Celebrate GIS Day 2020! - Ok, what is it?

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On November 18, 2020 the world will celebrate GIS Day. Ok, maybe not the whole world. I’m sure there’s a majority of people in the world that don’t even know what “GIS” is. Believe me, I’ve had a number of people cock their head at an angle like a confused dog when I mention the concept to them.

Define It For Me

As defined by ESRI, the manufacturer of the worldwide leading GIS software suite:

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a scientific framework for gathering, analyzing, and visualizing geographic data to help us make better decisions.

Ok, some of you are saying in your head, “Whoa Nelly! This is where I jump ship!” But let’s look at another way of saying it:

GIS is computerized map-making.

Better? Now that I’ve pissed off every GIS professional with that last definition, let’s clarify that statement. GIS is MUCH MUCH more than the very basic thought of computerized map-making. But that more rudimentary definition of Geographic Information Systems is where everyone should start and for many rural communities it doesn’t have to get much beyond that.

Uses of GIS

There’s virtually an endless list of uses for GIS, especially for municipalities. There is so much information that a community deals with on a day-to-day basis that has a geographic element to it.

The most obvious is zoning. If you have zoning, every lot in your town has a zoning designation. A zoning district covers a specific geographic area that is typically depicted in a map. From that you know what zoning regulations apply to that specific area.

Another obvious area where a community uses geographic-related data is public works. The sewer lines in your community, where are they? What size are they? Are they made of clay, ductile iron, or PVC? Where have breaks been repaired and when? There’s plenty more possible categories of geographic information about sewer lines, and that’s just the sewer lines! That’s where you can start to get into the power of GIS. All that information (and more) can be stored in a Geographic Information System and you can have it at your fingertips whenever you want on your computer.

Going beyond that, GIS can take the geographic aspects of a drainage basin and analyze if your storm water pipes can handle a major storm event. It can even analyze the amount of scour a bridge’s abutment will take over a 20 year span so that you can predict when that bridge needs to be repaired or replaced. Somewhat mind-blowing isn’t it? But we’re still just scratching the surface of this very powerful piece of technology.

Not Your First Rodeo

Now all of that potential can be a little overwhelming to someone who’s never even used GIS before. But let me tell you a little secret.

Most of us have used GIS before, you’ve just never realized it!

Ever use Google Maps? That’s GIS. There’s a massive amount of data behind that map. How it analyzes the best route to get somewhere and how long it will take you to get there…that’s GIS. Where’s the best burger restaurant? That’s GIS! What about going on a site like Orbitz and setting the parameters in their map for the type of hotel you want and then clicking on an option to find out more? THAT’S GIS!

Feeling a little less bewildered?

Just Play With It

I tell most people that are just starting out with GIS to just play with it. Many counties now have a GIS website. GIS makes the task of the Assessor’s office much easier as it acts as a central database with a geographic logic of tracking. Most of these have public-facing pages. If your county doesn’t have such a setup, feel free to check out any of the county or statewide web GIS systems available through these links:

Utilizing a county’s GIS website as a training ground is great for first timers. You can’t break it!

So grab your morning coffee, pull up a web GIS page and just play with it. Go ahead and zoom or pan about on the map. Turn on map layers. Test out the buttons that let you use the many tools that are available.

Then, if you’re really feeling adventurous, try compiling a GIS for your town. ESRI allows for free personal ArcGIS Online accounts. Through this web portal they have a wide range of data sets that you can add in and check out. Sure it won’t have your community’s water lines, facilities, or zoning. That’s the next step in your GIS journey.

So go ahead and celebrate GIS Day this year by getting familiar with the technology and embracing the potential it could have for your community.