What is GIS? |
GIS, or a geographic information system, is somewhat similar to a map or globe. In fact, often times the end product is a map. But GIS is more complex than an average paper map. It can contain many layers (groups of similar objects such as cities, buildings, and roads or even a satellite image of the Earth’s surface) and each layer can contain a huge amount of information. Anything that is known about the individual features in each layer can be stored in the GIS. For example, when you highlight the City of Cincinnati on a map, you might be able to see the founding year, the current population, the median income of residents, the average yearly rainfall, and the most common soil type, depending on what information the creator of the GIS included. GIS makes it easy to understand information that otherwise might be difficult to visualize (such as the average education level of people in every census tract in the city) and to present it in a way that makes it possible to draw some conclusion about the data or how the different features interact. With all of this information it is possible to “ask a question” to your GIS and analyze the map, tables, and graphs you create to find your answer. You can learn more about how GIS works and what a big role it plays in your everyday life by visiting the Guide to Geographic Information Systems or by watching this short video.
GIS can be helpful to ECO in a number of ways. We can use CAGIS (Cincinnati Area Geographic Information System) files, census data, addresses, and other outside information to create maps that will let the community understand more about their surroundings and that can help us understand which areas are most in need of education or advocacy efforts. ECO has already undertaken a few GIS projects (which you can view in the mapping section of our website) and in the future hopes to complete many more.