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Joburg's highly rated geographic
information systems unit introduced the technology to high school learners with
the aim of encouraging them to study further.
OVER a thousand learners from 20 Joburg
high schools explored the world of geographic information systems (GIS) over
two days with the City's corporate geo-informatics department.
The City of Joburg uses GIS for planning purposes
GIS is a computer based mapping tool that
takes information from a database about a location, such as streets, stands,
buildings and water features, and turns it into visual layers.
Organised by the corporate geo-informatics
department and held at the University
of Johannesburg in Auckland Park
on 3 and 4 September, the event was part of GIS Week.
On arrival, the learners were taken to an
auditorium for a 15-minute introduction and short presentation, and then it was
off to a computer laboratory for an hour's training on how to use GIS.
They were advised on which subjects to take
if they wanted to become GIS specialists, and they learned to add and search
for information on the maps.
Also discussed was the broadness and
versatility of the GIS industry, which includes entering information on to the system,
developing new programmes for GIS and working in the field installing
programmes for companies.
The learners who attended said they had
learned a lot, with some even saying they were considering following a career in
the field. Jonathan Bloxam, a Grade 10 learner from Benoni
High School on the East
Rand, said: "It was good; it was nice. It was way better than
school and they catered for us very well."
The City's director of corporate geo-informatics,
Marcelle Hattingh, spent time at the two-day show, and explained to the
learners how the municipality used GIS.
"At the City of Joburg, we use GIS to publish information on
our website. We also use it for planning purposes. It can also be used for
routing purposes because in cases of emergency we are able to inform ambulances
of which routes to take."
It used its GIS and associated resources to
improve the quality of its products, to simplify its processes and to improve
services.
The unit also provided geographic feature
maps and detailed information, including density, height zone, parking
requirements, building lines, full area report and zoning certificates on all Johannesburg properties.
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