SmartMap.us: GIS
An Overview of GIS Clearinghouses in the Context of Community Emergency Management
A. Jon Allred
Abstract: This white paper reports the tacit status of all apparent U.S. state-sponsored GIS clearinghouses in terms of readiness to support local pre-disaster mitigation planning and event response. Among findings, GIS clearinghouses provide almost universal, no-cost access to extensive spatial data in many formats. However, resources are largely organized by source rather than use, and user map production services are nascent. In contrast, Federal agency efforts promote uniformity of metadata, a seamless national map, organization by overt purposes and support for user participation in GIS development. The proliferation of spatial-capable mobile devices portends the migration of GIS toward non-technical, mass application. A Web page by the author provides further backdrop for considering GIS resources in community emergency planning and response.
Download the full report on GIS clearinghouses in the United States.
