What is a Geographic Information System (GIS)?
GIS is a computer-based tool for mapping and analyzing objects and events. It combines the power of an informational database with the visualization capabilities of an easy-to-understand map. Good decisions require good information, and producing good information requires powerful tools to help people think about data and information in new ways. With the visual power of a map, policymakers, City staff, and the public can consider and discuss a number of different issues with a common understanding of the situation and the probable implications of their decisions. Simply put, the City's GIS allows for better decision-making.
The City of Andover's GIS Department manages the information collected by various City departments, federal agencies, the State of Kansas, and Butler County. With GIS, staff can incorporate, visualize, and understand the relationships between different types of data to find new information. Then, staff and elected officials can present this new information more clearly to citizens through GIS. The use of GIS has profound implications in three major areas: