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COMPUTER-BASED MAPPING SYSTEMS
<br />SAVE TIME AND EFFORT
<br />
<br /> MICHAEL H ONE.A
<br /> C.,~.md.
<br />
<br />about high teOmology ~omp~w. ae~, p~-
<br />
<br />IF a pubBc works depa~ent n~
<br />~ eo~et a re~ ~fi~ maps
<br />~o~g M] city-o~ed strut Imps,
<br />
<br />~g ~e t~e of Imp, war.ge, ~d
<br />height of the light pole, how long
<br />would it t~e s~f en~eem ~ eom-
<br />pile
<br /> ~ ~e pl~g coCa.ion nee~
<br />~ow ~e l~ation of ~ water
<br />
<br />~on of~e city, how long w~ It ~e to
<br />get ~e maps ~d how aeem-a~
<br />· ey ~7
<br /> These could be actual require-
<br />men~ ~ most ~y city ~ ~e co~t~.
<br />They could produce a ~gh~are of
<br />~seareh. comping of da~, D'p~g
<br />repo~, ~d draw~g of maps. But
<br />such reqMrements, ~d h~dreds of
<br />o~em, ~e h~dled essay ~d qmekly
<br />by a eompmer-based mapped system
<br />~ap~ea~y linked m a database.
<br />de.processing system ~ a eo~ecfion
<br />of ~[omation from v~ous city
<br />
<br />sL~c: almost ~ny ty~ of repo~,
<br />aceomp~ying maps m d~play ~e
<br />
<br /> ~niie ~o~ap~c Idomation
<br />~ {GI5) have ~en h~ed ~ one of
<br />~e ~e~test tecknolo~ca! adv~e~
<br />men~ ever ~ Lmpa~ city ad~tra-
<br />fion, most cities Fred ~e ~c~olo~
<br />cost pro~bkive. Because of ~ted
<br />
<br />foxed to work wi~ obsolete ma~s. To
<br />
<br />T~ me~s it ~ d~c~t, at
<br />merge water ~d sewer ~e$
<br />$tree~ maps. Such ~iserepancies
<br />m~e ii ~ ~e more dL~euh to add
<br />new facilities mmong a m~e of pipe~
<br />~d eondui~ or to m~e rep~
<br />out fireman, nd o~er l~es. Obsolete
<br />map~ ~o add to ~e generg
<br />
<br />c~acy pmble~ ~ zo~ng ~d
<br />~zfionM ~ues.
<br /> Ma~)' eiffel, however, m~ fmd~g
<br />~mputer-~d m~pp~g sys~m
<br />~ ~e solu~o~ to ~aese
<br />Nonetheless, ~ menfiened em-~er,
<br />o~y a few tides a~ a~m~y ~g
<br />~mpmer mapptng ~cause off the
<br />cos~. A typical system,
<br />
<br />of establishing a_nd inputing a di-
<br />~lized data ba.~e, can cost more that
<br />~,500,000 over a ~m~ of yea~. ~ce
<br />~m~ed ~d o~ralion~, ~mputer
<br />mapping c~ ~ve ~ld m~o~ of
<br />~o~ work, el~me m~y h~
<br />e~om, ~d save liter~y ~o~ o~
<br />ciD, ~ doBam ~ ve~.
<br /> The question ~mes: ~ ~e coal of
<br />~mputer-based mapping wo~ ~e
<br />phee, ~d how c~ it ~ jutted?
<br /> ~ ~e syslem were reslHc~d m use
<br />By one city depamment, such as pu~
<br />hc works, ~e ~wer ~ghl ~ no..
<br />Bul gemprocessing h~ wide. applica-
<br />horn m ne~ly eve~ ciB, f~cuon. For
<br />exmple:
<br /> ~e appr~al ~d m depa~ent
<br />~ ~e ~e maps to dmplay lmm ~d
<br />locations of delmquenl prope~es,
<br />~ong wi~ ~e n~mes of o~mem. ~e
<br />fire depammem can ~e il to show g~
<br />~l-off v~ves within a eena~ area,
<br />~d ~e l~ation of each wi~ res~cl
<br />m schoo~ ~d churches. The ~hce
<br />depa~ment c~n use computer gener-
<br />ated maps to display juhsdic~onal
<br />~dahes, patrol zones, high cme
<br />dmthrB, fence l~atio~, ~d ca~ ~x
<br />locations. The city eo~c~ c~ re~ive
<br />maps det~ling po!itieal ~mndaries
<br />
<br />and all public works projects in pro-
<br />gress in each district, with a detailed
<br />analysis of cos~ for each.
<br />
<br />Keys to Computer Mapping
<br />Two e;ements are essential ~o effec-
<br />tive geo-processing: a well designed
<br />database and [he software capable of
<br />performing extensive geographic
<br />anaJysis. Information ma>' be assem-
<br />bled in any format. For example, m-
<br />formation can be displayed alpha-
<br />befically, numerically, by distr,ct, by
<br />zone, by street address, by land use.
<br />by location, or even propemy owner's
<br />name. Also, the information in' the
<br />database must have a geographical
<br />relationship. The software must also
<br />be able to relate the data to a gem
<br />graphic }ocatmn to produce a map.
<br /> The mapping system, then. taus1
<br />have the capability to assimilate this
<br />dam, build the approprlale files by
<br />extracting information from the
<br />database, and produce a system of
<br />overlays wb./ch will accurately daplay
<br />thal lnfo."mation in map form on a
<br />color CRT or plot it a.s a hard copy
<br />map.
<br /> The mapping portion of the
<br />software is different from a cora.
<br />
<br />· PHOTO ~ the (~R'T s~--'rw~ o{ · Geographic tnf~matk>n System mapping systt, rn. This '
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<br />PUBL/C WOPJ~Sf~ April, !988
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