Application of technology to Planning

This week we had a guest lecturer speak to our class about GIS (Geographic Information Systems). It's the same idea as Google (digital) Maps, but with more embedded data (per geographic location) layered within it, such as in-depth census data, making it so useful for urban planning.

Further, we also looked at an article from www.mdpi.com called: 'Tool or Toy? Virtual Globes in Landscape Planning' (Future Internet, 2011). This article looks at the function and integration of GIS, or as they like to put it 'Geobrowsers'.

Firstly, there are two core data types to the GIS: Roster and Vector.

Roster data: consists of information about the earth’s geographic features which are stored in cells and represent land use, vegetation, slope, elevation and aspect. Vector data: contains information through: points, lines or polygons. Points represent physical items; lines represent streets, water, electrical and sewer lines; and polygons represent parcels of land, buildings and landscaped areas.

It's possibilities are the extensions represented in this image (from our guest lecturer)

GIS has become an important tool for Urban Planners ever since (former US president) Al-Gore's first vision for a 3D Geobrowser in 1998 to emphasise his views on global warming. And, it has been ever increasingly streamlined and layered with information for the those who wish to do some form of geography research/analysis, more efficiently. 


Further, this can also extend to the public arena where "Personal anecdotal evidence from discussions with representatives of community groups and local government also points to the need for collaborative frameworks employing easily accessible tools to visualize, explore and assess development alternatives, as well as local climate change vulnerability, impacts, and response options, within their spatial context"(Future Internet, 2011). It is a positive prospect, the idea that stakeholders of an urban planner's focus, could finally share the same vision of whatever change is advocated, through a (digital) 3D landscape medium.


However, the concerns and problems I have found with GIS include:

• That it's embedded information is updated by people, which leaves margin for error; 
• A city is always changing, so how often will the maps need to be updated? Is this expensive to do? ; and
• Once an inaccuracy is placed within the system, is that inaccuracy compounded? For example, when embedding map information, if the old measurements are slightly off and GIS is highly accurate, how are the inconsistencies picked up and then addressed?

Considering all of the above, I can see why GIS has been taken up by the ACT Planning Department. It pays immense efficiency dividends. From it's facilitation of geographically embedded census data, to it's capacity to let a planner analyse multiple sites at once, it's the way of the future and I can see it's utility continuing 10 or even 20 years into the future.


It would be an interesting sight, one day, seeing a fire-fighter at the front of a bushfire, not using a paper map, but his iPad and GIS application, to decide on a 'best course of action' response.