Web-Based Geographic Information Systems: Experience and Perspectives of Planners and the Implications for Extension

Web-based geographic information system (GIS) technology, or web-based GIS, offers many opportunities for public planners and Extension educators who have limited GIS backgrounds or resources. However, investigation of its use in planning has been limited. The study described here examined the use of web-based GIS by public planning agencies. A 2013 web-based survey of 274 public planning agency staff throughout Wisconsin revealed that use of web-based GIS for planning tasks lags behind use of software-based GIS and that agency use is hampered by a number of barriers. The findings suggest that Extension professionals can help practitioners become more familiar and proficient with web-based GIS applications. Introduction For years, many public planning agencies have lacked the resources to invest sufficiently in geographic information system (GIS) technology. However, recent advances have enabled agencies to combine GIS technology with the Internet, increasing its applications for planning practice without necessarily increasing the need for funding to invest in desktop, or software-based, GIS. For those in the general public and other stakeholders, web-based GIS technology (referred to as web-based GIS) provides easier access to geospatial data and a medium for sharing their perspectives, increasing the opportunities for public participation in planning efforts. For planners and Extension educators with limited GIS experience and agencies with limited budgets, web-based GIS also provides free or inexpensive opportunities to access planning-relevant data, conduct data analysis, and prepare maps to depict planning options. For well over a decade, scholars have been writing about the role of the Internet in the future of GIS (e.g., Dragicevic, 2004; Li, Veenendaal, & Dragicevic, 2011; Verma, Verma, Singh, & Naik, 2012) and the future of GIS in planning (Drummond & French, 2008; Ferreira, 2008; Heikkila, 1998; Klosterman, 2008). Recently, countless web-based GIS applications have been developed that planners can easily use in their work. A 2011 study by the International City/County Management Association documented that two thirds of U.S. county and municipal governments provide GIS mapping and data online, a figure that represented a doubling over a 7-year period (International City/County Management Association, 2004, 2011). Web-based GIS applications span a wide range Z. Aslıgül Göçmen Assistant Professor University of Wisconsin–Madison, University of Wisconsin–Extension Madison, Wisconsin [email protected] of planning fields. Whereas some applications are intended for viewing only, others incorporate analytical capabilities, making spatial or statistical analysis possible. Despite the thoughtful opinions of scholars (e.g., Drummond & French, 2008) and efforts at local, regional, state, and federal levels to develop web-based GIS applications, empirical evidence on web-based GIS use by planners is limited to case studies or to its use for public participation (Conroy & Evans-Cowley, 2006; Ganapati, 2011; Peng, 2001; Slotterback, 2011). Because web-based GIS provides additional opportunities for planning departments whose members may or may not have GIS expertise, it is important to investigate its use by public planning agencies. The purposes of the study reported here were to investigate the extent to which public planning agencies use web-based GIS and to determine whether their use of web-based GIS for planning functions differs from their use of locally installed software-based GIS for such functions. The study also investigated practitioner perspectives on the use of web-based GIS in public planning agencies and the perceived barriers to its use for planning. The findings have significant implications for Extension professionals, who have a vital role to play in teaching public agency planners how to use web-based GIS more widely and effectively. Learning how planners use web-based GIS—or why they do not—will help Extension professionals develop more effective programming. Background Web-Based GIS Applications for Planning Local governments, state departments, federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, and universities have created numerous web-based geospatial technology applications spanning diverse fields. The most widespread applications involve local governments' making their GIS data layers available on the Internet for viewing. These applications typically have search and print capabilities, and users can turn on different layers to map. With these basic capabilities, users can easily access information such as parcel data and map a community's current conditions. Agencies other than local governments have developed applications with similar mapping and informationaccessing capabilities. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) created HUD Community Planning and Development Maps (http://egis.hud.gov/cpdmaps), which provides access to information on the consolidated planning process and housing needs assessments and allows users to view HUD grant programs and various indicators of community and economic development. NEPAssist (https://www.epa.gov/nepa/nepassist), from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), uses the EPA's GIS database to allow users to review environmental issues related to a particular community or project. Census Data Mapper (https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/maps/datamapper.html), a practical mapping tool provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, quickly displays county population and housing information. Several other applications allow users to visualize spatial information. The H+T Affordability Index (http://htaindex.cnt.org/map/), created by the Center for Neighborhood Technology, maps neighborhood affordability on the basis of census block statistics. Mapnificent (http://www.mapnificent.net) uses Google GTFS, a consolidated database of public transportation schedules and geographic information, to determine where a passenger can travel within a given time. NJ Flood Mapper (http://www.njfloodmapper.org/) helps users visualize the impacts of rising sea levels under different scenarios. Whereas the aforementioned applications have built-in analysis, others enable users to conduct their own Feature Web-Based Geographic Information Systems JOE 54(6) © 2016 Extension Journal Inc. 1 analyses without having to download geospatial data or perform the analyses in GIS software. A notable example is the GIS of Waukesha County, Wisconsin (http://www.waukeshacounty.gov/defaultwc.aspx?id=39458). With almost 100 available data layers, it enables users to perform simple spatial analyses, such as those accomplished by creating buffers. Many other applications have embedded analytical capabilities, eliminating the need for users to do analyses themselves. Web Soil Survey (http://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/HomePage.htm), developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service, enables users to map the suitability of soils for different uses. In essence, the tool provides a simplified version of a land suitability analysis. The LongTerm Hydrological Impact Assessment (L-THIA) (https://engineering.purdue.edu/~lthia/), developed at Purdue University, estimates impacts of proposed land development on water quality and quantity by using actual rainfall, soil, and land use data, enabling users to evaluate alternative development scenarios. For additional examples, see http://urpl.wisc.edu/sites/urpl.wisc.edu/files/people/gocmen/Web%20based%20GIS%20applicatio ns%20for%20planners_gocmen%26levine.pdf and http://urpl.wisc.edu/sites/urpl.wisc.edu/files/people/gocmen/ WebGIS_2nd%20vol_gocmen_rynish.pdf. GIS in Wisconsin's Public Planning Agencies The study described herein examined the use of web-based GIS in Wisconsin. Wisconsin has a rich history of land records modernization and GIS use in public agencies, dating back to the late 1970s. Several studies have documented county-based land records modernization through the Wisconsin Land Information Program (Day & Ghose, 2012; Hart, 2000; Kuhlman, 1994; Tulloch, 1997). Additional studies addressed barriers to GIS use in Wisconsin's public planning agencies, finding that most agencies used GIS primarily for administrative and routine tasks, such as keeping inventories and accessing information (Göçmen, 2013; Göçmen & Ventura, 2010).