Sharing Geographic Information

de Gerard Rushton

Developments in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are changing land-use decision making in profound ways. Access to data on land and its uses is essential to a wide range of planning functions, both public and private. But data collection and maintenance are difficult and expensive. The potential for sharing information within and among organizations makes GIS technology accessible to planners, analysts, and policymakers. This volume consists primarily of papers prepared for a specialist meeting on "Institutions Sharing Geographic Information" hosted by the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis in February 1992. Authors include leading academics in organization theory, management information systems, and GIS as well as practitioners from federal, state, regional, and local governments, GIS software developers, consultants, and spatial data suppliers. Contributors describe and analyze their past experiencesboth successful and unsuccessful - in sharing geographic data. They identify opportunities, options, and potential pitfalls for organizations as well as for individuals and recommend strategies and models for improved information sharing.