GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS)
Abt SRBI offers advanced Geographic Information Systems (GIS) capabilities to all
projects and clients. GIS is a system for storage, management, input, visualization,
and analysis of data referenced to geographic locations. By adding GIS capacities
to projects, new spatial patterns, data trends, and advanced analysis are obtained.
Abt SRBI has available a range of GIS solutions to assist clients visualize and
analyze data in new ways. GIS can enhance any sector or field of research. Data
can be referenced to a particular geographic point, such as an address or parcel,
and data can be aggregated to various levels of analysis such as census tracts,
counties, or user defined areas. This ability to examine relationships between multiple
layers is a key feature of GIS. For example, GIS can simultaneously display census
data, streets, bus routes, aerial photography and transportation facilities for
advanced analysis. Abt SRBI's GIS capabilities add tremendous value to services
and projects, as well as offer new, innovative solutions to clients.
Sample mapping and analysis of demographic forecasting data using GIS
GIS is a rapidly growing field and Abt SRBI has been growing its GIS capabilities.
Mr. Timothy Michalowski, a GIS expert, has joined Abt SRBI to lead a new GIS department.
Mr. Michalowski joins Abt SRBI from the New York City Department of Transportation
(NYC DOT), where he was responsible for GIS technology for the entire agency. Before
joining NYC DOT, he served in several government agencies. He was a GIS Associate
Planner at the Puget Sound Regional Council in Seattle, WA, where he was also project
manager for a spatial geodatabase of all building permits in the region. At the
City of Chicago Zoning Reform Commission, he edited the city's official ArcGIS zoning
map, and researched land use zoning regulations for the Commission, comprised of
Chicago planning staff and elected officials.
Mr. Michalowski has extensive experience maintaining and editing GIS relational
databases, SQL Servers, ArcGIS Server, ArcSDE, and ARCGIS Desktop products and extensions.
Under his direction, Abt SRBI utilizes the latest GIS software such as ESRI ArcGIS
(ArcView, ArcMap ArcCatalog, and ArcToolbox), MapInfo and TransCad. Advanced GIS
analysis techniques are available such as automated data models, address geocoding,
density mapping, and spatial analysis.
In addition to desktop GIS applications, Abt SRBI offers the latest technology of
server-based GIS known as "ArcGIS Server". This advanced web based technology allows
for publishing interactive GIS applications and analysis via websites. Server based
GIS applications integrate seamlessly with other data and basemaps such as Google
Maps (KML), Microsoft BING basemap, and published GIS data layers such as land use,
census and demographic data etc. Web based GIS applications are customized to support
specific projects and clients allowing advanced GIS analysis and tools to reach
a much broader audience.
Sample interactive map website with ESRI ArcGIS Server & Adobe Flex Viewer
Abt SRBI is currently completing the first large scale Global Positioning Satellite
(GPS) based travel survey in the United States. The survey is being conducted with
4,000 households in Ohio utilizing personal GPS tracking of their travel behavior.
This innovative data collection technique offers new potential for surveys without
traditional paper based diaries. Abt SRBI is researching other new data collection
techniques such as the use of web based map input by survey respondents and the
use of cell phone devices with built in GPS capacities. All of these tools help
improve data accuracy, lower project costs, increase data collection rates, and
allow for enhanced analysis.
Sample of GPS travel survey households in Ohio
