GIS

Introduction to
Geographic
Information
System
Janice B. Jamora,
MEng

Geographic Information
System
A computer system for capturing,
storing, querying, analyzing and
displaying geospatial data.
Geospatial Data
Describe both the locations and
characteristics of spatial features

How do we describe a river?

Location
Where it is?

Characteristics

How long?
(length)
What is the
name?
How wide?
(width)

Components of a GIS

How GIS works?

GIS stores
information
about the
world as a
collection of
thematic
layers

How GIS works?

Geographic
References
Vector Models
Raster Models

GIS Tasks
Six Processes
Input
Manipulation
Management
Query and Analysis
Visualization

Input

Digitizer

Scanner

Manipulation / Exporation

Management

Query
Once you have a functioning GIS containing
your geographic information, you can begin
to ask simple questions such as

Who owns the land parcel on the corner?

How far is it between two places?

Where is land zoned for industrial use?

Analysis
And analytical questions such as
Where are all the sites suitable for building
new houses?
What is the dominant soil type for oak forest?
If I build a new highway here, how will traffic
be affected?

Proximity Analysis

How many houses lie within 100 m of this water main?

What is the total number of customers within 10 km of
this store?

What proportion of the alfalfa crop is within 500 m of the

well?

Overlay Analysis

Visualization

What map data do we

need?
Base Maps-Include streets
and highways;
boundaries for
census, postal,
and political
areas; rivers and
lakes; parks and
landmarks; place
names; and USGS
raster maps.

What map data do we

need?
Business Maps and
Data--Include data
related to
census/demography,
consumer products,
financial services,
health care, real
estate,
telecommunications,
emergency
preparedness, crime,
advertising, business
establishments, and
transportation.

What map data do we

need?
Environmental
Maps and Data-Include data
related to the
environment,
weather,
environmental
risk, satellite
imagery,
topography, and
natural resources.

What map data do we

need?
General
Reference
Maps--World
and country
maps and data
that can be a
foundation for
your database.

How Do I Get Map Data?

ESRI's GIS Store and ArcData Online

USGS
GEODATA Phil
DOST
NAMRIA
OpenStreetMap
philgis

What can GIS do for us?

Perform Geographic Queries and Analysis
The ability of GISs to search databases and perform
geographic queries has saved many companies literally
millions of dollars. GISs have helped reduce costs by
*Streamlining customer service.
*Reducing land acquisition costs through better analysis.
*Reducing fleet maintenance costs through better
logistics.

What can GIS do for us?

A realtor could
use a GIS to
find all houses
within a certain
area that have
tiled roofs and
five bedrooms,
then list their
characteristics.

What can GIS do for us?

The query
could be
further refined
by adding
criteria - the
house must
cost less than
5000 pesos per
square foot.
You could also
list houses
within a certain
distance of a
school.

What can GIS do for us?

Improve
Organizationa
l Integration

What can GIS do for us?

Make Better Decisions

What can GIS do for us?

Making Maps

Related Technologies
Related Technologies
GISs are closely related to several
other types of information systems,
but it is the ability to manipulate and
analyze geographic data that sets GIS
technology apart. Although there are
no hard and fast rules about how to
classify information systems, the
following discussion should help
differentiate GIS from desktop
mapping, computer-aided design
(CAD), remote sensing, DBMS, and
global positioning systems (GPS)

GIS in everyday life

A geographic information system or GIS allows you to bring all
types of data together based on the geographic and locational
component of the data.
But unlike a static paper map, GIS can display many layers of
information that is useful to you.
You will be able to integrate, visualize, manage, solve, and present
the information in a new way.
Relationships between the data will become more apparent and
your data will become more valuable.
GIS will give you the power to create maps, integrate information,
visualize scenarios, solve complicated problems, present powerful
ideas, and develop effective solutions like never before.
GIS is a tool used by individuals and organizations, schools,
governments, and businesses seeking innovative ways to solve
their problems.

WHY STUDY GIS?

80% of local government activities estimated to be

geographically based
plats, zoning, public works (streets, water supply, sewers), garbage
collection, land ownership and valuation, public safety (fire and
police)

a significant portion of national government has a

geographical component
natural resource management
highways and transportation

businesses use GIS for a very wide array of applications

retail site selection & customer analysis

logistics: vehicle tracking & routing
natural resource exploration (petroleum, etc.)
precision agriculture

civil engineering and construction

Military and defense

Battlefield management
Satellite imagery interpretation

scientific research employs GIS

geography, geology, botany
anthropology, sociology, economics, political science
Epidemiology, criminology

WHAT ARE THE

MAJOR AREAS OF
GIS APPLICATIONS?

 Local Government
Public works/infrastructure management (roads, water,
sewer)
Planning and environmental management
property records and appraisal

Real Estate and Marketing

Retail site selection, site evaluation

Public safety and defense

Crime analysis, fire prevention, emergency management,
military/defense

Natural resource exploration/extraction

Petroleum, minerals, quarrying

Transportation
Airline route planning, transportation planning/modeling

Public health and epidemiology

The Geospatial Industry
Data development, application development, programming

Examples of Applied GIS

Urban Planning, Management &

Policy

Environmental Sciences

Zoning, subdivision planning

Land acquisition
Economic development
Code enforcement
Housing renovation programs
Emergency response
Crime analysis
Tax assessment
Monitoring environmental risk
Modeling stormwater runoff
Management of watersheds, floodplains,
wetlands, forests, aquifers
Environmental Impact Analysis
Hazardous or toxic facility siting
Groundwater modeling and contamination
tracking

Political Science

Redistricting
Analysis of election results
Predictive modeling

Civil Engineering/Utility

Business

Attendance Area Maintenance

Enrollment Projections
School Bus Routing

Real Estate

Demographic Analysis
Market Penetration/ Share Analysis
Site Selection

Education Administration

Locating underground facilities

Designing alignment for freeways, transit
Coordination of infrastructure maintenance

Neighborhood land prices

Traffic Impact Analysis
Determination of Highest and Best Use

Health Care

Epidemiology
Needs Analysis
Service Inventory