Using Geographic Information Systems to Solve Community Problems

Abstract

This article describes how the technology of geographic information systems (GIS) can be used as a tool to integrate various types of community-level data to address local problems. The purpose of the article is to present an approach that can be replicated by others. This approach is based on community-wide collaborative sharing of resources, data, and research applications with an aim to enhance the health and well-being of the local area population. Although the example used relates to health, the approach can be used to deal with any “event” or series of events in the community.