS) is a computerized system for organizing, analyzing and displaying information about places on Earth. GIS technology does more than create lines or figures on a screen or paper. It creates "smart maps" -- meaning that it's possible to compare and analyze a wide range of spatial information. For example: What homes are for sale within a mile of the new school our children will be attending? Which industries may contribute to river pollution in our city? Where are crimes being committed in my community?

GIS is an integral tool for the Metropolitan Council’s work, both in planning and operations. A sample of Council GIS uses includes:

Working with local governments as they update their comprehensive plans
Making more accurate growth forecasts
Designing additional wastewater collection capacity
Planning transit routes
Finding sites for potential new regional parks

While GIS technology has been around for a few decades, its utility has expanded exponentially with advances in hardware technology, creation of new software, and cooperative efforts to develop and integrate sets of data. Local and regional governments in the Twin Cities area, through a collaborative organization called MetroGIS, are international leaders in integrating and sharing geospatial data. The Council has been a primary funding sponsor of MetroGIS since its inception 10 years ago.

Paul Wickman demonstrates the potential of Google™ Earth in one of several technology demonstrations at the conference.

Hurricane highlights need for good use of technology

“The future will favor organizations that harness the power of GIS,” according to Clint Brown, director of software products for Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc., and a keynote speaker at the June GIS conference, “Imagining Possibilities.” He said that perhaps if people had used GIS beforehand to visualize the information that was available about the consequences of a hurricane like Katrina, “they could have made better decisions.” And in the aftermath, while GIS data was used to help with rescue and recovery efforts, “it was uncoordinated and random…it was not efficient,” said Brown.

Liebhold and Brown spoke about a dizzying array of new GIS technologies and potential applications. Other speakers and panelists explored issues related to data standards, organizational structures needed to make the best use of GIS technology and data, and educating policymakers and the public about what GIS can do.

Council is developing “MetroAtlas”

The Council was interested in the conference because “we are moving more aggressively in the direction of using the Internet to serve our customers, both internal and external,” explained Mark VanderSchaaf, head of the Council’s new Department of Data Resources. For example, last year the Council redesigned its Local Planning Handbook to be a set of interactive online tools. Communities can download forms from the handbook and get all the information they need about updating their comprehensive plans.

The Council already has a host of data resources available via the Internet, said VanderSchaaf. But his department is developing a tool called “MetroAtlas,” which will make the data resources available via community profile pages and interactive maps. The goal is to simplify and speed up access to information about trends and patterns in the region. The Council hopes to launch the tool by the end of 2006 in concert with a redesign of the Council website.