Kmaps Overview: The Power Of Online GIS
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GIS refers to a variety of computer-based systems that manage, manipulate, and analyze geographically-referenced data. Local governments have used GIS for years to manage and update property information, emergency operations, infrastructure, and environmental resources.
Online GIS refers to the relatively recent effort to make these powerful tools available to the public via the Internet. There are a variety of computer hardware and software applications that make online GIS possible. The common feature among online GIS systems is the availability of publicly accessible interactive maps and data provided by local governments.
With the capacity to present information to constituents in new and exciting ways, web-based GIS is often the most tangible and visible facet of e-government. In many cases, GIS is the most sophisticated and most utilized online service.
Local government officials are realizing that Web-based GIS can ease the burden on staff, better disseminate location-based information, increase satisfaction in service provision, and play a role in economic development.
Online GIS services are useful to a range of local stakeholders, including citizens, developers, and real estate professionals. Some local governments use GIS to improve service delivery. Online functions allow people to access information without having to make a trip to a local government office or a phone call to a staff member.
BACKGROUND
This KMAPS Web GIS initiative is to replace the City's web-based intranet GIS portal and develop an on-line mapping application that allows residents and visitors to identify key features in the area and discover meaningful information about them. The City of Kingston wanted to promote the concept of Smart Communities to their community, and they needed a method of facilitating its implementation. The idea behind the project was to create a more knowledgeable future for their communities by incorporating Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) into the daily lives of citizens and organizations.
KMAPS OVERVIEW
The City of Kingston Information Systems Division developed an application that brought together elements of ICT and mapping, and provided citizens with an easy-to-use application that could be integrated with their daily lives, accessible 24-hours a day. The purpose of the Kmaps is to provide residents in the Kingston area with any information that is related to where they live and the city as a whole. Users can search for an address or intersection; find specific facilities or search for facilities near a particular address. Using drop down menus, users can quickly navigate to information on tourism, electoral districts, neighborhoods, and city services such as garbage and recycling.
Essentially, any physical point within the Kingston area can be mapped, and the user can locate this point by performing a search in relation to where the user is located. Kmaps can retrieve information based on a civic address search, a search based on the name or type of a facility or by simply clicking a point on the map with a mouse. It also shows users the different facilities that are located near and around a particular address or landmark. A large part of the appeal of this application is the fact that people have been using maps to find their way around for thousands of years. The data within the application, however, is kept current as information within the community changes.
The application is beneficial for everyone - whether the user is a resident, a traveler or a business. It allows residents to find information about businesses or services in the community quickly and easily, while it provides local businesses with an opportunity to market their company to a large, targeted audience. Also, Kmaps benefits the tourism industry because it is a robust information tool for travelers to use themselves or for Visitors Information Center employees to provide the visitors with information.
Also, a user can measure the distance between various points he marks on the map, or the area of a combination of points. For example, parents can plan a safe walking route to and from their child's school, a jogger can measure the distance of the route that he runs or a delivery truck can identify where road construction is and find the best route around it. Now everyone in the community can use Kmaps to simplify their daily routines, and fully realize the benefits of integrating mapping into their community and their lives.
DATA AVAILABILITY
Kmaps provides a wealth of information and a variety of tools to use for navigating around the geographic interface. Although the data that can be inputted is limitless, the data used in application includes layers of detailed information on the following topics:
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