The current systems are now quite sophisticated, open systems with menu-based interfaces that are shared among departments and agencies. Sixty percent of those surveyed had first acquired their system in the last three years. The trend in system design was away from centralized systems based on minicomputers to more open systems using a combination of hardware types. Those who were not yet sharing their system indicated their intent to do so in the future. The project is working toward systematizing data capture and storage, automating manual processes, and providing system access to the area municipalities.
Users have instantaneous access to various databases and data resources of the city.
The present model of GIS in environmental planning is one of smaller, cheaper, faster, friendlier, and more useful systems than those of old. Distributed databases and open systems architecture facilitate physical access to GIS by environmental planners with desktop machines throughout and between agencies. Easy to use interfaces and increased processing speed have improved the psychological availability of the data and analytical tools. Large databases can be compiled and stored in a fraction of the time historically required. All of these changes increase the availability of spatial information to planners, within and across agencies as well as during each phase of a given project.