GIS in Your Town

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are revolutionizing how municipal governments and other groups work with natural resource, land use, infrastructure and related data. A GIS uses computer technology to encode, store, analyze and display geographic data. Increasingly, Connecticut municipalities are using GIS to help prepare local plans of development, to manage infrastructure and land records, to evaluate proposed developments, to assess open space options, to plan school bus routes and for many other applications.

The GIS in Your Town workshop is designed to introduce municipal officials and volunteers to basic GIS concepts and terminology. The workshop presents information to help organizations understand some of the planning, management, database and application issues important to successful GIS programs.

Topics Include:

GIS basics
Hardware and software options
Start up and operational costs
Where to get GIS data
How to get organized
Staff and training needs
Where to get assistance
Pitfalls to avoid
Examples of municipal applications

No prior knowledge of GIS is necessary and comments, questions and discussion are encouraged. The material covered in the workshop is particularly valuable to organizations that are considering or just getting started with GIS.

The workshop is free of charge and about 1 hour long. We recommend scheduling 2 hours to allow for discussion and questions. Contact Emily Wilson or Sandy Prisloe at emily.wilson@uconn.edu to set up a workshop.

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