World GIS Day 2024

Celebrated on the third Wednesday of November each year, World GIS Day is a global event to showcase and celebrate Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and their applications.

 

At DHA, we are continually expanding our use of GIS within the business.

 

GIS is still a new concept to many people within the industry and it is therefore important to go back and understand what GIS is and how it began. This article provides a whistlestop tour of what GIS is, why it is important, a brief history of GIS, and how we use it to assist our clients.

 

What is GIS?

Geographic Information Systems ‘GIS’ is the process of combining location data with descriptive information in order to help understand, analyse and visualise geographic data.

 

In oversimplified terms, it involves mapping data, analysing it using a wide range of different tools and functions to create high-quality and visually appealing outputs, which aid in understanding patterns of data and can ultimately lead to improved decision-making.

 

Why is GIS important?

The importance of GIS cannot be understated. Whilst there are nearly limitless uses within GIS, key ones listed below demonstrate just some of the capabilities of GIS that are used globally around the world:

 

• Disaster Management – GIS can be used to identify areas at greater risk from natural disaster, what the priority structures/areas are, and can analyse where natural disaster prevention measures are needed in order to aid disaster planning and recovery;
• Navigating Efficiently – GIS can be used to plot the most efficient routes for vehicles or for walking when considering other external factors, such as traffic, road/pathway closures and stops required on the journey;
• Finding the Optimal Location – GIS can be used to visualise locations based on a range of weighted factors in order to identify a location that is most desirable, such as a major retailer looking to open a new supermarket;
• Tackling Social, Economic and Environmental Problems – GIS can be used to highlight patterns and outliers within large datasets in order to clearly present and assist in dealing with problems, such as deprivation, economic inequality and flood risk;
• Planning and Development – GIS can be used to compile and present environmental and planning designations, as well as other data such as national statistics to ensure that new developments are feasible and appropriate for the area they are situated in.

 

What is the history of GIS?

The first example of spatial analysis came in 1854 from John Snow, a physician who used it to help solve a cholera outbreak in Soho by combining information from a local hospital, public records and the people he surveyed, to plot a point map which illustrated cholera cases. He identified that they were clustered around a water well on Broad Street, which he presented to the authorities resulting in the well handle being removed, and subsequently the cholera cases diminishing.

 

GIS rapidly began to develop during the 1960s and the term “GIS” is first used in 1963 by Roger Tomlinson, who undertook a national land use management programme for the Canadian government, inventorying natural resources.

 

In 1969, Esri is founded and today are considered a world-leading expert in GIS. They are responsible for developing some of the most widely-used GIS programmes, such as ArcMap, ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online.

 

During the latter decades of the 20^th century, advancements in IT, (including computers becoming cheaper, more powerful and more accessible), developments in satellite imagery and navigation during the 1970s, and an increase in the number of GIS software options and digitised mapping data being available, GIS started to become more widespread, including into businesses and classrooms.

 

In 1995, Ordnance Survey launched its website and digitised approximately 230,000 maps. As such, Great Britain was the first nation to have completed a programme of large-scale electronic mapping.

 

In 2005, Google Earth and Google Maps was launched, which allowed people to see other parts of the world and aided with navigation. This is one of the first instances where the benefits of GIS start to become more embedded into people’s everyday lives. Both programmes are still widely used over 20 years later.

 

Throughout the 2010s and beyond, more people being able to access GIS software, Landsat satellite imagery, and statistics and information gives rise to open-source GIS where users can share their own datasets and maps. Furthermore, with GIS now developing online, cloud and mobile capabilities, the GIS is more accessible than ever.

 

Today, GIS is used everywhere. Whether you are a delivery driver looking to plot the most efficient route for various deliveries, a shop owner looking to establish a store in a place with high footfall, a natural disaster planner looking to implement flood defences in the most vulnerable areas, or you are simply looking to avoid the route with the most traffic on your drive home from work, it is hard to imagine a world today without GIS.

 

How do we use GIS?

We often take for granted how GIS aids us in the workplace.

 

In terms of using it as a professional service, we at DHA use it to enhance our reports by plotting local services and facilities, walking/cycling distance isochrones and planning policy and environmental constraints, and undertake various audits and assessments. We use it to view planning applications, planning constraints and land ownership with ease.

 

Most recently we’ve used it to undertake bespoke projects to suit client needs for example sourcing potential Grey Belt sites and carrying out Social Infrastructure Audits. Such projects require the handling of a plethora of datasets and result in legible, informative visuals.

 

Interested in having a go or need GIS assistance? Visit our user friendly online Interactive Map or call us to discuss your requirements further.