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Track: Local/State Government, Cadastral, Land Records
Paul Braun
University of South Carolina
Gambrell Hall Room 1
Columbia, SC 29208
Telephone: 803-777-4590
Fax: 803-777-7489
E-mail: paul@opie.cla.sc.edu
Phil Guertin
Public Access to Spatial Data: Neighborhood Association Information Needs in Tucson, Arizona
Defining Issue: The public has a legislated right to access spatial data generated by the government. Unfortunately, spatial data is often hard to acquire, unwieldy, and difficult to analyze. Although opportunities for public access to spatial data have increased in recent years, limited research has been done to define what spatial data people want access to and what characteristics a public access system should have in order to meet the public's informational needs. GIS Solution: A study was conducted by the University of Arizona to determine the spatial data needs of four neighborhood associations in Tucson, Arizona, and analyze their interactions with desired spatial data. Access to spatial data was provided through the Public Access System (PAS) prototype. Methodology: Members of four neighborhood associations were asked to complete a questionnaire that addressed issues such as the relative importance and awareness of different types of spatial data, preferred data formats, metadata needs, and
willingness to pay. A subset of association members interacted with the PAS prototype and completed a second questionnaire. The second questionnaire determined whether exposure to the prototype changed their perceptions of the issues dealt with in the initial questionnaire. The paper will offer priorities for neighborhood association data needs as well as demonstrate that public access to spatial data can be provided in a low-cost, efficient, and effective manner. Software: The PAS prototype was developed using ArcView Version 2.1 and Avenue.
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