I’ve recently been working on an Air Force Services planning project. Part of the project involves some really cool design proposals for future implementation; the initial steps included assessing the existing programs and assigning them to the existing building layout, for which we used a powerful piece of GIS software called ArcMap.
The software allows the integration of vector information (buildings, roads, etc) similar to AutoCAD files linked to spreadsheets of data as well as imagery (Google Earth images, Bing aerials). This results in a large database cross-referencing all relevant project information in one program. Without ArcMap, we would likely have had to go back and forth between an Excel Spreadsheet, an AutoCAD file, and a Photoshop file or files – in other words, a mess.
Two of the original exercises we were tasked with include identifying the specified buildings and services graphically with symbols and labels, as well as identifying population concentrations through out the day based on the base working and living populations. These exercises enabled the team to review the efficiency of the services being offered and begin to compile suggestions for proposals going forward, with knowledge of both location and scope that would best serve the population’s needs.
This software has potential for a great deal more applications, and it will be interesting to see if we have the opportunity to use it more often with different client areas.
Topics: Planning