Mapping software goes the distance

| SPECIAL TO GCNOff-the-shelf mapping software has become less expensive and more capable, a double plus for agencies that are finding ever more uses for mapping and analysis applications.The most obvious uses are for actual navigation of an area, requiring the display of roads, rivers and other natural features'some even give point-to-point directions'and for defining political boundaries.Maps also can show the locations of facilities, resources, assets and equipment. This is especially useful with hidden items such as water and sewer lines, gas pipes, electric wiring, and cable TV and fiber-optic conduits.People show up on maps that illustrate population, housing, income, and families. Local government offices often need to display coverage areas for police, fire and health services. Mapping is an important tool for planning activities ranging from actual building and engineering projects to managing growth and change.Mapping software's ability to support and perform analysis is becoming increasingly important in areas as diverse as crime statistics, educational demographics and congressional redistricting.The software's development is reminiscent of word processing. Word processors, which once were essentially typewriters, now range from simple text editors to sophisticated publication packages. They can produce everything from plain text README files to book-length manuscripts with complex layouts, embedded computations and live links. You wouldn't want to produce an in-depth report in plain text any more than you'd want to harness a full office suite for taking notes.Mapping software is similar. Your first consideration is suitability to task. The product should be able to accomplish the specific jobs you have in mind without encumbering you with extensive, expensive and unnecessary capabilities.How to decide what you need? Hand-draw a sample of what you want the result to look like, then look for software that can do the same.The second consideration fits with the first: Don't overbuy. There are some excellent $2,000 geographic information systems'and some $200 systems that might be better for your purpose.If you need the expensive software, as some agencies do, buy it. But if you go overboard, you might only be buying problems, such as proprietary operating systems, special hardware needs, additional training requirements and difficulties with integration.Next, consider your audience: the people who will use the software and the people who will use the maps it produces. The key is complexity. Engineers who require extensive detail are different from citizens who require clarity and simplicity. If your audience is Web users, look for software with interactive features.Finally, make sure the software has the special features you want. Do you require a product that specializes in hydrogeology? Or one that is general enough for many different tasks? Look for any special symbol sets you use, or capabilities such as 3-D representation.Integration with databases that handle geographic information, such as Oracle, is also important, as is the ability to blend different types of information on the same map.The Geological Survey has a collection of free mapping software that it has either developed, sponsored or acquired. Check out its offerings before you go shopping, if only to get an idea of what different kinds of software can do.XXXSPLITXXX-The 2000 census provides an enormous amount of data for analysis and planning. One of the most common uses for the data is redrawing of political boundaries, for reasons that range from changes in population or neighborhood makeup to political motivation.Redistricting by hand is not only a nightmare of mind-numbing detail but is fraught with the prospect of opposition, because of the way politics can influence statistical interpretation.Mapping software can take away some of the burden.Caliper Corp.'s Maptitude for Redistricting is a popular choice. ESRI's ArcView geographic information system has an extension that automates the redistricting process.The Districting Extension lets you manually move boundaries and instantly see the statistical result in table or chart format. A redistricting wizard can automate the process even further. You can set target values for quantities such as population for the software to optimize, and then view statistics of the results. This lets you create alternative redistricting scenarios.Redistricting isn't only for once-a-decade census results, either. Governments often need to consider changing boundaries for police and fire service coverage, zoning or tax assessments at any time. The right software can simplify moving the lines. XXXSPLITXXX-