Various trends have influenced the development of GIS in the past decade. Information structures in both business and administration increasingly incorporate GIS components, which requires that geodata is linked with other types of spatial information so that they can be integrated into geographic information systems.
To facilitate this, GIS enables the electronic management and visualisation of spatial data. The primary purpose of GIS during a Smart City development strategy is the collection, modelling, storage, manipulation, analysis, retrieval and presentation of geodata.
Why is GIS significant?
Today, digital societies are largely dependent on information. GIS is actively being used to provide solutions in numerous branches of government services as well as in businesses and industry. It integrates spatial information and other relevant data into a single system that can offer specialised processes for the analysis of spatial problems. Geoinformation technology is utilised in surveying, engineering, planning, and logistics for the collection, processing, management, and presentation of spatial information. Organisations are heavily investing in GIS to increase efficiency.
GIS and Smart Cities
GIS for Smart City areas are getting crowded each day. The development of self-sustaining cities appears to be an alternate solution to this problem. Technology is playing a significant role in the development of self-sustaining cities. These cities are enabling automation and real-time integrated city monitoring and management through a network of sensors, cameras, wireless devices and data centres. A simpler way to view these smart cities is to see them as developed urban areas that foster sustainable economic development and a high quality of life by addressing multiple key areas, including economy, environment, mobility, governance, energy efficiency, and people and living conditions.
Smart cities present a substantial growth opportunity in the coming years. However, they also have their challenges, as these projects are quite complex, involving both residential and commercial spaces, supported by an infrastructure backbone that includes power, roads, water, drainage, and sewage.
A centralised information system based on GIS provides an IT framework which integrates not only every stakeholder but also every aspect of smart city processes, starting from conceptualisation, planning, and development to maintenance. GIS is deployed at every stage of the planning and development of a Smart City. What are the steps to implementing GIS in a smart city project?
Acquisition: Find the right sites for city development, view legal boundaries, and arrive at the correct valuation of your existing/new sites.
Planning & Design: Identify deficiencies and determine optimal solutions. Integrate GIS with most design tools, including CAD and BIM, to bring greater analytics and cost-estimation capabilities to your infrastructure design process.
Construct: Integrate project and financial management software with GIS to enhance project management. GIS can provide a single point of entry for all construction-related documents and files.