Local GIS Websites

[Arkansas Student]

I figure this has already been posted once before, but I thought it might be of interest to any new folks, or just those who didn't see it the first time.

LOCAL GIS SITES

Rogers

Bentonville

Benton County

Fayetteville

Arkansas

"http://www.fws.gov/southeast/gis/"]Southeastern US[/url}

IMO, Rogers & Bentonville have pretty good sites (they're built with the same software: AutoDesk). You have to download a small plug-in to view them. The Arkansas GIS site isn't great, but it's got higher-resolution images than Google Earth for some of the rural parts of the state (if you're interested in looking at those places, like me).

Enjoy!

[Mith242]

I don't know if anyone has posted that before. Your Fayetteville link doesn't seem to be working though.

[itk]

Here's the link to Fayetteville's GIS website: http://www.accessfayetteville.org/geograph...ctive_maps.html

[hogwash]

FayGIS is the oldest of all them. Bentonville is probably the most comprehensive. Rogers is essentially a copy of Bentonville, except they paid way too much money to an outside source to develop it. It was ungodly slow for the longest time. Benton County is pretty new, but it might end up over time being the best. They're very professional and really care care about the accuracy of the data they release.

I really wish ESRI would release a version of ArcIMS more similar to a lot of map servers you are seeing that are similar to the Autodesk products. Autodesk has released a new version of MapGuide (Enterprise) that is even more impressive than what Bentonville and Rogers are built on 6.5. Fayetteville has a lot of good GIS data - data with a lot of data behind the lines and pretty pictures, its just not in as friendly of a package as Bentonville or Rogers.

[masons_dad1]

FayGIS is the oldest of all them. Bentonville is probably the most comprehensive. Rogers is essentially a copy of Bentonville, except they paid way too much money to an outside source to develop it. It was ungodly slow for the longest time. Benton County is pretty new, but it might end up over time being the best. They're very professional and really care care about the accuracy of the data they release.

I really wish ESRI would release a version of ArcIMS more similar to a lot of map servers you are seeing that are similar to the Autodesk products. Autodesk has released a new version of MapGuide (Enterprise) that is even more impressive than what Bentonville and Rogers are built on 6.5. Fayetteville has a lot of good GIS data - data with a lot of data behind the lines and pretty pictures, its just not in as friendly of a package as Bentonville or Rogers.

[hogwash]

Bentonville and citizen's tax dollars paid a pretty penny for those building outlines, let me tell ya. I know Fayetteville also has building outlines, but I'm not sure if its available on the web.

[masons_dad1]

Bentonville and citizen's tax dollars paid a pretty penny for those building outlines, let me tell ya. I know Fayetteville also has building outlines, but I'm not sure if its available on the web.

[hogwash]

There is typically very little usefulness a value to the individual citizen, other than having information that is easier to access. The benefit of good GIS data is in the ability to make more informed decisions, model stuff for decision making, and increase access to information (like zooming to a road on GIS map, finding the subdivision you want and opening the plat online, rather than digging through paper work and travelling across town to get the plat you want). Basically, money spent on GIS is money saved in man hours and elsewhere, at least ideally. Spend to save, sounds strange but the idea works in theory and practice with effective usage.

[Arkansas Student]

One thing we run in to @ Rogers is the learning curve associated with the GIS site. People in the community don't know about it yet, and when they find out some of them find it difficult to learn. We have started by teaching the developers and real estate folks to use the site, and hopefully usage will matriculate through them.

I personally like how the Bentonville GIS site tells you the land values.