UNDERSTANDING GIS

Presentation for Kankakee Community College

May 2, 2012 by Diane Redwitz

What is GIS?

GIS stands for Geographic Information System. A GIS lets us visualize, question, analyze, interpret and understand data in many ways that reveal relationships, patterns and trends in the form of maps

What can I do with GIS?

• Map where things are• Map Quantities• Map Densities• Find out what’s inside• Find out what’s nearby• Map change

Equipment and Software that helps us Map Locations

• Google• ESRI ArcMap• BING• Open Street Maps and other Open Source• Trimble, TopCon, Magellan, and other GPS

devices or Data Collectors• Smartphones, Tablets and Laptops

Highway Dept uses for GIS

GIS is used at the Kankakee County Highway Dept in the following ways:

Survey Crew – locate plans using a website, map GPS locations, locate boundaries (parcel and ROW), show topology and aerial photography.

Traffic Safety – locate traffic accidents, help gather data to acquire grants, street asset inventory

(lights and signs)

How is the Highway Dept Using GIS?Sign Maintenance County Crashes

$236,000 Sign Grant ProjectTopology overlay to correct Drainage Problems

Other GIS Uses

Mapping and Charting

AeronaticalCartographicNauticalTopographic

Natural ResourcesAgricultureClimate ChangeConservationEnvionmental ManagementForestryMarine and CoastMiningOceansPetroleumWater Resources

Public Safety

911 Computer Aided DispatchEmergency/ Disaster MangementFire Rescue and EMSHomeland SecurityLaw EnforcementWildland Fire Management

Transportation

AviationHighwaysLogisticsRailwaysPorts and MaritimePublic Transportation

AviationHighwaysLogisticsRailwaysPorts and MaritimePublic Transportation

Utilities and Communication

ElectricGasLocation Based Services PipelineTelecommunicationsWater/Wastewater

Other uses

Military operationsGeospatial IntellegenceHealth and MedicalBanking and Financial ServiceFacility ManagementInsuranceMedia PressReal EstateRetail (Papa Johns and Walmart)Education, Libraries and Museums and many others

Maps, Analysis and Future Development

Remote Sensing

Analysis of a Off Shore Wind Farm LocationUtility Buffer

Shipping BuffersBird Migration

Questions?

Thank YouResources:ESRIUSGSUWFKankakee County HighwayNational atlas

Diane RedwitzGIS TechnicianKankakee County Highway Dept750 S East St.Kankakee, IL 60901815-933-1731