GIS - The New Cartography
Years ago, geography students spent long hours at drafting tables learning how to make maps with drafting pens and zip-a-tone. Today, its all done with computers using programs called geographic information systems, or GIS. Different types of geographic areas and line features are loaded into separate GIS layers, along with attribute data that describes these areas and lines. Once loaded, the data can be displayed on a map in an infinite variety of ways by turning layers on and off, changing scale and symbolization, and using many other mapping techniques.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg GIS
Charlotte-Mecklenburg has developed an extensive GIS, and much of it is available online through the World Wide Web. To see the various applications available online, use the following link:
Charlotte-Mecklenburg GIS Online Applications
One of the most interesting selections here is the GIS
Real Estate System. Once you pass through the opening screens, you see a map of Mecklenburg County.
You can click on the map to zoom in or use the menu bar at the top to search for specific locations.
Select the "Tax Parcel and Map Sheet Search" link in the upper left. Under "Find Tax
Parcel by Address," enter your street name (but leave your house number blank). You'll get a list
of addresses on your street. Ever wonder what your neighbors names were? Ever wonder what they paid for
their houses? Click on a Parcel ID# to get a map and more data. Zoom out on the map to see more of Griers
Fork (or whatever neighborhood you've gone to). From here, use selections on the screen to find out what
other information is available. Note however, that data may not be up-to-date for all areas.
(Note also that images of real estate documents, including plat maps and deeds, registered after
November 9, 1998 are available from the Register of Deeds web site at http://meckrod.hartic.com/.)
Another selection is the Student Assignment Express. Here you can enter your address and see that Griers
Fork is in the Steele Creek Elementary, Kennedy Middle, and Olympic High School attendance areas. Of
course, you probably already knew that if you have kids, or if you happened to notice that all three
schools are right up the street. You can also see attendance zones, get directions, and more.
Using the Voter Information Express, you would discover that Griers Fork is in Precinct 228, and our
polling place is at Kennedy Middle School.
Use the Park Facility Locator to find out park
locations and amenities, and use the Government Services Locator to find a city or county service or
building.
Use the Community Crime Mapping System to display locations of reported incidents.
Also available are applications that show flood, water quality, and rainfall information.
There also is a link to the Map and Go site where you can locate addresses nationwide.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, or the corner of the map. GIS is the mapmaking tool for the
new millennium!