PRESS RELEASES - NOVEMBER 2007

November 14, 2007

City of Arlington GIS Day is November 14

Who: City of Arlington

What: GIS Day 2007

When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 14

Where: City Hall, 101 W. Abram St. in downtown Arlington

Why: To showcase how City of Arlington departments use GIS (geographic information systems) to improve the delivery of core services and programs. Presentations on crime analysis, traffic management and tree inventory are planned. The Water Department will demonstrate how they use GIS and the Global Position System (GPS) to aid in the data maintenance, information distribution and long range planning for water, sanitary sewer and storm water infrastructure.

The free, one-day event also includes map competitions, web map training, exhibits and prizes.

What is GIS?
GIS technology is computer-based mapping tools that visually present data about a specific geographic area. Maps that show parcel and street information for the entire city are created and maintained by the City’s Information Technology Department and Geoprocessing Division. Geographic details such as buildings, water features and terrain are added as visual layers. Incident reports can be added to the maps to illustrate trends.

History of GIS Day?
The National Geographic Society has sponsored Geography Awareness Week since 1987 to promote geographic literacy in schools, communities, and organizations with a focus on youth, according to Information Systems Coordinator Sylvia H. Wood. Last year, hundreds of organizations from around the world hosted GIS Day events.

For more information about GIS Day in Arlington, call 817-459-6561 or e-mail Sylvia.Wood@ArlingtonTx.Gov. Visit www.gisday.com to learn more about GIS Day.