GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems.  It can be defined as:

".... a collection of computer hardware, software and geographic data for capturing, managing, analyzing and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information"   www.gis.com

The keyword in this technology is Geography.  This means that some portion of the data is spatial.  What makes GIS truly unique is the ability to link the spatial component to attribute information, like ownership information to civic addresses, parcels to buildings and streets to a network.

Buffer Analysis vs Network Service Area

These two maps demonstrate the differences between using buffers and network service areas. In the buffer example, two concentric green rings are generated 2.5 and 5 kilometre buffer around the recreation centre. This encompasses much more geography as this is based on distance "as the crow flies". The network service areas shown in red are a more sophisticated GIS technique. These 2.5 and 5 kilometre distances follow the road network and is more representative of how people travel, as these areas do not cut through physical boundaries. By comparing the two maps, you can see that part of Kingswood could be classified as being within 5 kilometres of the recreation centre. But if you travel along the road, it is not within that serviced area.

3D Population

Using 3D techniques may aid in the interpretation of data. In this example, we are using Statistics Canada population values. Each dissemination area has population density values. These are extruded in 3D and thematically rendered to accentuate the greater population density in the HRM core, and notably on Peninsular Halifax.

Hydrography Network Navigation

Building a hydrography network with lake flow lines allows for the modeling of water flow over a surface. By identifying the drainage points and analyzing the topography of the land, flow direction can be assigned to watercourses. In the accompanying map, the green square could represent a spilled pollutant. Using a GIS technique called downstream tracing, we can model the expected flow of the pollutant and identify areas at risk. The results are displayed as a red line. Conversely, if a pollutant was detected at a location along the water network, we could use a technique called upstream tracing with would identify potential areas where the pollutant could have entered.