Fairfax County, Virginia, GIS: Planning, Design, and Implementation--The Critical Steps

Author: Gregory A. Thomas
Organization: Fairfax County

12000 Government Center Parkway
Fairfax, VA 22035
USA

Phone: 703-324-2283
Fax: 703-324-3937
Gregory.Thomas@co.fairfax.va.us

Fairfax County is Virginia's most densely developed jurisdiction, with more than 900,000 residents and more than 350,000 parcels within 400 square miles.

Fairfax has recently completed a large GIS conversion to build a planimetric base and more accurate parcel/zoning data set for use across County operations.

Accurately converting Mylar-based assessor's data into a complex GIS structure is an essential, though challenging, component of the process. System management, data validation, conversion operation, and QA/QC require project and strategic management. This paper addresses lessons learned from this program that other agencies will find beneficial for planning and managing a GIS conversion.