Geographic Information Systems

I've worked for a number of years with computer systems involving the application of Geographic Information Systems. Here are some links to systems I have been a part of, somehow, or that I find interesting.

VDOT GIS Applications

Over the past six years I have been involved with a number of GIS applications at the Virginia Department of Transportation. These have all been thin-client applications. That is, the user accesses them through a web browser. Only a couple of these are available to the public, but both can be quite useful.

For example the Online Transportation Information Map. I particularly enjoy this application since I created about half of the original data layers it uses. Those layers, among my boss and the rest of the staff, started off as something of a joke. I didn't really know much about creating GIS data sets, and was trying to learn, so these not-specifically-requested-of-me-to-work-on layers became known as my "lunch hour layers".

The first layer I created was for Weigh Stations. Then I went on to do the layers for Amtrak and VRE stations, Metrorail Stations and lines, bus stations, park and ride lots, rest area, snd airports (adapted from someone else's data layer). I also digitized a lot of the six-year plan projects, and I've had my hand all through the creation of the Roads layer.

The most interesting, or fun, thing about most of these layers is the inclusion of the hyperlinks. For the layers with the little lightening bolt next to the name, if you click on one of the displayed items, it links to another web page. For example, if you click on an airport after activiating the tool, it will open the official airport web page.

The other public thing I've worked on for them is mapping the Six-Year Plan. VDOT uses a six-year plan to prioritize projects. Any that can be shown on a map have a little "compass" symbol under the "Map It" column that takes you to a map of the project.

Before I came to VDOT, I worked on a project at the U.S. BLM known as the Automated Land Records Information System (ALMRS). I was responsible for performance testing the application. Like so many IT projects, the original incarnation was a failure. However, they eventually got an application (Land and Minerals Use Records)to do what they wanted. The public part is called the GeoCommunicator.

The public part of this application is pretty cool because you can look at where oil and coal leases are, geothermal areas, mining claims, and so forth.

Is there anyone that doesn't have this application installed? I'll admit, it is a way to while away a lot of hours, and there are new things beinng added all of the time. My prediction is that the future of GIS websites is going to include a lot of what Google Earth does now.

Let me describe it - The earth as represented by aerial photography, as draped over a surface approixmating the hills and valleys. Add to this ever-growing layers like buildings in 3-D, the ability to tilt the angle of view, zoom, pan, rotate, and "fly" over the landscape.

I've started creating several data layers for inclusion through their Google Earth Community website. The first I have posted contains views of the ballparks for every team in 22 major and minor leagues in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Also, for each ballpark, a hyperlink is provided to the official website of the ballteam that plays there, so it will bring up the team website at the same time. If you'd like to download the file containing these, click here.

One of the featured data layers in Google Earth is Panoramio.

For this application you upload your photographs to their server, and their use Google Maps to show them where you took the photograph. If they deem it of general interest they will add it to the photogrpahs that are shown on Google Earth, such that when you click on their icon, the photo is displayed.

I have a few photos posted with them all ready, and hope to add a lot more, soon.

The Zillow site is a good example of a commercial-public use of GIS technology. The site allows you to search a map for homes, and presents you with images, both via a map, and in "bird's eye view" in selected areas. Click on an individual house to get more information.

For the homes it shows, it includes an estimate of the home value, a history of the estimated home value, actual information about any recorded sales of that home, recorded information on the home (age, sq. ft., number of rooms, taxes, etc.), and well as information on the surrounding area like homes recently sold or currently for sale, and a "heat map" that shows the average cost of homes in the area per square foot.

• Geoportail - A French government site with both aerial and bird's eye photos.
• Windows Live Local - Windows site with aerial photos and bird's eye photos in major cities.
• ESRI Geography Network - Provides access to a lot of different data sets.

Well, more to come some other day...