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Track: Local/State Government, Cadastral, Land Records
Joerg Schaller
Esri-Germany
Ringstrasse 7
Kranzberg, D085402
GERMANY
Telephone: 011-49-8166-380
Fax: 011-49-8166-8202
E-mail: jschaller@Esri.isar.de
Marc Bonazountas
InfoCity: City GIS Information on the Internet
Defining Issue: Modern city departments usually have large GIS databases. Due to the European legislation, they are forced to publish environmental and other information to the public. In the EnviroCity project, funded by the European Commission DG XIII in 1996, three types of users have been considered: sophisticated high-end users, such as city departments, universities, research organizations; desktop users, such as homes, schools, interested public, and so forth; and low-end users using one-way predefined information from the city server, such as the publication of environmental conditions at an electronic information panel. To fulfill the requirements of the EnviroCity project a predemonstrator user interface has been developed and tested with the databases of five European cities. The development was considered successful by the Commission and the pilot users. A second phase of implementation under the name InfoCity has been started by Esri-Germany and EPSILON International Greece. GIS Solution:
The proposed and adapted GIS solution is based on the Esri GIS Internet Strategy to provide GIS and related attribute data by user access in a client-server architecture. At the server side SE and Geodata are provided via the MapObjects Internet server, the HTML Browser with Java Script, and MO active at the client side. The navigation through the cities databases is supported by the EnviroCity project. The GIS solution provides, therefore, for both the city and the user a distributed GIS with MapObjects and Intranet at the server side and dynamic Internet access at the client's computer. Methodology: The upscaling of the current technology is based on the implementation of Java technology, MapObjects client-/erver technology on top of the Spatial Database Engine of a city, and upgrading of the interfacing of the developed EnviroCity Navigator to the city Web site via the WWW to interactively respond to remote client-user requirements at acceptable speeds and resolution requirements. Other elements of
InfoCity are the implementation of security tools to have city database adequately secured, and the conductance of the strategic business plan that is aimed at estimating the volume to a potential business by year 2000+ (number of licenses to be sold). Furthermore, additional applications will be identified, cataloged, and pursued from the business perspective as an extension of InfoCity; for example, health services and information or transport information. During the implementation phase, InfoCity will pursue more than fifteen major European Union cities from the TeleCities, EUROCITIES, POLIS, and CAR FREE CITIES consortia. Software: The software technology is based on standard GIS Internet and user interface technology: ArcView, MapObjects, SDE, IMS (MapObjects Internet Map Server), HTML, Java script, Active X, CGI/part Script, and Web Browser Software.
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