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Municipal GIS An Introduction To How GIS Visuals Convey Info Geographic Information Systems This brochure produced by: City of Burlington GIS Division 425 South Lexington Avenue Burlington, North Carolina Phone: [PHONE REDACTED] Fax: [PHONE REDACTED] www.burlingtonnc.gov As on a paper map, a digital map created by GIS will have dots, or points, that represent features on the map such as cities; lines that represent features such as roads; and small areas that rep- resent features such as lakes. The difference is that this information comes from a database and is shown only if the user chooses to show it. The database stores where the point is located, how long the road is, and even how many square miles a lake occupies. Each piece of information in the map sits on a layer, and the users turn on or off the layers ac- cording to their needs. Some examples of layers are: Where Do I Find My GIS Info? To find GIS information pertaining to parcels in Alamance County and its municipalities, including Burlington, log on to www.alamance-nc.com/gis. ---PAGE BREAK--- Microsoft Although the roots of GIS are found in cartography (map-making), today’s GIS field is much more than the generation of maps. In fact, part of the difficulty in defining GIS is due to the fact that it is incorporating and enveloping many capabilities that once were sepa- rate fields of study. Some of these fields include: Statistics Network Analysis Computer-Assisted Design (CAD) Automated Mapping/Facilities Mapping (AM/FM) Geocoding/Global Positioning Systems (GPS) Database Management Systems (DBMS) Land Information Systems (LIS) A geographic information system (GIS) integrates hardware, software and data for capturing, manag- ing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geo- graphically referenced information. GIS allows us to view, understand, question, in- terpret, and visualize data in many ways that re- veal relationships, patterns, and trends in the form of maps, globes, reports, and charts. In local government, GIS brings geographic data from surveys, plats, spreadsheets, GPS units and paper files together within a computer network that is available to employees, officials and citi- zens for: Generating visual maps and reports Tracking permits, fees & licenses Modeling, projecting & analyzing geographic data trends What is GIS? Why GIS? Land Use and Urban Planning Permit Tracking Infrastructure Planning/Management Transportation Planning/Management Tax Analysis and Record-keeping Emergency Management/Response Public Information Services Districting Economic Development Planning Public Health Risk Analysis How Local Governments Use GIS Citizens are increasingly demanding better infor- mation from local government which shows that public policy decisions will result in greater effi- ciency, equity, community viability and environ- mental health. At least 70 to 80 percent of the average local government’s work involves land or geography- related issues or tasks. Geography-related items that local governments deal with regularly include: Land Use Zones Tax Parcels Street Addresses Water Meters Sewer Manholes Water and Sewer Lines Pavement Markings Fire Hydrants Emergency Response (Police, Fire, EMT) Signs Local government is responsible for the long- term health, safety and welfare of its citizens, and many issues cannot be boiled down to a simple calculation of short-term costs and benefits. GIS enhances the ability of local government to look at the long-term effects of decisions.